Braces Journey from Chaotic Choppers - Australia

[Chaotic Choppers]

Thanks Kimmie!!!! I'm nervous alright !!! Reality has set in! I keep checking and double checking that I've filled the paperwork in right, eating all my 'last minute foods' and pacing backward and forwards in my mind Brushing my teeth lots just to get into the habit as well!

I'm caught between 'just slap them on already' and 'no I can't commit to having bricks on my teeth for 2 whole years!!!' but knowing what others have gone through is helping my mind get prepared (I know I will be wanting to rip them out at some stage but that will pass in a few weeks etc. etc.)

And going through it at the same time as you and some others in this forum is helping

3 days til flossing day for you Hope you're keeping well!! And go purple, teal and pink!!! What will the hat decide.... :O!?????

[Chaotic Choppers]

TOMORROW is the big day!!!!! I can't believe it!! The nerves and excitement have gone, now I'm just scared!! It probably doesn't help that I had a nightmare last night where all my teeth were loose, moving and falling out!! Eek!!!

Hopefully as the day goes on (and after a coffee) I'll wake up and start getting excited again!!

Have a great day all!!
<3

[NICURN85]

1 day left CC!!!! I still have not had that dream yet. Maybe it will come by Thursday before it is time for the archwire to go on. Tonight is my first night at work since I had them and I am so not going to enjoy brushing my teeth in a public restroom here in the hospital!! I have my whole kit with me but I will have a smoothie for my lunch so brushing will not be so hard because it is not really food I am having. I can not wait to hear your story as you have one more day left to go!!!

[Chaotic Choppers]

Less than 24 hours now!!

Hope work is going well Kimmie - what do you do for work?! I'm not looking forward to getting used to brushing in icky public restrooms either!

Good thinking on the smoothie! YUM!

<-- This will be me until tomorrow!!

Goodbye world of smooth teeth and hello tin grin

[NICURN85]

I am a nurse in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit!! The smoothie machine was down so I had to settle for Chilli, which was a total disater!! From now until Thursday I will be sticking to soft foods where things will not get caught around the spacers!! I think I would be ok if it was not for these things!!! I am counting down with you!!!!!

[Chaotic Choppers]

They've been on for 3 hours!!

So:
I got called in and given a bunch of colours to choose from - with so many colours it felt too boring to pick silver! So I chose a nice light purple! The assistant was pleased to see me using colours
They took a bunch of photos with lip retractors every which way
I had an x-ray
I had the chat about how to clean and what to eat
Then came time to put the braces on!!!
On went the sunnies , they put some strange tongue depressor/suction thingy on my tongue, the lip retractors went on, the ortho cleaned the fronts of my teeth and washed it off with the water spray, then he started sticking them all on with glue (which I didn't end up tasting til the end), he dried them all off with a 'hair dryer' looking object and then put the wires on. All painless. Then the purple bands were put on and I started feeling some pressure! And that was it Oh yeah, and the glue just tasted like bad morning breath lol- nothing to be worried about for anyone thinking of braces! Actually nothing was really as bad as I had imagined it would be! The brackets aren't sharp but the hooks catch my lip a little. I thought they would feel very metallic but they feel more rubbery than anything.

Since then I have mainly felt pressure, along with the feeling that my mouth is full of dry cotton wool lol. It's difficult to close my mouth properly but I'm getting more and more used to it as the hours go by. I feel like I'm getting a mild headache and my teeth hurt a little when I let them touch. Just waiting to see how bad it gets before I take panadol. I am quite sleepy too.

My ortho said not to stick to liquids but to venture onto soft foods that require a little chewing...this will help the pain to go away quicker. So far I've eaten some weetbix in milk and that went pretty well!

My speech is fairly normal but I'm having a little trouble with my m's, b's and p's because it's difficult to close my lips.

So this is what they look like:

[Chaotic Choppers]

Kimmie!!! Now it's your turn to get your spacers out and wires/bands put in!! Hope it all goes well!

Wow, a nurse! That explains why you are so caring! Sorry the chilli was such a disaster! Hopefully the smoothie machine will be fixed soon enough!

Take care!

CC

[NICURN85]

CC!!!

THEY LOOK GREAT!! You got the color purple I was thinking about getting! I am one day away not so I must chose a color!! Did you get spacers?! How is the pain now? I am so happy for you!! How is food intake going?!! I hope you are not in too much pain!!

[Chaotic Choppers]

Thanks Kimmie!! I'm still getting used to looking at them!

The pain is still tolerable after 9 hours! So far so good and no pain killers! I ate dinner which was mashed potato and chicken burger meat (all mushed up) and some peas that I managed to swallow!! It took me over half an hour to eat but I got there! My teeth have an ache when pressure is put on them so I was really careful chewing/gumming/swallowing with my very back molars. My front teeth are more sore but I don't have to chew with them so that's great!!

