Second Adjustment

It still amazes me how 2 months have gone by already, that may not sound long to some but I feel I’m so much closer to finishing already (or I could just be nieve).

My second adjustment was much less painful. I learnt from the last and took a couple of pain killers before the appointment.

She said my lowers are pretty much aligned already so she isn’t doing much to them at the moment and she is still pushing my uppers out a bit more which I’m happy about.

They moved the wire a little and put new elastics on. One thing they are yet to do is actually change the wires, the wires are still the originals.

And of course took photos which they seem to be doing every visit.

From the photos, they already look perfect enough to me so I really don’t know why it’s still going to take another 10-12 months? I know people say the braces need to stay on for the teeth to settle but can’t the retainer do that?

It’s now 1 week since the adjustment and my teeth only hurt for the first 48 hours. I actually get disappointed now that my teeth don’t hurt, makes me think they aren’t moving.

Week 1 to Week 9 comparison

Week 8 to Week 9 comparison (1 weeks worth of change)

Week 1 to Week 9 comparison

As for the front on photos, they really don’t do the change justice do they. Still keen for my smile to get broader, not sure if that’s going to happen though, or if it’s even possible. Guess I’ll have to wait and see.

X-ray prior to any treatment – check out that overbite!

Next adjustment is in 5 weeks.

New Year, New Cheer

It was New Years Eve and I had a breakthrough. I’m happy with my smile with braces, I no longer try to hide them in photos…It actually looks better when I smile with them then without. It took me longer than other people expected, but less than I expected to feel get to this stage.

My Hubby has been telling me for a while now that I look better when I show them. Why didn’t I listen to him? Oh, perhaps because he’s my husband 😉

I have my second adjustment in just a couple of days and I’m super excited about it, cause it means more progress. I’m expecting it to be painful but I can cop that. Will report back her very soon.

The glimmer of growing confidence

Braces are amazing!

6 weeks have passed and after my initial realization of so much change at week 5 I really couldn’t see any more. I took at as ‘change spurt’ and now it had stopped.

A colleague mentioned yesterday that she is noticing change, particularly on my upper. She thought they looked like they “were coming out more”.
I didn’t really think much of her comment but just in case I took photos when I got home…I really shouldn’t have doubted her, her of all people, she’s pretty damn spot on with things…

So here is the photo, look at the curve of the wire.

Upper (first week vs. week 6)

Say it with me … “WOW”

I am just over the moon and flabbergasted. It’s been 2 weeks since my adjustment and they don’t hurt at all, I’d go so far as saying, I could most likely bite an apple (an already quartered one) so I really didn’t think anything was happening anymore, boy was I wrong!

These are the results I had hopped for but was sure I was expecting too much. Turns out I underestimated how brilliant braces are. At this rate, 12 months is certainly achievable 🙂

Upper & Lower (first week vs. week 6)

Smile Photo (without braces, first week and week 6)

And so it begins…

I have never blogged before…

I also hadn’t got married before, yet I did that and

I haven’t had braces before, and now I have…

so I guess everyone does things they have never done before all the time.

It all started during a routine dental appointment where I asked my dentist about Invisalign to straighten my teeth ‘a bit’, I had no idea it would end up in first a nose job, then a plate and now metal braces.

That makes them sound really bad, but I don’t think they are.

The nose job came because during a scan it was discovered that I had a very deviated septum which was inhibiting my breathing through my nose, and apparently a major success to orthodontic work is breathing through your nose, so I went and got my nose fixed. I was then given the all clear to start my treatment.

It began with a plate, to expand my palate to give me more room as my dentist wanted to avoid extractions. A year later, I was ready for the next stage. It also helped that I was now married so I wasn’t out to impress anyone anymore. 

I paid around $4,000 for the plate, and as my dentist is studying this new type of orthodontics which expands your palate at the same time so she said she would do this new treatment for free….really couldn’t say no could I?

When I asked her how long I would have them her response was “a year…at least” so I’m giving it 13 months, which will make it my 30th birthday. I’m hoping to have them off by then but I’m not holding my breath. 

So here I am, with metal braces at 28.  

The first photo is before my plate (Aug 2012) and my first week in braces (Nov 2013), I can see the plate has already made a difference.

This photo is immediately before the braces where put on and immediately after (Nov 2013).

And here’s the bottom, she has put dental cement on my back bottom teeth so my top teeth don’t hit my bottom brackets just till my front top teeth move out enough. 

 The braces have been on only 5 days now, and already I have had 2 follow-up appointments just to double-check on things. That’s one good thing of being a ‘case study’ for my dentists new treatment, I’ll get much more attention but a down side is I haven’t seen any of her proven results. So I’m just hopeful and now that I have started this blog I’m even more hopeful to come to you with results! 

