Braces Week 19: All Off!

I thought of a great movie today as I was brushing my teeth after my braces came off. It was Roman Holiday, with Audrey Hepburn. In the film she's a proper princess gone rouge in Rome. In one scene, she stops by a barber shop on a whim because she, like Pedro, realizes her hair is making her hot.
The quirky and endearing young barber asks how much of her hair she wants cut. "Here? Here? Where?" And Audrey bravely puts her hand all the way up by her ear. He responds incredulously, "All off?" She replies resolutely, "All off." The barber steels himself with an "if you insist," attitude and cuts off her very long, old-fashioned locks.

Audrey getting her hair cut.

 After a few minutes, the barber cheerily turns her chair to face the mirror. His expression slowly falls as hers does. She bites her lip and turns her head away. He determinedly looks at the mirror and turns her head back. He's on a mission now.

Uh oh, the first look...

He continues snipping and styling for a few minutes, then shows her his masterpiece again and waits anxiously while she turns her head from side to side and takes it in. 

Win.

This time, she loves it and goes out and celebrates her freedom and her symbolic short haircut!

That's a little bit how I felt as my braces were coming off today. It was just a big change and kinda scary. It hurt a little getting the brackets off, and it hurt because of my very recent gum surgery, and it was uncomfortable having all the dust blowing around me as they scrubbed of the glue...it was just an ordeal. Topped off with getting cast for a retainer:) He also had to do a little proceedure to close the last little gap up between my teeth. :/ That was a little uncomfortable. He just wired them shut and put a permanent retainer on the back of my two front teeth. At least they won't be moving anywhere!

 And here's the finished product ladies and gents! I may have him file down my canines just a little.  I haven't decided. He said I could do more detail work if something's not quite right. I see a lot of tiny flaws, but I'm sure I won't notice them any more after a few days when I'm no longer scrutinizing them:)

And it's hard for me to do a big, wide smile because of my gum surgery, so we'll see how it looks in a few days when I'm a little more mobile.

It was quite an ordeal, but at least the braces are off now. One more thing done:)  

One More Week...One Weeeek Moooore!

Next Thursday, baby. I can make it:)  My teeth are almost done!
I went in today for one last touch up IPR between my teeth so they can come together flat against each other. I was so nervous! He tried adjusting it with a handheld strip, but it just wasn't working, so he used the "hand piece," which is like a really tiny electric saw. It makes a puff of "tooth dust" rise up into the light and it takes about .03 seconds... which makes it kinda scary. But as per the usual, Dr. Watson did a super job.

We put on a new chain and I'm all scheduled to get my braces off next Thursday! Yikes. Nerve wracking. I hope my teeth come together, I remember it took a while last time (granted, it was a bigger IPR). I'm just so happy I went in today. I feel like that center line between your two front teeth is the focal point, and I wanted it of all things to be straight. I mean, that was the whole point of this braces endeavor in the first place:)

My dentist also told me I have a bit of a tongue thrust, so I'll be starting up some exercises for that. Hopefully everything will go well next week, I get my gum surgery on Tuesday and my braces off on Thursday.
Wish me luck!

Braces Week 16: Detailing and Hope for the Future!

We are coming to the bitter end, my friends. 

First day, December 11th

April 10th, four months later

Wow. We've come a long way, have we not? :) It's not perfect, but I'm pretty amazed at how much more symmetrical my smile looks. We're trying to tilt in my left front tooth. After we do that, they can come off, baby!  Woot.

I'm a little concerned about the apparent ridge in the middle of my two front teeth. Dr. Watson said it should go away as my tooth tilts in, but if it still looks this way in a few days I think I'll call him back. I've been a little worried about it since my first IPR. I just hate to waste time.  

 When I went in today, he said they looked great. We did a little detailing work, grinding off the ridges on the bottoms of my teeth. He said he was very conservative and if I wanted, he could straighten them out a little more at my next appointment. 

I'm a little nervous for the next few weeks. I'm nervous because I don't know when exactly I'll be getting them off, and my hopes are high for really soon! And because of my upcoming gum graft.:/ And the ridge between my teeth situation. And I'm not sure what the plan is for doing my retainer. Just a lot of little things:) I'm sure everything will be fine, I mean, it's not like I have a lot of control over what my teeth do. That's up to you, Dr. Watson! My dentist did tell my to massage my gums with my toothbrush after I brush them because they were starting to grow towards my braces. I have been, and it's helped. I feel like they are relaxing back into their original position. They've been bigger since about the first week I got braces. So, if your gums are growing towards your braces, I recommend the toothbrush massage! 

Braces Update...and Gums...

