3 Months in! Photo Update...

So braces photography is not exactly my strength, and I didn't get very good lighting tonight. But was able to take a pic of the top teeth and will try to take a pic of the bottoms soon. So here's the photo comparison of my top teeth. So here are the top teeth week one:

And here they are today three weeks in:

Fortunately my teeth are not that yellow in real life! Though the canine glue stains are still there unfortunately but I know the glue is protecting my teeth and it is wearing down. But happy with my front 4 teeth and how much better they are already!

Moving along: 3rd Adjustment & 1st dental cleaning with braces!

So today was a big day for my teeth. First went to the ortho and had my wires taken out, then went onto my dentist's for the cleaning. Felt weird not to have the wires in for an hour, but kind of wish i'd bought my camera, as without wires I could much better see my progress. The staff at my dental practice who had last seen me just over 3 months ago for my extractions couldn't believe how much my teeth had moved! The cleaning went well, apparently i'm doing a great job at cleaning, so my crazy routine seems to be paying off. There were a few zingers and some sensitivity but not as bad as an orthodontic adjustment! The hygienist said now my teeth no longer overlap and now she's cleaned the parts of teeth that were formerly covered by other teeth, my cleanings should get easier and easier. The staff at the practice were so sweet telling me the only way is up and that i'm not going to regret going through this process - always reassuring to hear :)

After I went back to the ortho for my 3rd adjustment - youch! Wanted: a higher pain threshold. May have even gasped a few times. Basically my cross bite on my left side makes it hard to get the wire in, without a lot of pressure. Same deal as the last adjustment.
My bottom teeth got their 4th wire a steel one. After a lot of attempts 2 of the doors wouldn't close so the assistant moved onto the top. The top new wire would not go in, so they went back to the 3rd wire. The assistant said to me: 'I do not want to give you any more pain than you've already had today!' I have the same assistant every time which is great and she is awesome. Then the ortho came over and hammered in the remaining 2 doors telling me to hold onto the seat arms while he did it lol! Then they gave me power springs back on the extraction gaps and put some coily metal on my upper 4 front teeth to prevent them from splitting apart. Basically the ortho said he wants to move the upper canines back into the extraction gaps, so i'm expecting bigger gaps between the four front teeth and the canines... Hillbilly! He explained the four front teeth will come back too eventually to correct the overbite, but can't move them all at once - makes sense to me, it's a process... Not thrilled about having gaps at the front, but i've come this far and have to suck it up.

The ortho also told me today that in approximately 2 appointments i'm getting the forsus appliance on my left side. The forsus appliance is some crazy spring device... Here's a pic:

Picture credit: http://www.eckelsortho.com/Portals/0/forsus.png
Erm given my teeth currently hurt like hell from the new power springs top and bottom and new bottom wires... I really have no comment regarding this appliance and how fun it looks. The silver lining is that my original treatment plan had me having this appliance on both sides of my mouth. The good news is that now my right side probably won't need it. Just my left side - so am envisaging one sided eating from a lopsided chip munk... But that's 2 months ahead... Watch this space...

Big week ahead... apprehensive...

So on Wednesday I am getting my first cleaning since getting braces. I'm a little apprehensive. Apparently it's better to get the wires off, so first I am going to the ortho to get the wires removed. Then to the dentist for my cleaning. The hygienist is really, really good and thorough but I am nevertheless a little worried over how the scaling will feel given how sensitive my teeth are. Plus i'm sure my teeth are a little loose given they're moving and last night I had a nightmare that one of my molars became so loose it almost fell out. It felt so real - crazy anxiety! When I woke up I was happy to find all my teeth still in place. After the cleaning I will be going to my ortho for new wires and my third adjustment. It's only 3 weeks since my last one. Great it's moving along fast but my teeth do not give me a break. Yesterday I went for lunch with work friends I could barely eat anything. Monday I have a business lunch with the company lawyer. I am somewhat dreading it. Not only do I have the awkwardness of not really knowing him but far, far worse is the eating part. Eating out just is not fun right now. At home is so much easier as I can cook things exactly how I know I can eat them. Fingers crossed this week goes well...

2nd adjustment: owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

So today was 2nd adjustment time...

Mostly the ortho worked on me today which is different to usual, as usually it’s the assistant, he usually just does a quick check and tells her what to do. He did the usual bite checks and then tried to wobble my teeth maybe a test for root resorption? (I am terrified of that!) I know they're loose from the random cracking sounds I occasionally hear, but no creepy wobbling yet thank goodness.

He said all looks great, teeth are moving fast and we're on schedule. He then said he’s going to give the teeth around the extraction gaps a rest so no power springs on the gaps for a while. Right now he wants to work on better aligning my teeth, then once they’re better aligned they’ll finish closing my extraction gaps.

