Braces @ 24! Woo hoo!

[Roboto]

Called the ortho yesterday like he told me to when my uppers and lowers were just about to hit in the front (I've gone back and forth between over and underbites with my rubber bands). He had me come in to check everything out and .... drumroll... no more rubber bands! So I have another appointment in 6 weeks but we're just gonna let the wire finish closing up these gaps now that MY OVERJET IS FIXED (?!?!?! ?!?!). I still can't believe it!

On a similar note, as I was waiting, a boy's mother was asking the doc when he thought he'd get done. He's had them on for 2.5 years. The ortho told him that if he had been wearing his rubber bands like he's supposed to, they'd be off by now. It took all I had not to smile and say, "Booya, sucker!" as I strutted past him with my adult teeth that are moving faster than his

[Cyborg]

LoL!!!! YaY! How exciting!!! And thats why I'm wearing my bands religiously!! you won't catch me in these 2.5 years later!

~ New to archwired

[Roboto]

Wow. I can't believe I haven't updated since March.. There really haven't been any major, earth-shattering changes like there were a year ago so I haven't felt the need to write anything down. I do have some new stuff going on though, which makes me feel like typing

I popped a bracket off on the bottom for the first time last week and went in yesterday to get it fixed. While putting the wire back in the assistant noticed that one of my molar bands was loose too, so the ortho had to come back and put me back together again. The assistant told me that the band probably came off bc I hook my elastics on that one. I have no idea how or when the bottom bracket came off. (Side note: I do not look forward to the process of getting my braces off now. She had to sand the glue off in order to reapply some for the new bracket and it was such a skeevy feeling. My teeth might be too sensitive for this!)

While he was in there, the ortho checked on my progress like a regular visit. He put a couple of kinks in the left side of my top wire and gave me a new powerchain. The kinks will hopefully work to close the gap I have left on my left side. That will hopefully shift my midline back to center. It's off to the right since that side closed up a little more quickly. I think it's safe to say the right side gaps are closed! Woo hoo!

Ugh.. I also have a new country for my elastics (Switzerland), which are heavy duty. I hook them on the left and right sides, top eye tooth to bottom eye tooth. Since the elastics are so heavy it's really hard to open my mouth. My teeth are sore like they were back in the beginning when they were moving really fast... this is good! It stinks for the moment but pain = progress!!

Glad I popped a bracket off now Oooh Also! There was a guy in another chair waiting for the ortho to put his spacers in because the assistant couldn't make them fit. It turns out that he was 19.. hooray for the only 2 patients in the room being adults! Of course, had I known this before he left I would have said something along these lines to him to make him feel better about getting braces.. maybe next time!

[Roboto]

Since my last visit one week ago, the remaining mm of my extraction gap has officially closed! No wonder my mouth has been so sore this time around! This is so great. I can now really really see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

[Random]

How many months did it take to close the extraction gaps?

[Roboto]

For them to completely close? The gap on my right side took around 15 or 16 months (it was so gradual that I'm not sure when it closed exactly) and the left side took about 18. For me it was those last couple millimeters that seemed to take the longest but I think that's just because the movement was a lot more noticeable during the first year.

[Random]

For them to completely close? The gap on my right side took around 15 or 16 months (it was so gradual that I'm not sure when it closed exactly) and the left side took about 18. For me it was those last couple millimeters that seemed to take the longest but I think that's just because the movement was a lot more noticeable during the first year.

I just got my power chains/elastics yesterday to close my gaps, I don't think I can last that long, did you wear your elastics 24/7?

[Roboto]

Yup, powerchain and elastics 24/7.. no cheating! Everyone's teeth move at a different rate though, and back at the beginning I thought a year and a half sounded like forever but it's actually gone by really, surprisingly fast. Once you see how fantastic your mouth looks while the gaps close you'll be so excited to see the final result.. don't worry! Hang in there!!

[Roboto]

Another adjustment yesterday. I'm not even entirely sure what the ortho did even though I heard everything he said... and my teeth are kind of numb/sore today. I know that he adjusted something with my powerchain on top to close the final little diastema I have from my extraction gap on the left side (I thought it was all closed, but alas, it's thisclose. He also put 2 little kinks in the wire on the bottom next to my bottom canines. This is the first thing he's done to my bottom teeth in at least year lol.. aaand I'm on to a new country for elastics.. Mexico. The elastics I had before were very very thick. They go from top to bottom so it made opening my mouth with a fresh pair of elastics quite difficult. These Mexico elastics are the lightest I've ever had. I have a feeling I might forget to put these in sometimes just because I can't even feel them when they are in. It was super obvious with the heavy elastics when I didn't have them in.

Other than that, the ortho was thrilled at my progress. He said he was impressed with their movement

[Pacha05]

Hi Roboto

I have been reading your journey and your blog You're teeth are looking great.

We have similar stories although im a newbie at the mo. I have a 10mm overjet and an uneven bite. I have just had 2 extractions, my top bicuspids (the same as yours) i am feeling a little bereaved now they have gone but will definitely be worth it.

I am getting ceramic braces fitted next wednesday and my ortho mentioned springs, i am guessing forsus springs.

[nachoesq86]

Please post some pics of your progress

[Roboto]

I totally forgot to wish myself a happy 2nd brace-iversary!

I'm so excited! Braces are coming off Monday morning.

I went to the regular dentist earlier this week because I thought I had a cavity. It turns out that I have "normal root sensitivity," which means some of the tooth root is exposed and I can hit it with things. I'm a little worried about the ortho hitting that when all this cement is being filed off, but I'll be sure to warn them. I. can't. wait.

I had a whole bunch of poorly lit progress pics on my phone, but I lost them when it broke I didn't think it was possible but time really flew by these past 2 years.. I can't believe it's been that long already!! I am SO excited to get them off! I think I'm more excited to see if my students notice.. and maybe I won't get mistaken for an 8th grader anymore!

[Tobilei]

Yay!!! So glad they're coming off So exciting!!!

[Ellabelle]

Omg congratulations on being so close!! That's such exciting news; I can't wait to see the after pics!!

[NeilH]

Hi, I have really enjoyed reading about your progress. Great to hear you are almost at the end so good luck for Monday. I get my braces fitted tomorrow so have all this to look forward to.