I've been a rather happy man the last week after extracting the expander from my mouth and returning to a normalizing life, wearing brackets only. I really have been enjoying every little moment of speaking uninterfered, prrrropppperrrlyyy announcing every word and speaking loouuuudddly and profoundly.
Since the expander extraction on Friday, my gums have been really swollen. Frequent salt water rinses have helped tremendously. But I was still quite sore going into my second adjustment this morning, to get full uppers put in place.
As a first, I needed the upper molar bands. The assistant put them on easily, in 10-15 mins. Then the assistant started preparing my teeth for the additional braces (apart from the front 4) with a lip spreader and all. When everything was done, she called in the OD to apply the braces. I had to wait 20 minutes for her to arrive, lying head down in the chair. I kinda went to sleep, so I guess it wasn't a big deal, apart from really dry lips and toungue. In comes the OD, applies the braces meticulously , activates the glue, and tells the assistant to begin by putting on a utility archwire, and that's sort of where the problems began.
Today the OD wanted to give me two archwires at the same time - one for general loosening/aligment of the uppers, and a second wire to raise the front 4 to open my bite from Class II, division 2, to become a Class II, division 1 (opening). To achieve that, I needed a thick, square wire with loads of bends and tweaks. The OD went away and the assistant started inserting the thick wire into the molar band tube. OUCH, OUCH, OUCH
The end of the wire kept cutting into my gums as the wire needed to be twirled again and again to enter the bracket because of the various bends. OMG, really painful
Finally one bracket in place. Then more hard, hard pushing on my sore, sore teeth and gums to be able to get the bent, stiff wire to enter the brackets. The wire kept wringing itself up into my gums where they meet the cheek/lips and digging itself in there like a broad knife. Finally she concedes that she has mismeasured the wire and had to cut it off. A new one had to come on...........
In comes the OD, she disusses with the assistant, and takes charge herself. This time it went somewhat better because she begins from the middle. But when she gets to the end, the left molar band tube, she cannot get the wire to go in because my molars are too rotaded. The molar band tubes are pointing too much inwards. She says that I will need a molar rotator.
Oh no, here we go again.
They put in a device, similar to a TPA, that I have to wear for 2 months to rotate the molars into their correct position. The device is leaner, less invasive than the expander, but it doesn't go as much into the palate, which means significant speech impediment.
I'm right back where I started with the friggin RPE !!
The the OD puts in the thinner wire, and a second thick/stiff wire to lift the front 4. But now without connecting the lateral "new" brackets. They will have to wait til my molars are in position.
To finish it off, I also get a spring between my canine and only premolar on my right side (left in picture) to open a gap for an implant. When I get home, I check my diagnosis/treatment plan and that states I am missing my second premolar (it was extracted when I was young). And now the spring is opening a gap before the first premolar.
The spring is pushing the wrong teeth !
So I call the office, and they tell me the OD will call me back. After 30 mins she calls saying that "yes, you are right, we put it on the first premolar, but that it doesn't matter because the teeth are the same shape and size and there is no difference". Normally I wouldn't accept this, but I do agree with them on the same size/shape. Further, there is no room to fit a spring between my molar (rotated) and the premolar - it's simply too small at this stage. And I did not feel like another visit to the dentist's office today - I'm quite upset and discouraged by the new speech impediment I have to wear another 2 months. Upset at no one really, because it's nobody's fault. But still, very unhappy. I was on my way to "recover" from wearing braces, even in the romance area I was feeling stronger that ever after a weekend without the expander. But now......
Pictures !
Day 0 (front 4 only) vs. today (8 weeks with front 4, day 0 with full uppers)
so it will give enough time for the braces and RPE to work together. But that's fine, it will be summer and I will be pool-side waiting eagerly.
I also got metallic string ligs to support the new stronger wire better. Curry lovers, here we go!
Then to having the full monty on 24 July ... exciting!" 
