Better late than never

[maipinkheart]

http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtop ... =3&t=39156

Yay! I'm past the halfway mark of treatment time. I think about post-brace life all the time, hahaha.
Has anyone ever reshaped their teeth after de-banding? I'm debating on whether to shave some teeth down and would love to hear other's experiences with teeth re-shaping. Thank you for reading!
I shall strive to update more often

[maipinkheart]

So today saw the doc for the 20th adjustment! Woo woo! Only 12 more and $960 left, excluding costs of retainers ($200~). He said he loves my case, whatever that means. I cared more when he said that if my teeth move well, I could be out of them by this time next year. I was ecstatic to hear that! I could actually be done with treatment before 2014! That's huge to me cus I've had braces since May of 2011, since I was 25 and by next winter I'll be 28. Bad news is that he said my teeth need a LOT more work before my Hollywood smile is ready, emphasis on LOT -_- That kinda burst my bubble a bit but I perked up again when he said my posterior bite is now perfect and even removed a right molar bracket. He also replaced the old powerchains with new ones since these next 4 weeks are all about closing the stubborn extraction gaps and moving some teeth back. Definitely felt the pressure moving already.Still got me wearing elastics too, boo! But the nightlys are now every other night. The continuous ones are to remain continuous And now I'm getting an ulcer from the new end of the wire which especially sucks cus I forgot to ask him for wax since I don't have any with me and I'm on vacay til after the 1st. Might just suck it up til I come back from vacay.
Hope everyone else is having a happy holiday. I know I am! Went to see The Hobbit right after adjustment appointment. Loved the book and loved the movie, but I really enjoyed my caramel popcorn. Yes, I'm a terrible patient, I know -_- But its just not as enjoyable to watch a movie without popcorn and I do so love the caramel kind Back to see him next month on the 19th and will update again then, if not sooner.

[maipinkheart]

2:30 am and can't sleep.
wire end is (still) being stupid and poking my cheek. will just keep sucking it up for 2 more days til I get some wax again. been researching retainers since they aren't included in my plan. watched tons of YouTube vids and read up on them too.
so what usually happens is that the doc takes off the braces and makes the mold for retainers which get sent to the ortho labs who make the retainers that are then sent back to the doc and eventually come home and stay forever.
now retainers come in 2 types (not including the permanent wire behind the teeth kind): 1. hawleys, old school traditional toungey but customizable and 2. clear plastic trays called essix retainers.
hawleys are usually double the price of essix ones cus they are more time-consuming to make AND more importantly that usually last longer with proper use and care. according to the ortho lab techs, essix are cheaper BUT more prone to wear and tear cus all they're really just thin plastic while hawleys are hard acrylic, like the acrylic at the nail salon.
do some more digging and retainers can even be bought online! buy the retainer set and the companies send out a d-i-y mold which you then send back for them to then make the retainers and send to you. its like cutting out the middleman aka the orthodontist.
I'm definitely up for buying eyeglasses online so I have no problem buying retainers online too. The cheapest for an essix set was $95 while hawleys were about $175. I will wait to see how much my ortho charges for retainers cus he originally said $200 AND how long it will take for me to receive them since it will all be done in Mexico. I worry about teeth shifting while waiting for turnaround time and with the DIY kits, I could probably get away with sending in the molds ahead of time before day of debonding. I'm leaning towards Hawleys not just cus they are a better investment but cus they are customizable and I love color and patterns.
Your thoughts?

[Kipepeo]

First, I would be very wary of diy retainer kits. Really, pay all this money and spend all this time, and then skimp on the forever part of the deal?

My ortho said he likes Hawleys, at least initially, because they allow the teeth to settle. Essix tray types really don't allow this. Hawleys allow the ortho to make adjustments during this settling. Essix also allows some adjustments to be made, though not like the Hawleys.
I wanted Essix too, but after hearing all this, decided to go with Hawleys as recommended, and then maybe get Essix (Bioforms) later.

[Dee17]

Just had to get my two cents in, too. I agree with Kipepeo. I would be very sceptical about getting any kind of retainer through an online distributor. If you make a mistake when you're measuring yourself (however you would do that), you put all that hard work and pain and sacrifice in jeopardy. Frankly, I don't think it's worth the risk just to save $100.00 or so. Just a thought.

[maipinkheart]

Panoramic x-ray, $24


Ortho needed it to plan the detail work. Still in elastics. Supposedly midline is perfect but I don't think so . . .

[maipinkheart]

2.5 years later, I have made it into the "final" stages.
Ortho shaved some teeth this adjustment #24/32! Woo hoo!
Hello Hollywood smile

[maipinkheart]

Found some VERY rare open smile pics from before

[jim85133]

I would like to know your orthodontist you are using in Mexico. Not sure how to PM you about it. Would you mind PM'ing me back with the info?

Thanks!

[maipinkheart]

Hi Jim!
You can find my ortho on FB under Hector Quintero. One of the top orthos in all of Mexico.