Week 21: Biting of the tongue... =/

I've noticed that my overjet is reducing, which is really neat... but I think because my front teeth are moving back some, it's causing me to bite my tongue everytime I talk. Lol.. I'm sure that's just something else I'll have to get used to.

I really haven't noticed anything else as far as my teeth go. I'm just amazed that I'm at week 21 already.

Only 25 more months to go... with that being said, I'm still having popcorn withdrawls... I don't know how I'm going to make it 25 more months... sigh...

&



Later!

Wire Clipped.... SO. MUCH. RELIEF....

Anywho, after trying to glob wax on the wire that was irritating my teeth, and failing miserably. I finally broke down and called the ortho. I was given the last appointment of the day.

I actually managed to get to the ortho's office early, which is not normal for me considering that I'm usually right on time or late. lol. Anyway, so the ortho assistant clipped my back wire and it was the greatest feeling ever not having that stupid.. wire poking me. :D She also checked my upper wire and she said there was a wire coming out of that one too, so she went ahead and clipped that one.

When she said the top wire was coming out, I was like omg, that means my teeth are really moving along nicely! :D Gap! You will be vanquished soon!!

Lastly, I asked her if I could clipped the wire myself instead of having to make appointments to have the wire clipped. She told me no.. because it would be hard to clip because of the size of the wire. I was kind of bummed, but oh well, such is life.

Enough of my rambling.... lol

Ciao!

Avoided a pit of a situation (har har har)

Hiya! Yesterday, I was eating Bistro style olives and I bit into it thinking it was going to be soft and easy to chew... Nope! They have pits in them... and umm I was chewing more towards the outside and it's a good thing I stopped biting down because I'm sure I would have popped a bracket... Not to mention that wouldn't have been a very good way to celebrate my birthday... It's like happy birthday, Lexi.. guess where you're going? To the ortho! O.o No thanks lol

*wipes eyebrow* But the situation was avoided and I enjoyed my birthday to the fullest. :D

Also, I had a thought last night. This is my first birthday and Christmas in braces and It will be my first new year too. Going to be interesting... :p

I can not believe that Feburary will make it 6 months since I had braces.... crazy stuff...

Later!

Officially Joined the Pokey Wire Club!

I have officially joined the pokey wire club. =x I realized that the wire was coming out the back of my bracket a few days ago but it was very small.. Well within that time frame, it's becoming a problem.

I realized this morning how much it was irritating my cheek, because I must have been sleeping on it, and it was making a home in my cheek. It hasn't broke the skin yet but if I don't get it taken care of soon, it will. I'm going to try the eraser trick as well as glob wax on it and give my ortho a call just to give them a heads up.

My teeth are moving but it just sucks that you have to suffer sometimes to get them to keep moving. My wire will be evicted from my cheek very soon. It's not staying... lol

Week 20: Gaps, Gaps, They're Everywhere!

Wow, week 20 already! Time is really flying and I can't believe how fast my teeth have moved. They look wonderful! :) I sometimes forget how my teeth looked before braces as well as the first day I got them. I go back and look at the pictures and I'm like wowwww! My teeth looked like that O.O Now look at them. :D So amazing!

So far my upper gaps are starting to close but I was told that I would have a powerchain reapplied a few more times before all my upper gaps were close. On the lower side, my teeth are starting to become gappy. I guess I don't understand how that works, when a space is trying to be created. What makes those other teeth gappy? Think I'll have to speak to my ortho about that. Not as a complaint but as a general question. :p Besides all that, I'm still a happy camper and just waiting for my next appointment.

Smelling Popcorn; Feeling Tortured...

Sooo, all I smell is popcorn right now... It smells so good and it's unbelieveable how bad I want some. lol!

This is the time where I wish I had a stuffy nose, so I wouldn't have to smell it.. How am I going to make it 26 months without eating popcorn.. I think that's why I don't like going to movies much anymore because of that smell. Yes, there are popcorn substitutes (Pirate's Booty, Cheese Puffs, etc...) But it's just not the same... :(

/Mild Rant Over

Week 19: Can You Hear It?

So this week, the pain from the adjustment is virtually gone. It hurts to chew on the right side a bit but besides that I'm doing really well.

My spring that's on my lower right side is def. doing it's job. The gap that's forming is getting bigger but I can  hear my teeth move sometimes. It's usually at random times but I can still hear it nevertheless. It's pretty strange.