In regards to side effects:

• I had headaches for the first couple of days,
• I have a lisp due to the metal bar on my top palate (which is what I hate the most).
• It is also unbelievable how much food gets stuck in them it’s crazy! I’ve resorted to having soup for lunch while I’m at work so I don’t have to worry around so much food getting stuck and go for more solid foods at night-time when I can clean straight away.
• So far now real sores on the inside of my mouth from the brackets but I have been being very gentle.

My first adjustment is in 4 weeks so I’ll write and post more photos then. Fingers crossed for progress 🙂

18 months and no longer counting

So 1 year ticked over to 1.5 years pretty damn quickly, makes sense when I add that I now have a 7 month old baby.

Me and my then 6 month old daughter on my first Mothers Day

I got my first complement the other day “so when are your braces coming off? your teeth look perfect” so it got my hopeful, I think they are coming off soon….I hope they are coming off soon!

So much happens those first few months of braces, your teeth move so quickly and you think this is going to be done before you know it but then things slow down and those last slight changes take the longest.

Looking back it doesn’t feel too long, nor has it been a pain. The only painful part was when you constantly get asked when they are coming off!!! what? do they look that horrible?

I have been happy for them to come off for the past 6 months although my orthodontist is a perfectionist and she notices things that I don’t and really don’t care about, although I pointed out to her that my front right tooth has moved in quite a bit at my last appointment, yes I’m aware that it might add some time to my journey but this I care about, this i mind.

Since I am a Mum now, plus I’ve reached the 30 milestone, I have decided to treat myself when my braces evenually leave my mouth with a you’beaut electric toothbrush (boring) and botox, just in one spot. That will be an extra interest comparison photo. What for that one!

Front view. They fill my mouth so much better now. The tooth I’m not happy with is the front left in the picture, would like it to come out more.

The bottom left incisor has some cement on the back as it had moved in and she used the cement as a make-shift lever to pull it out. It worked. Just closing the last gaps now.

 

7 months already!

They have now expanded my bite enough and aligned all my teeth, now it’s just the finishing touches. Time to close the gaps!

The top 4 and bottom 6 have been tied in and at my adjustment today they tied the next 2 top and bottom.

Apparently by November I will have finished teeth…..I’ll also have something else….a little baby girl! Yes we are having our first baby, but that’s not the topic of this blog so I’ll get back on track.

November my teeth will be done, however, the braces will remain on for a while longer for stability. That makes me sad, but the end is still much closer then it was yesterday, and much closer than when I started.

Just the standard progress photos to share. All the change happened in the first 8 weeks, since then the changes have been slow and minor.

Uppers, 7 months of treatment

Lowers, 7 month of treatment

Profile. Notice how far out the front teeth now sit

4+ Months

It has been a whopping 4+ months, it has gone fast and now braces are nothing new. It’s me now. They feel normal in my mouth.

They are now majority aligned so the view of progress is minor.

 

 

I am loving my new smile, even with the braces.

Third Adjustment

3 adjustments and 13 weeks later…my bottom teeth are aligned, my top need a mere additional 2mm and 2 more adjustments then I will get a new wire, one that will pull my teeth down and together. So in summary, they are going well.

Had my first clean since braces also, I got given a great report card for someone with braces.

I’m loving my new smile.

First Break

The time was bound to come when I had my first break, luckily it wasn’t a break per say, just a undoing.

The nut came off the bolt on one side that holds it all together, I got into the dentist a few days later and she told me if it happens again come straight in and don’t wait to make an appointment as these bolts are what keep it all working.

Feels like forever since I’ve posted. That’s she made my adjustment 6 weeks away, that just seems way too long!

It’s been 3 months now and it seems all the progress happened in the first 8 weeks. Here’s a few progress photos and an attempt at showing you all the loose bolt.

The loose bolt

Before braces (top), 6 weeks mark (middle) and 12 weeks (bottom)

Before braces (top), 6 weeks mark (middle) and 12 weeks (bottom)

 

 

What are your reasons?

Mine are 3, 5 & 10. In that order too

Happy Day

Did my routine progress photo today, put it beside my starting photo and I was amazed. It’s only been just over a month, it is so incredible how quick and painless this progress is. It seems my teeth and been pulled out heaps, I have noticed I have a slight gap between two of my bottom teeth now which is helping them all to straighten out.

Now that I’m seeing obvious progress I am SO glad I’m doing this!

My bets are in that 3 months they’ll be almost perfect

The tops of my bottom teeth are pretty jagged, wonder if they will file them so they are a bit flatter? has anyone had that done?