I have somehow escaped spacers! Perhaps until my extractions get done? Or maybe never I'm not sure. I don't have molar bands either? Nor any brackets at all on my last set of molars? I am not complaining! But that doesn't help me give you the heads up on how they feel!! Sorry :/

Once you are in the chair and you see the colours you will know which one you want BTW I hope my Aussie spelling of colour doesn't annoy you!??

Brushed my teeth just then and the brushing part is fine! But so far flossing is impossible! Youch it hurts! I'll try again tomorrow to see if it's any better!

I also tried a trick I saw on youtube to cut pieces off a pacifier and chew on them (don't swallow obviously) and that eases a little of the pressure which is good -not sure if I'll keep it up but it kept me entertained for a few mins!

So let us know how your appointment goes and what colour you chose! My photos didn't show the colours up too well but I thought they'd give you an idea at least!

Ciao!!
CC

[NICURN85]

Hi CC!!!

I am so glad you are not in so much pain as of now!! Have you ever thought about getting a Waterpik? I heard it helps on the first couple days when flossing is straight impossible. I have one and can't wait to use it fully tomorrow. I tried using it last week when I got the spacers and brackets, but when I turned it on to use it I thought the pressure was going to blast the spacers out of place. Lol!! Don't be surprised if tomorrow you look on here and see I have the same colors ligs as you as purple is my favorite color. I think I will take another Ibprofen before I go in the morning to knock off some of the pain that I know I will experience. Did you doctor prescribe you any special kind of fluroide mouth wash? I hope everything is going ok and will chat with you later!! Less than 24 hours for me!!!

[Chaotic Choppers]

The orthodontist said I would be hating him today but I'm really not! Yes they hurt but not to the point that I can't do anything. Still no need for painkillers but it REALLY hurts for my front teeth to touch anything - I keep bumping them on forks, my other teeth when I talk etc. (ouch!!) So I've been extra careful today. It has also taken until now for me to be able to gently bite my back teeth together because it has been sore to do. That should help with 'chewing' dinner tonight!!

Now for anyone thinking about getting braces, metal braces do not kill you if they are seen in public! Today I went out and nobody cared! Then I bumped into my brother and he just smiled and said 'hey, you've got braces'! And asked a bunch of questions So the public don't care and your friends and family are just happy to see you happy! Yes, ceramics are more pleasing to the eye but if you can't afford them, don't let it stop you from getting braces. It really isn't a big deal once everyone knows about them.

Kimmie!! I've been considering a waterpik but need to save up a bit more :/ I hope you enjoy using yours without those horrid spacers in!! And no prescription for mouth rinse... My 'goodie bag' consisted of a travel toothbrush cover, toothbrush, two interdental brushes and two disclosing tablets... So no suggestions of toothpaste, floss or mouthwash?

Purple is great! It isn't a huge 'look at me' colour but it's also not the big metal look. Quite feminine too! Go for it!! There is also a light aqua dot on some of my brackets that looks nice so I might see if they have that colour next time

Not long now Kimmie!!! Hope it all goes well and doesn't hurt too much!

[Chaotic Choppers]

Day 4 already!

Things are starting to calm down a bit. The last two days have been quite painful but today I feel almost human! The pain has been moving from tooth to tooth and changing from upper to lower but the good news is that I see/feel movement or space or less space etc - my teeth are moving!!! I can now floss between all but one pair of teeth (it's just impossible to fit the floss down there) without yelling the house down!

I'm developing a habit of stretching out my lower jaw because it gives relief for a few seconds?? Feels like it's growing or something?? lol!

I have two ulcers from 'gumming' food and one under my tongue...dry lips...a little bit of a cut mouth from the wire growing (more proof that things are moving) and some of the hooks are scraping as well now that my teeth are uprighting a little (where's that wax!!!!)

Apart from that I'm looking forward to every day feeling a little bit better!

Keep rocking on!!

[NICURN85]

I am glad your pain is starting to calm down CC!! Hopefully by tomorrow I will be ok, but then Wed comes the pain of not one but 2 extractions!! I am hoping I do not develop dry socket like I did before!! I can start to see the movement on two of my teeth!! YAY!!

[Chaotic Choppers]

Extractions are very scary so I'm being positive for you Kimmie that your extractions will go splendidly! We're all here if you need to vent the pain!!! And before you know it, you'll be helping me get through my extractions (which aren't for at least 7 weeks) while yours are starting to close up and look gorgeous!

Take care mate!!

[Greenman]

Wow CC. Sounds really painful. You started your treatment a day after me so I am looking forward to watching your progress. How often does the orthodontist adjust the braces?

Cheers,

Paul.