My gap between my two front teeth is shrinking on down and pretty soon, my teeth are going to look neat being together. I know I won't be able to stop smiling.

It'll be interesting to see how my ortho will pull my lower molar outward once the spring opens the gap wide enough. I bet it's going to hurt too... My upper crossbite (the bracketed tooth) is almost all the way in line. It's so amazing!

Sayonara!

Comparision 12.09.11

Ok, well I decided to compare my teeth from the first day I got braces to how they look now! It's amazing how different they look now versus how they started out. I can def. see so many changes and my teeth look wonderful! :D

Some Comparisons:
- My left central insisor no longer protrudes. (No more one sided bucky beaver!)
-My central insisors are now leveled out. They are looking bea.u.ti.ful!
-Upper Centrals now TOUCH Bottom Centrals! :D (Huge Accomplishment)
-Gap has majorly shrunk.
- Left upper side of teeth no longer roller coaster, they have came down quite a bit.
-Lowers no longer overlap.

Anywho, the list could go on and on but the progress I have made in 4 months, has been astounding. I love the way my teeth look now and I can tell that my confidence has increased. I have never felt that way before. Even though the braces cause pain and discomfort, just from the comparison pictures, you can totally see how worth it braces are. :D I <3 my braces!

3rd Adjustment, Day 2: Taking it One Day at a Time

So far, my teeth don't ache nearly as much as they did yesterday. The weird part is my lowers hurt alot more than my uppers. I really thought it would have been the other way around since I have a powerchain going across all my upper teeth. I think the spring on my lower teeth has made all the difference.

Yesterday, I stayed in my ibuprofen bottle and tried to keep enough soft foods in my system. Sadly, I forgot to stock up and I had ravioli for lunch but that was still difficult to chew. I managed somehow to get it down but after that I was still really hungry. The cool thing though, my dad was nice enough to make me some macaroni and cheese and I was so happy. Also, my husband drove to Steak N Shake and got me a thick, chocolate milkshake. It was sooooooo good :D

See, when your mouth is sore and achy, it's nice getting pampered! Hehe!

So it's only been 2 days and I've noticed a few changes with my teeth. One, the gap between my two front teeth is getting smaller! Woo! :D Two, the gap that's beside my right central insisor is almost nonexistant. Three, when I put my front teeth on top of my lowers, they TOUCH! I have NEVER been able to do that. It's a wonderful moment!

3rd Adjustment : Here Comes the Pain!

Ok, so I had my 3rd adjustment and I'm starting to feel the pain. =x

My name was called and I went to the chair and set down. The ortho assistant looked at my lower  teeth and said, Oh.. it looks like there's a wire out back there.. I'm like o.o I wonder how long it's been like that. So she had to change my wire. It's stil the same type of wire just new. So she replaced the wire and added a longer spring so my gap will widen up a bit more.

She got to the upper arch and realized that my upper wire didn't look like it was all the way in either. So in other words, the previous ortho assistant I had cut the wires too short... =/ So she got my new upper arch wire and put it on. She then says ok, we're going to start working on closing some of your gaps. I chose a purple power chain and she started putting it on my teeth. I was thinking I was going to get a small chain on only a few teeth... Wrong! My power chain goes all the way across my upper arch.

I'm like oh noes, the pain will start soon. =[ I managed to keep some of the pain in check with ibuprofen but don't know how tonight and tomorrow's going to go... Probably will be soft foods for a few days, eating a hot pocket was an adventure for sure..

Oh well, it's apart of the process for straight teeth, I'll just suck it up...

Bye bye!

2 More Days and 3rd Adjustment will be Complete

I go through this right before an adjustment, I get excited and then anxious. Lol! I'm always excited to see what new changes are going to happen after the appointment concerning my teeth but then I start to feel anxious because I have no idea what is going to happen.

Only 2 more days till my appointment and then my excitement will wear off esp when the pain starts lol! I really want elastics but at the same time am kind of worried because they're going to be pain in the butt... Oh well might as well worry about that when I do receive them.

I just need to chill out and stop worrying about these things so much, whatever happens, will happen and I'll just have to adapt and adjust and forget about all it until the next adjustment. My teeth have def. improved in such a short amount of time, it's amazing and I supposed that's the most important thing to keep in mind. All the pain and discomfort that I will go through will be to improve not only my teeth but my self confidence.

Just take it in stride Lexi, things will be ok! :) YOU will be ok... (Yes, I'm giving myself a pep talk..) lol

Later

Week 18: Do Not Remember....