He got me a bigger wire, it was problematic and crazy painful, the one he tried first would not go in,

so he said he will save that one for later (something to look forward to - lol) as the general consensus in orthodontics is if it has to be forced it’s better not to do it. He then got another wire but this would still need some force. Well it wouldn’t go in, so he had to take it out and try again several times, so many pain zingers, he kept apologizing. Then he said there's a problem with one of the braces, cue internal panic while I calmly ask what the problem is. He said he didn't know and would need to troubleshoot the bracket and sent the assistant to get something called an explorer. Fortunately he found the problem right away, there was a bit of extra metal inside of one of the brackets, he removed it and then the wire went in. Finally! Then the assistant helped him do the top wire. I guess to get some of the doors closed and the wire in as my teeth are still crooked they said they needed 2 people. I was told at the beginning i'm a complex case so maybe that's part of it too.

They then put a power chain on my front top 4 teeth which is good as will make them nice and aligned.

He said once my teeth are better aligned wire changing will be easier. Right now one of my back bottom molars is twisted sideways and this is part of the reason it was so tough today, the other being the problem bracket.  

I go back in 3 weeks as I have to go to the dentist for a cleaning. What will happen is I will go to the ortho office first they will remove the wires, then I will go to the dentist, get my teeth cleaned,

go back to the ortho and they’ll give me my 3^rd adjustment and an even bigger wire.

Off topic i'm guessing my oral hygiene is good. Noone has said anything to me but when the ortho was looking at some kid in the next chair, he asked the kid if he'd brushed today. The kid said yes and the ortho showed him how he needed to brush better as there was still some food in the brackets and he had puffy gums - eugh. So hopefully no news is good news and my crazy cleaning routine is going well. 

I think it was good the ortho worked on me today as I could ask questions… he seems to really know his stuff… I have more confidence in his abilities now. I'm not very trusting (terrified something will go wrong) but i'm seeing progress and everyone is super nice to me there. Feeling bad stabbing pain right now on my lower right canine pre molar area... But nowhere near as bad as that first day.

Hoping that an improved bite and smile is in my future :)

My favorite products to use while braced :)

For use before brushing: Crest 3D Mouth Wash: I just started using this... So the jury's still out on this...

Photo credit: http://www.blendingbeautiful.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/crest-white-mouthwash.jpg 

But I love that it's alcohol free, due to previous gum problems I refuse to use any alcohol mouthwashes as I heard it can aggravate your gums... It may be a coincidence or a combination of better oral hygiene techniques... however since I stopped using alcohol mouth washes I have had healthy gums...  I know whitening products are controversial for brace wearers but when I tried using non-whitening products the first month my teeth started to look so dingy and i'd had them professionally cleaned pre braces and they were lovely and white so am hoping this product can help keep them whiteish and lighten the glue staining and keep the chains from getting discolored.

Sensodyne Gentle Whitening Tooth Paste: I've been a sensodyne convert since I got braces this definitely helps reduce the sensitivity and has fluoride in it too to keep teeth strong. I have the extreme sensitivity one too which has no whitening and alternate it with this one.

Photo credit: http://boots.scene7.com/is/image/Boots/10004080?wid=200&hei=200&op_sharpen=1

Gum Soft Picks: I use these between my teeth, especially if i'm in a hurry and haven't time to floss. I really like them as even when my teeth are sensitive these don't hurt. I also used these above my spacers, when I wasn't allowed to floss so as not to dislodge the spacers... I can't get them between all my teeth but they're great for those food traps. 

Photo credit: https://cart.jbutler.com/sc_images/products/632RCSoftPicks_tn2.jpg

Water Pik cordless water flosser, this the cheap water pik it was about $35 at Wal-Mart. It reminds me of the water tube dentists use. I use it pre flossing and prefer the gentle clean of the 2 heads... Although I only tried the deep clean setting for the first time yesterday so that may change. Definitely a great cleaning tool and one i'm going to continue using after braces.

Photo credit: http://images.buzzillions.com/images_products/01/46/water-pik-cordless-flosser-model-wp-360-1-ea_1077000_100.jpg

Flossing: In my opinion none of the threader flosses are as nice as regular floss such as glide deep clean, glide comfort floss etc. So at home I still use normal floss but with the bridge aid floss threader. My orthodontist gave me a pack of these in my sample bag and it's the easiest floss threader i've found - the angle is perfect for those back molars and even goes through tight spaces easily.

Photo credit: http://www.jawproducts.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/b/r/bridgeaid_5.jpg

When i'm at work I do use threader floss as although more expensive it's faster and the nicest one i've found is the glide threader floss:

Photo credit: http://www.drugsupplystore.com/catalog/glider%20floss.jpg

Gum Stimulator - by Gum: I try and use this along my gum line at least once a day. It works great!

Photo credit: 

http://di12.shoppingshadow.com/images/pi/73/5b/62/98939313149x149-0-0_Butler+Butler+G+U+M+Gum+Stimulator+Step+3+1+stimul.jpg

 Regular mouth wash: Crest Pro Health Multi Protection Rinse Clear Mint: I love this mouth wash for every day use, the taste is refreshing and it makes my mouth feel clean, it's alcohol free and fights gingivitis. On the downside I wish Crest would find an alternative ingredient for the Cetylpyridinium Chloride ingredient in it that can cause staining. This ingredient seems to be common in alcohol free mouth washes: Act too. I have tried Listerine Zero which doesn't have it, but doesn't fight gingivitis (I don't think) also doesn't give that clean feeling. I also tried the Natural Dentist but wow the taste is so repulsive - never again! 

