Catgyrl's (Cathy's) Journey at age 42...

[catgyrl]

Okay, I've decided to go with the Whitestrips. Found the one I wanted online for $31.99 (normally about $60 in stores!) It's the 7-day treatment. Depending on how my teeth feel after demanding, I will probably wait a while before using these. I've started brushing with Sensodyne, so I have about 3 more weeks.

Have to look into retainer cleaning products now. Jeez... I thought I'd spent enough money on these teeth!

[NICURN85]

Hey Cat,

You can try www.dentakit.com It has retainer cleaning products on there. You don't have long before your teeth are naked again!!!!

[catgyrl]

Hey Cat,

You can try http://www.dentakit.com It has retainer cleaning products on there. You don't have long before your teeth are naked again!!!!

Kimmie-
Get outta my head! LOL! I just finished ordering the SonocBrite retainer cleaning kit and some of the cleaning wipes. I know I already have a problem with tartar build-up, so I will have to be extra careful in keeping these things clean. I can already see a bunch of tartar on the bottoms of my lower brackets, which is why he had a hard time opening the doors last month. I'm afraid to try scraping it off for fear of breaking a door, or something.

[opera^gal]

I've been using the wipes since I got into retainers, both hawley and clear..and they work great!!! Portable and easy to use...and they work!!

[catgyrl]

I've been using the wipes since I got into retainers, both hawley and clear..and they work great!!! Portable and easy to use...and they work!!

Whew! Thanks, opera^gal! I'm always hesitant to buy these types of things online, because I don't know how they'll work. Glad to hear they work well.

I just realized that I'm reverting back to my pre-braces/just-braced habits: brushing 3x per day, like clockwork; flossing every evening; getting my Whitestrips (I used them for 2 weeks prior to getting braced.) just obsessing about my teeth, in general. LOL Since I just got my teeth cleaned in May, I really don't want to pay another $70 for another cleaning. I'm hoping they look good enough after demanding so I can wait until my next cleaning in November.

[catgyrl]

Well… I HAVE A DATE!!

No, not that kind of date (Hopefully, that will come later!) An even better one: MY DEBANDING DATE! It will be August 15th at 9:20 AM.

Even though I’m going to see my ortho next Friday, 8/3, I called the office today to see if I could just go ahead and schedule the debanding appointment, since my schedule at work is really tight. I told her I wanted it as soon as possible after 8/3, but unfortunately, he was going to be out of the office the following week. So, I took the next available appointment on the 15th. She then told me that at my next visit, I would have to sign this paper stating that although he may feel that he’s not ready to take off my braces yet, I understood and agreed that it was what I wanted to do. She said that a couple of times, which made me ask, “Jeez! Does he REALLY not want to take them off?” (Maybe I was completely blind, and not seeing things he was seeing?) She said, “Oh no, everyone has to sign some sort of release form before he takes their braces off.

So, unless something drastic happens between now and next Friday, my teeth will be naked in 22 days’ time. I’ve scheduled my dental exam/cleaning for 12:30 PM that day, so I will have time to eat in between debanding and cleaning.

Am I dreaming???

[NICURN85]

Whoo Hoo!! I know you are super excited. It is funny because I will get my lower wire and bands on the 14th and the next day you will have everything off. Did you get a chance to speak with them about what type of retainer you will be getting?

[Ellebraced]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Super excited for you!!! Your so smart booking now, I know my ortho gets crazy busy and hard to get appointments sometimes.

Can't wait to hear about your debanding day!!

[catgyrl]

Whoo Hoo!! I know you are super excited. It is funny because I will get my lower wire and bands on the 14th and the next day you will have everything off. Did you get a chance to speak with them about what type of retainer you will be getting?

Hey Kimmie!

You're lucky you got your uppers done before your lowers in that you've had a chance to get used to them. The minute I got my wires locked in and went to rinse my mouth at the sink, I thought, "Oh, God, what have I done??"

I will be asking him at my next appointment (8/3) about the retainers. I'm pretty sure I will get upper and lower Essix. Question is, will I also get permanent ones? I'm hesitant because, pre-braces, I had problems with plaque buildup on my lower teeth. Right now, I have lots of it under my lower brackets. I really don't feel like scraping my lower permanent retainer every day. We shall see...