Hmm, well I had something cool to say about my teeth but now I can't remember... Lol! Hopefully, it will come back to me. So far, my teeth still pretty much look the same. I have been watching my bracketed tooth and it's really moving. It will be in line with the others soon.

OH! I remember what it was... It wasn't anything cool either, it's a dislike... I was smiling with my mouth closed and saw that my top lip looks so small. It looks like it's hiding behind my lower lip.. That just makes me sad.. I hope my lip goes back to the way it used to look, I don't like not having a full top lip when I'm smiling with my mouth closed.

Only reason my top lip is ducking and dodging is because my lower lip covers my top brackets and that causes my lip to stick out more and because of that, my top lip retreats behind my lower one. Soo, hopefully, my top lip will be full again when I smile. Hmm, why would I smile with my mouth closed anyway, when my teeth will be straight soon. Gotta keep that in mind.

Ciao

Cavity or Just Moving? O.o

Ok, so for the past 2 days, my right bottom 1st molar has been hurting everytime I apply pressure by biting down with my upper teeth... I'm hoping that it's moving and there's not a cavity forming under the buildup. The sad part is, is that's the same tooth where I broke a piece of my buildup off and never got it fixed... Think I'll have to bring it up with the ortho next week.

Also, I had a conversation with my cousin about her braces because I was excited that she had them too. I asked her how long she has had them and she replied with 7 or 8 years. I was like WOW! O.o I love my braces but I don't think I would love them after 7 or 8 years..

I would march up to the ortho office and tell them to remove them ASAP. lol Because of that conversation, it made me wonder, What is the longest time a person has had to wear braces. 7 or 8 years is the longest I have heard so far. Inquiring minds would like to know.

Today, my teeth have been a bit sore, which means they're moving! :D So I say bring on the soreness.... I won't say that next week, after thicker wire and powerchains are added... It will more than likely be me whimpering like a newborn baby.. The joys of Braces...

Enough rambling.


Ta Ta for Now!

Week 17: A Few Sore Teeth and An Ephiphany...

Hmm, for this week, I've had a few sore teeth especially when I wake up in the morning.. Hasn't felt the greatest but I know their moving so that gives me some comfort. :)

I would like to add that when your teeth are sore, it's best to brush with a manual toothbrush... Vibrations from electric toothbrush on sore teeth equals discomfort =x Swithcing to a manual tooth brush for a little bit. lol!

On to the Ephiphany: I was brushing my teeth the other morning and I realized that my two front teeth are leveled to the point where I can brush behind both of them at the same time! I have NEVER been able to do that. I would have to brush one normally and tilt my brush at an angle to try and brush the bucky one... I could never get it as clean as the other one.

I seriously felt like doing a dance!! :D I can't believe at almost 4 months, there has been so much progress... It's so awesome! :D

SN: I usually have my pictures taken but just takes me forever to get them up on the blog... I'll try to work on that. lol

Oops.. I forgot to take the bracketed tooth pic for week 16.. Will just have to take a week 17 pic and put that up with the rest!
Later

Poptart + Braces = Nightmare with a Remainder of Sadness!

Hmm, I don't really like math... So why did I use it as a title... I have no idea! lol

Anywho, I ate a pop tart (I know, I know... bad, bad Lexi!) just a few minutes ago and I will never do it again! Well, let me correct that, Not while in braces. The gooey filling plus the breading was jammed down under my hooks and wires and no amount of water swished around in my mouth would free it.. It took me maybe about 3 to 5 minutes to get all that stuff out and then I had to brush really, REALLY good to make sure it was all out. Ugh, not putting myself through that again.. I'm just glad nothing broke, I really would have kicked myself for giving into my (huge) sweet tooth.

On to the sadness: It just bums me out that I can't eat poptarts because I love them. They're a really good food to eat while on the go... All the good (bad) sugary goodness.... is so great! Sigh oh well, I'll just hang up my poptart hat and find me a food that won't be so sugary and gooey...

</3 Heartbroken pop tart lover

Week 16: I spy with my little eye... Nothing New.. lol

Hellloooo!!

Can't really see any changes this week. They look the same as last week.

Lets see, only 16 days until my next adjustment... I'm just glad that I get to enjoy thanksgiving. I would hate if my adjustment was a couple days before... Would just be depressing watching others eat all that good food and I'd be stuck with soup...

So I can celebrate about that, at least! :)

Dear.....