Photo credit: http://www.crestprohealth.com/images/mouth-rinse-comparison/Clean-Mint-Varient.jpg

Per my ortho's recommendation I use a fluoride rinse once a day this one by Act helps keep my teeth strong and doesn't taste bad either.

Photo credit: http://www.dentist.net/images/act-fluoride-rinse-mint_sm.jpg

Wow this is a lot of products, i've become kind of obsessive in dental hygiene both in the months prepping for braces and now I have them. I really want to keep my teeth in the best condition possible to maximize my chances of success. 

Finally here's a none dental product I recommend for use while braced: 

Sugar Lip Treatment by Fresh. It's pricy yes, but I think any adult going through braces deserves it. It keeps your lips soft and conditioned and comes in a cute ceramic tube that even my dog cannot eat/damage. I have a pretty bad over bite and I found that lip gloss makes my top lips stick to the braces & forget anything tinted the color marks the clear brackets. I discovered this product 3 years ago when I was in Sephora and asked what lip treatment they recommended the guy in the store started going on & on about how he loved this product and the other staff chimed in. They were right it's really great. 

Photo credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ai5KZ5DFLBya3PFOlaa2t_uWnK0FAL2iLO76NLBuFUeHaMbLeEzhTw2YKjuqRGqC041TSD7V2VLk7eDbJw1zU9dNnw_Jou1R1jZDQJD5KKgUZ4anvx4qV4LGLJHNQLm3Vk9C72eh7qzY/s320/Fresh-Sugar-Lip-Treatment.jpg

6 week Photos

Ok i'm on a roll! Post 3/3 today! I have a bad habit of rambling so figured i'd break my posts up.. Time for some photo comparisons:

So here's Day 1:

And here's Week 6:

While i'm not appreciating the ugly excess glue making my teeth look yellow (yes I know it's protecting my teeth see previous post: http://marie-secretsmile.blogspot.com/2011/07/braces-advice-from-someone-who-just-got.html ) they are getting straighter (everything's relative right)... The two teeth next to the front teeth are starting to align... my smile is definitely changing!



Now open mouth slot: At week 2:

Very crooked over lapping bottom teeth! Humungous extraction gaps...















Now week 6:

The bottom front teeth are starting to align and don't overlap... also the bottom extraction gaps are getting smaller! Yayness!
















So there we are it's a process for sure and my "complex" case (the ortho's words not mine) has a long ways to go... But fingers crossed I might get that Hollywood smile after all! Happy Dance!

1st Adjustment! 6 weeks in!

So today was my first adjustment... The ortho took off my wire and power chains... Some of the trap doors wouldn't open right away - youch! Then he looked at my bite at a bunch of different angles, he's thrilled with the movement, but acknowledged that my bite must feel very weird right now... Ha ha totally! Overall though he said everything looks fantastic. He didn't take any x rays though so no idea how my roots are moving - i'm terrified of root resorption - I read too much - my hubby says I should be banned from the internet lol! But anyways yay for so far so good! Happy both top & bottoms are moving!

Next step was for the assistant to put the new wires in... The ortho told her i'd had a lot of sensitivity on the top taking the braces off so she did the top first, a few zingers but not too bad. She hooked up the first top molars for the first time... I asked the ortho about the second back molars on top - the only bracket free teeth now and he said they will get hooked up later if at all... I then pointed out that one of those back top molars sticks out and he said then yes it will get hooked up but much later and that it won't slow me down, just that hooking it up can cause more harm than good at this stage?!? I have no idea but at least right now since one of those molars has the worst gum recession in my mouth, I can floss it and clean it well, but really hope it can get straightened and into a better gum position down the line.

Changing the bottom wire was way more problematic than expected, zinger after zinger and the assistant was struggling to get the wire in without lots of pushing... I kept wincing with pain... then the assistant would apologize and i'd apologize too... Finally half of it was in and the assistant then got an ice pen to put the rest in. Apparently this wire (but not all wires) is heat resistant or something and ice softens the wire - it helped a lot and she finally got it in. She told me that cold drinks and ice cream will help with pain relief from this wire... Time to stock up on the Ben & Jerry's!

The final step was to put in new power springs. The ones on the bottom go from from pre molar to molar same as last time, but the top ones now span canine through molar and wow one of them hurt soooo bad right away that I asked if it was normal to hurt right away... I thought I was meant to be in pain later in the day and was kindof concerned I was going to be in agony later but I guess i'm different as was in pain for 2 hours right after the appointment... the worst being when I was in the chair, but now just some soreness and mild pain all tylenol responsive and nowhere near as bad as the first day... Not sure how i'll feel tomorrow watch this space!

So a little off topic... I told the assistant how I saw a kid at a party the other day who'd just got braces bite into hard things like it was no big deal... She explained that for kids their teeth are moving so it's not painful when they continue that movement with braces... But for us adults our roots are longer and are teeth have been in place for so much longer so it's a lot worse for us... Which makes total sense...

So next I have my next adjustment (minor I think) in 4 weeks...