7th Adjustment

I had my 7th adjustment a few days ago. So far I've had my braces on for over 9 months. The space on my top right is almost closed and the space on my bottom right is getting there. My underbite is looking horrid! It has become a little difficult/weird to talk - I sort of had to learn to form certain letters all over again lol... I think I am talkign better now but a few weeks ago a lot of people were havign a hard time understanding me - it was embarrassing when I had to repeat myself like 3 times when ordering a meal at a restaurant...

Anyway, at my last visit she was supposed to discuss my bite molds (they took them at my 6th adjustment) but she didn't elaborate really. She just said that it's not going as she thought it would - that the teeth are still some way from being aligned properly for surgery. She told me that they will take molds of my bite again in the next few visits and see where things are then. When I asked when I can expect to have surgery she said sometime in Spring. I was really hoping to have the surgery done in March but I think it may be more like May or even later now... every time I see her it seems to get pushed up. Darn teeth.

Pics of My Current Underbite

These pictures were taken about 2 weeks ago. It's hard/unnatural for me to close my mouth and I have developed a lisp =/ Can't wait until surgery fixes this...

6th Adjustment

Hello. I just came back from my 6th adjustment, and today did not go as smoothly as other times lol. My ortho decided to take molds of my teeth today to see where my bite stands in prep for surgery - the assistant had a really hard time taking the molds out of my mouth - so uncomfortable. And then she was putting on the new rubbers on my teeth, she broke one of the brackets and it felt like my tooth was going to come out of my mouth - it left so loose. It freaked me out. But the orthodontist said that it was just my tooth beign a bit loose because it wasnt braced now ... whewww! Anyway, they put on a new bracket and all was well - but I was there for almost an hour.

My ortho said i did a really good job with the elastics - she said she was surprised how much my bite changed in just 6 weeks of wearing the elastics. I guess changing them 2-3 times every day really paid off! This time she only gave me 1 elastic band to wear on my right side. When I asked about surgery she said it looks like maybe in 6 months I'll be ready... that disappointed me because I was hoping for January/February =( She told me she will analyze my bite on the molds and see if it could be sooner.

My underbite is really, really, realllly bad right now and I am very anxious for the surgery.

5th Adjustment

Just got back from my 5th adjustment. I got elastics today! I saw people talking about these on the forums and I thought I was one of the lucky few who did not have to wear them.. haha.. yeah ok..

She told me I have to wear them 24/7 (with the exception of eating & brushing) and change them 2+ times each day. On the package it says "medium 1/4". Putting them on and taking them off is pretty easy I have to say but having to change them a few times each day will I'm sure be annoying. Also, I can't really open my mouth wide with them in so I'm trying to keep it closed as much as I can.
Anyway, the orthodontist told me that my underbite will get worse in preparation for the surgery - my underbite looks pretty bad as it is now and it makes me wonder how much worse it can get =/

OS Records & 4th Braces Adjustment

About a week ago I saw my OS to discuss my records, see image predictions etc etc. So basically he told me that I have 2 options - I can get just lower jaw surgery (by bringing it back and rotating) or double jaw surgery (upper forward and lower back and rotated a bit). When I saw the image predictions (which show a side view), I didnt see that much of a difference between the 2. The OS said they can achieve a good bite with both types but that I would have better results with double jaw surgery because suppoesdly my upper jaw is somewhat deficient/retrusive and my face looks rather flat/long. He also told me that I look like I may be ready for surgery by the end of this year which shocked me because my orthodontist told me 8-10 months or so.. So I am still thinking whether I should go for the lower jaw only or double jaw but I think I am leaning towards double jaw because I don't want to regret it later and I'll be going under the knife either way so whats a couple more days of discomfort if the results will be much better - I guess that's the way I look at it now...

Yesterday I had my 4th braces adjustment. The missing molar on the bottom left - she told me that she won't be able to close that space and eventually I will need an implant there - not too happy about that but what can you do... She also said she spoke to the surgeon and told me I will not be ready for surgery by the end of this year.. it will take longer (much to my dismay!). The reason for that is because she wants to close the gap of the tooth they extracted a few months ago (before we knew I'd be having orthognathic surgery) and close another space for a missing tooth I have on top (I know - my mouth is so complicated!). She said that technically I could have the surgery before, and after she can work on closing the spaces even more; but she doesn't recommend that because she thinks they will be able to make better decisions during surgery when my spaces are all closed. Bummer, but if that's what is best then that is what I want.