Today's images are brought to you by: Non-Focusing Camera!
Seriously, though, it's hard taking pictures of your own mouth...

 I have good news and bad news. First, the good! I should be out of my braces by the end of this month. Woohoo!!! I know I haven't been in them that long, but knowing it was just a quick touch up made me really impatient for them to come off. I need to work on my whole patience thing...

Look how far we've come...

Lookin' good!

You can see a little better in this one, my front teeth aren't quite together yet, we may need a little more IPR and a couple minor tilt adjustments. And then of course a little contouring of the bottoms.

Hopefully, we can take care of these last couple of details at my next appointment and get these puppies off! 

So, now onto the not-so-great news. I need a bone and gum graft.

I know it's fuzzy, but my lower two (especially the right one) front teeth have receding gums and bone.

My lower gums have been hurting for weeks. Turns out my frenulum was just too high and pulling on my gums. It got damaged, and now I have a half-ripped frenulum pulling on my gums. Ouch. I'm super excited to get that fixed. And my periodontist is awwewesome. It's going to be expensive and a little bit of a healing process, but don't worry, I bought some sensitive toothpaste to help get me through. 

Braces Week 13

So, today was my 2nd adjustment, 3rd official appointment and 4th unofficial appointment.:)

I got a new chain put on and a bend in the brace wire to move up my second right tooth, it came down just a little too far.

Seriously, my orthodontist at Orthotime, is the best! I cannot say enough about their office. I got a Target gift card today for having 3 appointments on time and with clean teeth.  That just makes my day:) But not as much as...

Talking about my exit strategy!!!

That's right!  There is a light at the end of the tunnel!!! There was still a tiny gap when I came in, but as soon as the assistant put the new chain on, it closed right in the office:)  Dr. Watson said at my next appointment we'd just be planning my exit strategy:)  No more big fixes. Yay! I asked him if they would come off before the end of April, and he said yes, for sure!  Hallelujah:) Not that it hasn't been fun. We put my next appointment two weeks from now instead of three. He also brought up contouring the bottoms of my teeth so they're nice and smooth. I'm glad because that's something I was going to ask him about:)  My teeth are gonna look so good...;)

Bye, gap!

Braces Week 11

Day one, baby!

Week 11

Week 10

So, it's been just over a week since I had my IPR.  My orthodontist said my teeth would likely close up in just a couple of days, but, alas, as everything has been so far with my braces, it's happening slower than he told me it would. I'm not worried, because as far as I know, we're still right on schedule.  I'm so happy to be on my last wire!!!  Just a couple more adjustments and I'll be done.

Braces Week 10: IPR and the Last Wire!

It's been quite a while since I posted about my braces!!! I kept taking pics, but the differences were so subtle, I didn't feel a whole post was necessary.

I've personally seen a big difference the last couple of weeks since my last appointment.  My two front teeth have moved side by side and are in line with the rest of my teeth. If anything, I feel like as they've gotten more in line, the gap between them has gotten smaller.  I dropped by my ortho a week ago to make sure I'd be ready for my next appointment since the gap was so small but they said I should be fine:)

Here are my lovely teeth before today's appointment

 Today was my third appointment.  I had an interproximal reduction. That means my ortho filed down a little bit in between my two front teeth.  Gap!  Cute;)  I got my first chain put on.  THAT was tight!  It's clear, so it doesn't really show up. But I can feel it, which I like:)  Makes me feel like it's working.  And this is my final wire!!! Don't get too excited; I'll still have a few more appointments.  They'll just be detail adjustments like bending the wire rather than wire changes.

Annnd after.

I'm no orthodontist...but the shaved down tooth edges don't look quite straight to me.  Hopefully they look better once they push together and after my next appointment.

Dr. Watson said my teeth would pull together really quickly; like by tomorrow morning.  Finally! Something that doesn't test my patience;)

Keep thinking happy thoughts and  spring will come

This was on the wall at the brushing station.  I'm not sure how metaphorically they meant it...but I am very excited for my spring to come:)

Springtime, Baby.

Braces Week 9

Getting tired of braces posts yet?  Me either! ;)

Week one

Week 9

Week 7

Week 6

Week 7.  Three weeks until my next scheduled appointment.  Interesting things are happening...for instance, my right front tooth is now longer than my left.  It looks like they're going to get pulled a little more even by the braces, but it still looks like it might just be a little longer.  Weird, they were pretty straight across on the bottom when they overlapped.  The gap's getting bigger, you can see my bottom teeth through it!  Can't wait to get it taken care of, that will feel good!