[bannishg]

Yes sensodyne is a very good idea when using WhiteStrips. My first month using them it looked like I had gingivitis. I actually opted for the "paint-on" solution that you can brush on much more accurately.

But glad to hear your almost out of the woods, you have a wonderful blog here.

Greg


[quote="TinkB"][quote="catgyrl"]@Kipepeo:

One of the assistants at my dentist office said to try the Crest WhiteStripes first. She said to follow the directions of the stripes and don't over do it. Also, use Sensodyne a few weeks before using the stripes, during and after. She said that all the bleaching stuff makes your teeth sensitive.

Congrats on getting closer to debanding!!!!! [/quote]

[Mitch11]

Hi Catgyrl !!
It's been 17 days since I got my upper and lower ceramic braces. My story is almost the same as yours except I didn't need to get a tooth extracted. Was a thumb sucker as well, so got the over jet and to top it off a nice big gap between my 2 front teeth. My Dr has started off with power chains and I went with purple !!!!!
I have read your thread and it sounds like you've been on a real roller coaster. I hope mine will be look like yours when I'm done.
Thanks for keeping your story updated, it's given me hope

[catgyrl]

bannishg - Thanks for the whitening tips! Maybe I will wait a week or so begin the whitening, so any gum swelling and sensitivity can subside.

Mitch11 - I'm glad you enjoyed my yammering on, and on. Once I get debraced, I'm going to go back and read my thread all the way through. I'm sure I'll be appalled at all the grumbling I did.

Are you enjoying your purple chain? I loved mine in both shades - darker purple and lavendar. The purple didn't stain at all; the lavendar just faded a little bit.

[Mitch11]

I'm loving the purple chains.

I have an appointment in 2 weeks time and I plan on getting dark blue on the upper and red on the lower (the lowers are hardly visible anyway).

[ashesgap]

Well… I HAVE A DATE!!

No, not that kind of date (Hopefully, that will come later!) An even better one: MY DEBANDING DATE! It will be August 15th at 9:20 AM.

Even though I’m going to see my ortho next Friday, 8/3, I called the office today to see if I could just go ahead and schedule the debanding appointment, since my schedule at work is really tight. I told her I wanted it as soon as possible after 8/3, but unfortunately, he was going to be out of the office the following week. So, I took the next available appointment on the 15th. She then told me that at my next visit, I would have to sign this paper stating that although he may feel that he’s not ready to take off my braces yet, I understood and agreed that it was what I wanted to do. She said that a couple of times, which made me ask, “Jeez! Does he REALLY not want to take them off?” (Maybe I was completely blind, and not seeing things he was seeing?) She said, “Oh no, everyone has to sign some sort of release form before he takes their braces off.

So, unless something drastic happens between now and next Friday, my teeth will be naked in 22 days’ time. I’ve scheduled my dental exam/cleaning for 12:30 PM that day, so I will have time to eat in between debanding and cleaning.

Am I dreaming???

Yay! I'm so happy you got a deband date! I'm gonna gloat a little and say thank goodness I'll be done with my dental stuff before you finish yours, by one day. I get my crowns on the 14th, and it could not happen soon enough.
In regards to whitening...the only stuff I've ever used was the strips right before braces. Then during braces I used whitening toothpaste and baking soda once a week. When I got the braces off I couldn't believe how white my teeth were. Then last week while the dental assist and I were picking the color for my crowns I saw how white my teeth actually are, they're like 3 levels below glowing white! and I had actually started worrying about their color. So, if you've been brushing like most of us do during braces, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I also tried to keep up with Archwired after I was debraced, but we bought a house days after debanding, and it's a lot more work than I thought. but I have come back once a week or so to see how yours were moving along...fingers crossed for the 15th!!!

Oh, and be sure to take one or two Advil prior to your cleaning. My first after deband was not a picnic.

[catgyrl]

Hi ashesgap!

Thanks for the encouragement, and the pharmaceutical tips! Now that I think about it, I probably should've waited a week or so before scheduling my dental cleaning, but I figured I'd just take the whole day off work and do everything at once; especially since the two offices are right next door to each other. I will be LOADED up with Advil that morning, and I'm hoping that my utter JOY at being debraced will help compensated for the discomfort I'm bound to feel.
I think I will literally SKIP into that office on August 15th! What a sight that will be - a 44-year-old woman skipping with a big half-tin grin on her face.