So now, I'm just going to relax and wait for the orthodontist to give me word of when we're nearing surgery time so OS can get the insurance papers rolling.

Besides that, my teeth are sore today as usual.

3rd Adjustment & OS Consultation

I had my 3rd adjustment yesterday and a consultation with the Oral Surgeon (finally!!!)

The OS was first - it went fine, although they did not get to take x-rays/pics etc because they had an emergency (someone came in with a broken jaw..). So basically the doctor just talked with me in his office for a good 30-45 minutes, explaining all the surgical details, etc etc. It was very thorough and although he kept encouraging me to ask questions I couldn't think of any! I drew a blank or something.. ugh. My ortho told me this is one of the top Oral Surgeons around and he has a ton of experience - he does these types of surgeries all the time - while most other oral surgeons only get to do jaw surgery every once in a while supposedly. So far, from just speaking to him, I like him as a person. He seems nice, funny and knowledgeable. He is also the chief of oral surgery at a top-rated hospital so that is just icing on the cake and makes me feel confidant that I will be in the right hands. I know that it's wise to shop around but I really don't think I'll find a better qualified OS in my area so I'll be sticking with this one. I am supposed to go back this Thursday for the records - pics/x-rays, etc. Oh and he also told me that my insurance will most likely cover the surgery - he said he's pretty sure of it as he is one of the doctors who wrote their provision on oral surgery.

The ortho appointment went good. I told her I saw the OS finally and that I am opting for surgery. So now she changed gears and is going to make my underbite even more prominent! Yay!! LoL... I guess I can deal with that as long as the ultimate outcome is good =) She changed both wires and replaced them with thicker ones and I got a long rubber thing going across all my top teeth - she said it will pull them back. It felt tight.. tightest I've had it so far.

Today, I had to go back to the ortho because one of my bottom ligatures came off and I lost it. No biggie, but it was kinda annoying having to go back in today - her office is not exactly around the corner.

So right now, things are looking good (although I am sore!) and I can't wait to see what the OS tells me after he examines my x-rays and all that stuff.

Back from Europe

I was away visiting family overseas for the past 2 weeks. I left right after my adjustment so my teeth were a bit sore for maybe 2 days but it wasn't too bad. After that it was fine. I ate a lot of chocolate while there and only flossed like every 3rd day or so... I know bad =/

Good news is I got my health insurance card!!! I will be calling the oral surgeon's office today to schedule a consultation - hopefully I don't have to wait long to see him. I am really anxious about what he will say and relieved to finally have health insurance =) !!!

2nd Adjustment

I had my 2nd adjustment yesterday. It was supposed to be May 18th but I had some last minute travel plans so I had to go in early. Anyway, it was very fast yesterday - maybe 5 minutes.. I am so happy she took the stained ligatures off (from smoking) - they looked disgusting. The orthodontist told me I really have to go see the OS for the consult ASAP - she said she needs to start making bite decisions. I am in the process of getting health insurance - hopefully I'll be approved - after that I gotta make an appointment with the OS.

Anyway, my upper right teeth are very sore today.. nothing much going on - going away for 2 weeks yay! That's about it.

2 Months in Braces

Well it has been 2 months already. I have to say it went by pretty fast and I am used to living with them - there are days when a particular tooth or teeth will be sore because I guess they are moving, but I have learned to deal with it.. My bottom teeth (specifically the one next to the premolar that has been extracted) continue to straighten out, as do my top teeth. This morning I noticed that my 2 front teeth are not as they used to be.. one is very slightly overlapping the other - I guess it's all part of the treatment .. I have heard others say that sometimes it gets worse before it gets better so I am not worried at all. I trust my orthodontist knows what she is doing plus I still have like 18 months to go haha ...

I have to also say that the clear braces get stained so easily... ugh.. yesterday I was at a party and ended up smoking a few cigarettes. This morning I really regreted it because the braces are all stained and nasty looking ewww... definetly won't do that again.

1st Adjustment

Today was my first adjustment. I actually just got back like an hour ago.

I took tylenol an hour before my visit as advised on archwired =) I was in the chair for about 30 minutes and it wasn't as bad as when I first got them on. They just pulled an twisted here and there a bit. They put some stretchy thing on in 1 spot to help close the space for my top right missing molar (although she isnt sure she will be able to close that space and I might need an implant there).