Braces Week 6

First Day

Week 6

Week 5

Yay!  First adjustment.  I got a new wire and an appointment for 4 weeks from today. He said to call if my gap gets wider than a penny.  Yeah....I would definitely let him know;)

Braces week 5

Day one

Week 5

Week 4

Yay!  Mr. Tooth to the right of my front teeth has finally started to straighten!  I felt like that one happened over night. Also, I got a new phone:)  So I'm still trying to figure out the pic settings. It's hard to get my teeth at the same angle...the gap is definitely bigger, but there is still overlap.  The one on top isn't sticking out as much as it used to. 

My teeth haven't been painful, but they have been very tender this week.  Especially in the back on the left side.  I think they're getting pulled down.

One unexpected thing I've started to notice that's been kinda fun- there's a certain comradery that exists among adults with braces.  I see another adult with braces and we're instant friends.  It's a brotherhood.:) Kinda fun.

Makes me wonder if that's true of other things.  Brotherhood of baldness? Comradery of crutches?  Friendship of fractures?  There's always a sliver lining:) 

Braces Week Four

I had a freak-out moment and called the ortho to check if it was okay that my teeth were still overlapping and if I needed to come have them adjusted.  She said that the first 6 weeks is slow, we're just trying to move the teeth in place, and to just relax and let the wire do its job.  Small adjustments will go faster.  She said if we move the teeth too fast, it could damage the root.  Awesome.  Then I had a dream my teeth were falling out:)

December 11, day one

Wednesday, January 8, four weeks

Three weeks

My two front teeth are nearly side by side now, the right one's just a teeny bit on top of the left still. I can feel it starting to tilt straight from the back. The left tooth beside my two front teeth seems to be moving down too.

Braces Week Three

Wednesday, December 11, the day I got them on 

Thursday, January 2, three weeks

Thursday, December 26, two weeks

It's been another week.  I feel like my teeth will be gapping any day now, they're barely touching.

Braces Week Two

Merry Christmas!  My braces have been on for two weeks now.  I'm glad I'm doing these pics, because it makes it easier to see slight progress.  It's hard having these on, and I like to feel like progress is being made:)  The first pic is the day I got my braces on, the middle pic is today and the last one is from a week ago, just for comparison.

Wednesday, December 11, the day I got my braces on

Thursday, December 26, week two of braces

Wednesday, December 18 one week of braces

It's been worrying me a little that the gap between my front teeth isn't bigger.  Dr. Watson said it should gap really soon.  I knoooow it's only been two weeks... I just like to see progress.  However, looking at these pictures, I can tell that the angle of my two front teeth is changing in two ways.  They are less angled toward each other, and less angled in toward my mouth. Swollen gums are looking moderately better (I have some wax on my right side). It appears my left side has come down more, although it might just be the angle of the picture.  Yay, another week down!

Braces Week One

It's been a week, Hallelujah!!!
So, the good news is that my teeth are moving.  They already look straighter to me:)  That makes me really happy.  I just want them to move as fast as possible, I wish there was a way I could speed it up!
One bad news item, I had a bracket fall off on Friday:/  It was on a crown, and they used the regular cement, so they said it was a possibility that it would fall off.
I just covered the wire with some wax and they got me in first thing Monday morning to get it reattached.  This time, the roughed up my crown a little and put special adhesive on.  He told me he would repolish it and everything when the braces come off.
He reattached the arch wire to that side of my mouth and I was on my way in just a few minutes:)

I've gotten to the point just the last couple of days that I haven't been using wax.  I'm sure I'll use it again, but for right now, it feels okay without:)  I've also started eating regular food!  Which is awesome, because I love mashed potatoes and soup...but enough is enough.

I'm really happy to actually be seeing results.  I'm having a hard time being patient:)  He estimated 3-5 months of treatment, I hope it's only 3!  I've read that there's really no way to make it go faster though, the best things I can do is just have really good oral hygiene and stay away from problem foods. So, I will do that and have fun watching my teeth move.

I can tell my right side has come down to form a straight wire line, which is awesome. Also, I thought it might look weird with so much gum on top, but it looks like the tooth has pulled down further out of my gums, exposing more enamel rather than moving the gum down too. (That makes more sense; I don't know why I thought it would happen the other way around.)
My left side is coming down, although not as fast. The little tooth to the side of my big tooth is still pretty crooked, but to me it looks a little straighter.:) My front teeth are becoming less angled.  I can feel it on the back of my teeth, and also the bottoms of the front look straighter. They're still overlapping a touch, but they are definitely moving. The goal of the next few weeks is to get a gap going between my two front teeth. I'm getting a little chapped in both corners of my mouth.

Wednesday, December 11, the day I got my braces on

Wednesday, December 18, one week later

It takes forever to clean my braces.  Especially when I have to spend AT LEAST five minutes every night staring at them trying to see them move;)