Braced at 52 with Innovation for overbite/overjet

[pjade1]

Hi everyone! Today is my bracing day so I am excited to get started. I have had spacers for 11 days now and yes, I am ready to remove those buggers. They never gave me pain but they are totally annoying. I have a deep overbite and a 5mm overjet and yes, I am 52 years old.

My dentist keeps suggesting braces for me and I was against it. I did not want braces and thought I could live with it but then my lower teeth kept shifting up and digging into the back of my upper teeth. It rubbed off all the enamel there and created a ledge in my teeth so those teeth will eventually need crowns after the braces are off. Also, when I started biting into my upper gums and yikes, that hurts, I decided it was time to go get some consultations with some othodontists. I went to my first consult with a referral from my dentist and then decided to research more on the internet about braces. I figured since I would not be a candidate for Invisalign, I would opt for Damon braces so I searched for providers that did those. My second consult was for Damons and I didn't mind the guy but he suggested jaw surgery for me another "yikes" I did not want jaw surgery and looked that up when I got home. I got a third consult and I really liked this guy. He did not want to even know what the other two had told me and said he would do a full evaluation and let me know what he would do. This ortho did not have Damons but he did have Innovations, which are self ligating and work the same as Damons. He thought the Innovations would work and I would not need teeth pulled. He said he would use elastics to pull my bite back in and possibly a forsus at a later date if the elastics did not work but he thought they would. He gave me a sentence of 30 months.....well, that's a long time. The other two said 18-24 mo. I am thinking it takes longer with the bites though.

After that, he asked me what the other two had said and I told him. He said there is no way he would ever suggest a jaw surgery for me. I like him already! Another nice thing is he is open on Fridays. The others were not and I have every other Friday off which makes it easier for me. Unfortunately, this was not my Friday off but a good excuse to take it off, right? I also found out that he is a preferred provider with my insurance that made the price drop dramatically. Everywhere I got consults the price pretty much remained at $6200. My out of pocket for these will be $3300 so that makes me happy. It also would have been over $6K if he were not a preferred provider. I didn't know this when I made the appt either so I got lucky there.

I will take some before and after pictures for you all so you can see my new braced face. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. My appt is scheduled to last 3 hrs so I am not sure why so long. I know they are giving me a kit of cleaning stuff and will show me how to use it all. I liked that part. I know there will be lots of cleaning to do. See you all later with an update!

[artificially]

Congrats! I am sure it will be worth it!

[dantocanada]

I'm on day 4. I can't say it's the most fun I've ever had, but I'm slowly getting used to it. The inside of my lower lips are pretty raw, and eating is still kind of painful. I think the worst is the amount of time I spend with my Waterpik and Proxabrushes. Hate the feeling of food in my teeth.

[pjade1]

I am all braced up now. It wasn't too bad except it had to be the day when I woke up with a kink in my neck and a sore in my mouth so that contraption that kept my mouth open kept hitting my sore. The braces themselves didn't hurt. I got the molar bands installed first but they could not fit two of the bottom molar bands on because my teeth were still too tight there. I have to go back a week before my next adjustment an get spacers put in and then the molar bands back there.

I ate a salad for lunch at home and then I used my waterpik and brushed my teeth. That part wasn't so hard but the flossing was. The front teeth are no problem but I can't get between the back molars. It is too tight back there and I have a hard time threading the floss back there. It doesn't help that I can't see to well back there. So far my braces do not hurt and no pokey things, knock on wood. I am sure something will show up pokey later.

I will post pictures soon.

[klobird]

The cleaning process is always going to be a pain in the ass.....once you figure it out, it will just be the time it takes that is the most annoying. I have learned new lifelong teeth cleaning habits, and wish I had always been so good to my teeth.

Thank you for your kind comments.....you would be surprised at how close we live to each other......heck....I might even know you...well ok not that close but......

EMBRACE THE WAX

[nuna]

Hi:) How are you getting on your second day? What colour bands have you got on? I cant believe you had salad for lunch. You are so lucky to be able to bite. I am still on soft food so soups and rice. Trying to stay away from icecreams and shakes so I loose some weight Have a nice weekend

[pjade1]

I am doing fine today but my teeth are a bit more sensitive. I am not in pain but I can feel the pressure. I still do not need any wax or ibuprofen etc. Nothing is poking me so far but I have been out all day today at a car show and eating out. I had some cheesy bread with marinara sauce, a scone, an ice cream soda and yogurt. It is always a pain to get all the food out. I think I lose half the food in my braces. I go to the bathroom with my waterpik and get it out right away. I am afraid to talk to someone thinking there is food in my braces. After I get them cleaned and someone offers me food. I think it is just too much trouble to go clean them again so I pass on food. I think I will be losing some weight by declining food that I want to normally eat.