My Irritated Mouth =/

Well, I thought I would not have any problems with my mouth being irritated from the braces but last night the inside of my lower lip was very sore/irritated and so was the back of my cheek on the left side. There was a wire sticking out there so I put some wax on it and it was better. As for the bottom inside lip area, I just took a whole stick of wax an put it across my entire bottom front lol.. since there wasnt anythign sticking out, it must've just been irritated form the braces itself... oh well...

The journey has begun!

I have had my braces now for about 2 weeks - since February 24th. I started this blog a little late I guess so I'll back track a bit so this will be a loooong post.

So basically I'm 25 and I have an underbite just like my father. My teeth are crowded on top and bottom, I am missing 3 teeth on top and 1 on bottom, I have 3 crowns, and slight gum recession on some teeth - yes I know a lot going on!

I was supposed to wear braces in high school but I was petrified of dentists, etc still at that time so I did not go through with it. Then I almost started the orthodontic process 2-3 years ago because my then dentist recommended it but it was taking too long to get off the ground and I just stopped (I know Stupid!).

So about 3 months ago I started thinking about it again. I decided to go to my dentist first for a checkup to make sure my teeth were healthy .. and.. disappointment.. I needed 2 root canals. I decided to go on a consultation with an orthodontist anyway. The first one I went to I didnt much like but he did mention somethign that made me think - he mentioned that I "would benefit from jaw surgery.." No one ever told me that and I never really heard of it to be honest. When I got home I researched like crazy .. and got scared. It seemed I would need surgery and to be honest it made me a little depressed for a few days. The 2nd orthodontist did a lot of adult cases. She informed me that I would need my bottom right premolar extracted (which what all the other orthos I've seen said...). My treatment time would be 18-24 months. When I asked her if I would need surgery, she said she could fix my bite without surgery by jutting my top teeth forward and pulling my bottom teeth in. I was ecstatic.. but when I was home and researching more and more I was getting convinced surgery would be the best route for me... Afterall, I dont want to wear braces for 2 years and then several years after that realize I need to get them again because I need surgery afterall. I decided that I will bring up my concerns at the next appointment and see what she says.

So next step was to go get my root canal and a temporary crown. After that I went in to get spacers for a week (ouch). I told her that I am afraid braces alone wont give me the results I want. She said she can fix my bite to be good and that my lips would meet togetehr better than now. I asked her if my face will change and she said slighty but not as dramatic as jaw surgery. Then she proceeded to give me a referral to an oral surgeon who is one of the top in my area. She said if I want to go and see what he says. She says i have 6 months to decide if I want surgery because that's when she'll need to know whether to take the orthodontic treatment this way or that way. I called the OS but since I dont have insurance and they charge $500 for a consultation, I decided to wait until I get insurance..

On February 23rd, I had my bottom premolar extracted and the next day, February 24th I was braced! I got molar bands on my back teeth. When she was fitting the molar bands on my teeth and putting them on it hurt but the rest of the stuff wasn't bad, just uncomfortable to have my mouth stretched open for that long I guess. Afterwards, they talked about hygiene & gave me the goody bag. She told me(and I knew this already) that I have to keep my teeth extra clean due to the current state of my mouth (I have some bone loss, gum recession).

The first week was not good for me, because of the combination of braces and the fresh extraction site. I was in pain and tryign hard to avoid an infection in the extraction site. I was really worried about it because the tooth that was there was very crooked and like below the others so the gum looked weird in that spot - like there was no gum on the outer side it seemed.. my dentist said it will start to come together, and in fact it has. That put my worries aside. The braces themselves felt really weird to me for the first few days - I felt like I had to consciously make an effort to keep my lips together. Eating was very awkward and after 2-3 days became painful as well.

For the past week things have been getting better. I am getting more used to them with each day. The braces don't hurt unless I chew or bite down - I actually try to avoid biting down because it hurts too much, but sometimes I press on my teeth even though it hurts (soreness) - I dunno why I do that. I have been using my magic bullet alot lately and eating more soups and stuff like that. I also have a wire sticking out on the bottom I think since she put them on but it doesn't really bother me - I only used wax on it 1 time. I guess my cheek is pretty tough..

So that's it for the first post. Till next time =)