This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!
New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.
DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.
Hi Braceface,
Thanks for your message and the tips on flossing and the compliment. I will try flossing again tonight, hopefully with more success.
I can't believe that my braces are finally on. I woke up this morning with some big time soreness on the bottoms of my front teeth. Not really sure why that would be the case. The tops of my bottom teeth are also feeling pretty tender. So,I think that chewing today will be a bit of a challenge.
The appointment went very smoothly yesterday. But I noticed last night that none of the brackets have hooks on them despite the fact that Dr. Smith told me that I would need elastics at some point. So, I'm not really sure what that means.
Oh, well. I've been very brave and have set up a coffee date with a friend for next Wednesday. I hope I will be ready to go out and face the world by then. At least I'm not crying very time I look in the mirror. I think my son was actually right... I look much younger with these things on. Or is that just my imagination???
Dee
Hi Nikkie,
I don't know what I was thinking.... I thought I was replying to a message from Braceface. Sorry about that!
Yes, so I guess I have officially joined the club now. My teeth feel very strange this morning. Sore and very big inside my mouth. But I was able to sleep pretty well most of the night. I woke up about 4:30 this morning with some pain. Took a Tylenol and it mostly went away. I am getting ready to try to tackle some breakfast. My right back molar hurts (on the top) and I don't know why that would be doing that! It's in front of a tooth that does not have a bracket. I don't have any brackets on any of my far back molars. This is because the ones on the top arch have large gaps in front of them where my teeth were extracted. Dr. Smith said that because they were going to put in a very fine wire at first that it might bed or twist or break as it was stretched across that long span. So, I get those molars put on at my next adjustment at which time they will put in a new, heavier wire.
I thank you for the reminder to take a look at my Day One photos and make a comparison whenever I am feeling overwhelmed or regretful about the process. Honestly, despite all my complaining and whining before I am very glad that they are finally on and I can start to make some progress toward closing this space. As ugly as I feel right now with my braces, I felt 10 times uglier with that dreadful space in my mouth. So, two years from now, my teeth will look great again with God's blessing and help.
Dee
Hi Dee,
I had a look at your blog and your braces look great. They don't look big at all. Sounds like you are doing very well with eating too. Hope all the discomfort goes away quite quickly. Congratulations on being officially braced http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/posting ... 13&t=42752#
Hey Ciara,
Thanks for your message. Yes, I've been very pleasantly surprised by the way they look and my reaction to them. All in all, I've been very encouraged. I'm hoping that my pain will go away soon. Still, it's not unbearable so I'm coping well with it. Hope all is well with you!
Dee
Dee17 wrote:Hi Nikkie,
I thank you for the reminder to take a look at my Day One photos and make a comparison whenever I am feeling overwhelmed or regretful about the process. Honestly, despite all my complaining and whining before I am very glad that they are finally on and I can start to make some progress toward closing this space. As ugly as I feel right now with my braces, I felt 10 times uglier with that dreadful space in my mouth. So, two years from now, my teeth will look great again with God's blessing and help.
Dee
Thats the spirit.............U have the right mind set.
And i kno exactly how u feel with the whole ugly thing. From the moment i got my braces i felt a lil more confident about myself.
Knowing that im doing something positive to change what I dont like about myself.
Its an awesome feeling knowing you notice ur shortcomings and ur working at it....So kudos to us
Hi Nikkie,
You are incredibly sweet and I feel so fortunate that we have "met" each other here.
Yes, I think that this whole thing is about a certain "mind set". I know I feel SO much better since getting them put on, despite the physical discomfort I am having. I knew that would happen because I've dealt with similar issues in the past and I ALWAYS freak out first and then calm down once things start to unfold. Having this forum and the people I've encountered here really saved me, though. For sure. I think I might have seriously had a major meltdown without it.
I think that the space is a bit smaller today. So, it seems to be closing pretty nicely on its own with just a wire. Who knows? Maybe I won't need any powerchains after all? Maybe it won't take two full years!? i hope he will give me a better idea when I go back in December. Take care of yourself!
Dee
Well, the space between my two front teeth is definitely smaller. It seems to be closing very quickly, though. Is this something I need to be concerned about? Don't misunderstand me, I'll be very happy when it is gone completely, I'm just concerned that it seems to be closing very quickly. Should I call my orthodontist's office and ask to go in to see him?
I don't think its a problem. My gap started 2 close since before I got d powerchains. So I don't think its a bad thing...... When is ur next appointment scheduled? U can always bring it u wid him.
Hi Nikki,
My next appointment is scheduled for December 17th. I was told that at that appointment they would be putting the brackets on the back molars on the top and bottom. I don't know... His original estimate for treatment time was 2 years. The way it has been going, I would think I would be finished in 9 months. Not that I'd be upset by that, mind you. I tried flossing my teeth again tonight. Oh, my God, that is such a frustrating activity. Again, I gave up entirely after just 30 minutes. I really hope I can get the hang of it before too too long. My teeth don't feel very clean at all!
Dee17 wrote:Well, the space between my two front teeth is definitely smaller. It seems to be closing very quickly, though. Is this something I need to be concerned about? Don't misunderstand me, I'll be very happy when it is gone completely, I'm just concerned that it seems to be closing very quickly. Should I call my orthodontist's office and ask to go in to see him?
Wow, they are moving that quickly already? Congratulations, Dee! You might be out of braces quicker than you expected! Some people do seem to have very fast movement at the beginning but slow down later. Hope this is not the case for you.
Hi Ciara,
Yes, they seem to have moved fairly quickly. Maybe that's because the space opened up so recently and I got my braces so soon afterwards. I'm just hoping that my orthodontist will say that I won't need them for the full two years that he originally estimated. I go back for an adjustment on December 17th so I'll just have to wait and see! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!
Dee
After just three weeks with my braces, my upper midline diastema has started to close. It has really been quite interesting to watch it happen. Makes me think that I might be able to get these things off sooner than the original two year estimate. BUT I now have a small space which has opened up in my lower arch, between my right canine and the right incisor. Does anyone know why this would happen? I am wearing brackets on my lower teeth and my orthodontist said that he would "upright" my bottom teeth because apparently, they are tipped forward a bit. But I did not think he would be moving the teeth laterally in the arch. Any thoughts on this? I'm not unduly concerned about it but it does look kind of bad. I go back for my first adjustment in mid-December so if it is still there I will ask about it. I'm just wondering if anyone has any ideas why this space might have opened up. Thanks.
Hi Dee, i've had lots of spaces appear and then disappear over the course of the last 10 months.. quite often things have looked to be getting worse instead of better but I think it's just that things need to be done in a certain order to make room for future adjustments if you get what i mean.
Hows the flossing going? it can be frustrating in the beginning but i'm sure you'll get the hang of it.
Good news that you shoiuldnt need your initial 2 year sentence.. it' will pass in no time at all i'm sure.
Hi braceface74,
Thanks for your message and your words of encouragement.
I have not yet been told that I won't need my braces for the full two years. I am only just hoping that will be the case.
Flossing is getting a little bit better. I can do it now in about 25 minutes so that's progress! I am looking forward to going back for my first adjustment mid-December. I hope he will give me some good news.
The space on my lower arch is still pretty big, though. I've just been kind of confused as to what has caused it, hence my posting.
Dee