Tomorrow is another day at the car show. It's funny how you pick your food depending on how easy it will be to clean out. I write more later when I have more time but it is strange. I do feel like my teeth are moving already. It seems like I can feel them shift. I hear a clicking noise once in a while too. They said I would hear that and it is normal.

Oh, they also put bite bumpers in so I don't hit my bottom brackets with my top teeth. They aren't too bad but my bite doesn't close all the way now. I just have to figure a way to chew my food. It takes me longer for sure.

[dantocanada]

That is so funny. I feel exactly the same way about eating now. I lost 5 pounds this week already.

[pjade1]

Yes, I do think this is a good way to lose weight. I am declining offers of food because I will have to spend time cleaning out my braces. I am better and the waterpik and brushing but the flossing is the pits. I ordered some spam spam spam ortho flossers hoping this will be easier than using the threaders. I like the floss picks anyhow. I just don't have all that time to be threading the floss. It isn't bad with the front teeth but the back molars with the molar bands are the pits.

I really haven't ate anything today at work except yogurt, cottage cheese and some fruit. Who thought strawberries would be hard to chew? OK, I might try a salad when I get home and have more time to chew my food and clean out the braces. I am sure it will all get easier but the whole process of brushing every time I eat something makes me not want to eat as often.

My husband asked me how long will I be in braces? I told him 30 months. He said I will probably be 90 lbs soon the way I am eating, lol.

[newbite]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, myself, for the whole braces=weight loss benefit. I wish I were joining you with the braces already! 17 more days of waiting urghhh. Guess I'll just take advantage of all the food I won't be able to/shouldn't eat in the meantime.

[Anna5]

Good luck with your treatment! How are you doing now?

[pjade1]

Anna5 thanks for asking. I am doing fine. I still dislike cleaning out all the food from the braces but I still don't have any pain. I haven't had to use any wax either. Funny that I even wanted to use it just to see if it worked but I don't need it yet. I have a feeling there will be a time when I do though. I am still trying to figure out softer foods to eat because I can't chew properly with those bite bumpers in. I am hoping my bite corrects enough to have those removed soon. I have a feeling it will be a while before I can bite down and not hit the bottom brackets.

I am getting tired of yogurt or protein shakes etc. I made some banana bread last night and plan on making a breakfast quiche that I can bring to work. I found some soups I might be able to have too.

[pjade1]

The pain has now started but only when I eat. It hurts to chew and eat harder foods. All my teeth hurt when I eat. I still don't have to use wax so that's a plus but it is hard to find things to eat that I want. I was offered popcorn at work and had to decline. I wish I could have popcorn especially at the movies. I have ate lots of yogurt, bananas, protein shakes and soups. I would like to eat something harder but my teeth hurt. It was nice when I could eat right after I got my braces but I think my teeth must be on the move now even though I can't see it. I know something is working anyway.

Another thing, I have also started to get terrible dry mouth since yesterday. I ordered some other products to try because the I can't stand the taste of Biotene. It helps some but for me, not that much. Did anyone else get dry mouth? Drinking water doesn't seem to help.

[pjade1]

The dry mouth sprays I ordered are helping but I still have dry mouth. I still have a hard time chewing harder foods and let me tell you, they are not hard foods with normal teeth. I am talking about things like cucumbers, peppers, chicken breast etc. I am tired of softer foods so I plan to tough it out and eat slower so I can eat more things I like.

I still have a harder time flossing but the flossing picks I ordered to go under the archwire does help. I am getting better with the floss threaders too because I still have to use those in some areas where the flossing picks just won't do the trick. I have found different ortho things to use for each area. I think my mouth is cleaner than it ever has been. I must be brushing my teeth at least 5 times a day or more. The toothpaste company is going to love me. Maybe my dentist will too. It will be interesting to see how my cleaning goes in Oct.

I am not looking forward to getting the last two molar bands in. Those aren't the issue but those spacers are. I will have to deal with those for another week before the spacers. That will be next month and also my first adjustment with the molar bands.

[NeilH]

Hi, good luck with your braces, I'm sure you will soon get used to them. The dry mouth will soon go away, many of us experienced this in the early few days along with some soreness and difficult food choices! In a few short months, this will be a distant memory.