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...

Braces advice from someone who just got done...

We spent this holiday weekend with my brother in law & his fiancee... His fiancee just got her braces off after 3 years 3 months (she was quoted 18 months! This is why I refuse to have a count down!) She now has retainers and her teeth look amazing. I bugged her with braces questions and it was really helpful & I wanted to share some things I learnt so anyone else with the same concerns can read it and be reassured that it's somewhat normal. So here goes: 

Excess glue around brackets: This has been bugging me as it stained right away and makes my teeth look dingy, however apparently it protects your tooth and is actually a good thing. Apparently a lot of dentists/orthos will not remove it as you can get tiny cavities around the brackets. Though fortunately it should wear down over time and some whitening tooth paste should help, but if it's preventing cavities I guess I can live with it...

Ugly gaps as teeth move: The other day I had a gap between my front teeth like that actress in True Blood... However the one that bugs me right now is the black triangle between a slanted tooth and it's partner - now that needs to go. My future sister in law said she experienced that too and now her teeth slot together perfectly. I hope mine do too but if not i'm totally game for IPR... Whatever it takes... Incidentally the gap between my middle front teeth has now shifted one tooth over since my new wire today...  

Stains on teeth previously covered: Supposedly normal and will come off at my next cleaning - roll on August 23rd!

Pain when biting: Normal all the way thought the process even before removal... Grrrrr.... 

Random pain & shoe shopping!

So tonight we are on day 17 and teeth were randomly hurting... Especially right bottom pre molar... Eating was interesting... Checked in mirror after eating... teeth all firmly in place... Oh good! Hopefully the pre molar is moving into the extraction gap not evacuating my mouth!

So found pain relief searching for sandals online... Best pain reliever ever! I found this amazing company called Irregular Choice and their shoes are amazing! I remember the brand from when I lived in the UK but have never owned a pair and wow they have gotten so innovative! Check this link out: http://www.irregularchoice.com/shop/womens/view_all/heel/ love love love! I want to save for a pair and am book marking the ones I like! Great distraction!

This pair especially are amazing:

http://www.irregularchoice.com/shop/womens/product/3870/star-of-hope.html?offset=116

Stab of tooth pain... Ignore... focus what shoes to save for!

Random observations 2 weeks in...

So today is 2 weeks to the day since I got braced and 3 weeks to the day since I said bye bye bicuspids and hard food... Apart from the crazy pain of the first day of braces, the creepy cracking noise one of my teeth made as it tried to avoid being extracted, the annoyance of the self inflicted hillbilly gaps and potato chip/cookie withdrawal symptoms... so far so good. I don't really notice the braces that much, haven't used wax since day 4 and can already see changes!

Here are my random observations:

• Yawning often results in a bizarre sense of tooth movement, yet fortunately my teeth do not wobble... Thank goodness! 
• I now spend more time on my obsessive teeth cleaning routine than I do on my hair and make up combined...
• Kissing with braces, really hurts at first! Why do we not get warned about this?!?
• Lip gloss makes my teeth stick to the brackets of my over bite
• Colored lip gloss gets on my clear brackets and has to be brushed off... Ugh... no more lip color till my over bite is gone...
• Sugar lip treatment is amazing... It makes my lips shine and doesn't make them stick to the braces!
• The molar bands I acquired last week gave me a lisp... It's getting better except those darn S's! 
• I keep looking in the mirror to see if the extraction gaps look smaller... I think they do a teeny bit sometimes but they also still seem huge!
• Eating is now ok with semi-solid foods... Have no clue when I will be able to eat hard foods or eat food with front teeth... I blame the extractions especially as they took different teeth from top (1st bicuspids) than on the bottom (2nd bicuspids) which I think made it even harder...
• Today at lunch I saw a guy missing multiple teeth on both sides top and bottom of his mouth buy a sub... I am confused as to how he can eat it given my current trouble eating with 24 teeth!
• I have no clue how people take those cool pics of their top and bottom teeth on arch wired and get the angles the same each time... My photos even with hubby's help are bizarre looking and make my teeth look grotesque like a horror movie! 

Here's the pic comparison: Front of the mouth: 2 weeks in:

Compared to day 1:

Here's the top teeth at week 2:... Please note the first molars are not filled with cavities/fillings but surrounded by humungous molar bands complete with what looks like space rockets on the front!

And at Day 1:

Here is a shot of my bottom teeth at week 2, I never got a pic of them on day 1:

Hmmm these pics are not really good for comparisons...  But my bottom teeth have straightened a little and my top tooth that was sitting back is still back but not as much... I still have a longs way to go...