Bread and Pasta,

I know that you both are extremely friendly because everytime you are consumed, you love to give the wires and brackets a big ole' hug... I would really appreciate it if you no longer gave friendly hugs, because the brackets and wires are a bit antisocial when it comes to those types of things.

Signed,
Very annoyed proxy interdental brush


Dear Braces,

I thank you for all the things you are doing for me. Being that I'm on the bottom, I no longer have to lean on my neighbor for support, I can now stand beside my neighbor as an equal!

I also thank you from the top of my little roots, my partner in crime is now officially getting closer and closer to me and no longer distant. It feels good to know that soon, we will be together.

Even though you hurt us sometimes, I know that you're doing it out of love. You want to make us happy. Thank you so much!

Signed,

Happy upper and lower teeth! :)

Week 15: Little Wow Moments and Some Soreness...

I look at the gap inbetween my two front teeth and just amazed at how small it is now. I have never had a small gap. I just think about how my teeth used to look and how they look now and I'm like wow! So much progress already in such a short amount of time. I'm truly grateful that my time for braces has finally come and I'll have more self esteem and confidence. Just really, really thankful!

I'm not sure if I'm still clenching at night or what, but almost every morning, my teeth hurt a bit. It could just be that they're on the move again. I don't really have anything new to add.

Actually, I just thought of something! Last week, I took a drink of room tempature water and I had a serious sharp pain go through one of my teeth. I was like hmmm... this is strange. I read on archwired that there are other people that are dealing with tooth sensitivity. I'm glad that I'm not the only one! Just thought it was a bit strange.

Adios! <3

Correction

I would like to correct my previous post. At first, I thought I couldn't physically see any movement as far as my teeth. I was wrong!

I was looking in the mirror, trying to figure out how I was going to get a good picture of my newly bracketed tooth and then it hit me! My newly bracketed tooth has moved some! YAY! It's not trying to hide behind the other teeth, it finally want to stop being shy and be more outgoing. I'm so thrilled.

Week 14: Don't really see anything..

Yesterday made it Week 13 and so far, I really haven't seen any new changes. I know my front teeth and a few of my lower teeth have been a little sore but besides that, I really haven't seen any movement. Even though, I can't physically see it, I know that they are moving some. Which is a really good thing.

I'm sort of looking forward to the next adjustment, can't wait to start seeing my gaps close. That'll be amazing. :)

Later!

SN: I definately need to whiten my teeth, they are terribly stained. I used to drink a lot of dark tea and then I eventually switched to green tea but still. I often worry though that my staining is really decalicification. I hope it's not that. But once the braces are off, I will take care of the staining.

Wasn't able to fit my bracketed tooth pic on my collage so here it is, that tooth is really starting to move in line. So great! :D

3 Months and week 13!

It has been 3 months exactly since I first got Braced. I'm so glad that I decided to do it. My teeth look so much better and I feel so confident, it's nice! :) I won't ever regret the day the I finally got braces! :)

Due to just getting a kitten, I haven't really been paying attention to my teeth. lol. I've been chasing her around all over the place.

Anywho, I have noticed that my overjet/bite has went in a considerable amount. It no longer sticks out 8mm. I don't know for sure how big it is now, but it looks really nice. All that pain I felt a few days ago was worth it. My bite is still off, and I can only evenly put my teeth together on one side, all apart of the process though.

At my next adjustment, my gaps will be closed, so I'm guessing I can say goodbye to my gap between my two front teeth. I will no longer be able to fit a straw between the gap and drink. lol! That's really going to feel funny having my teeth together. I won't be able to stop smiling as well as I just won't know what to do with myself.

2nd Adjustment, Day 3: Doing Good

Welp, I seem to be doing alright. No more throbbing mouth, just my bite is off. I can really only chew on my right side because my upper back teeth on the left won't hit my lower teeth evenly. Guess I'm at the stage where it gets worse before better. Oh well, in good time, everything will be even again. :)

Cool thing is, my newly bracketed tooth no longer hurts but when I bite down on it, it makes a slight popping sound... so it's loose and moving around.... kinda gross. lol

Until next time. :p

Day After Adjustment: Still an ouch type of day!

Today has been a little better as far as pain goes. The left side of my mouth still hurts a bit but the right side has chilled out. I know when I was eating lunch earlier, I tried to eat on the left side and umm won't do that again.. Talk about a serious flinch fest every time I would chew. lol I'm complaining about the pain now but I know when elastics and thicker powerchains are introduced is when the real pain will begin. So I'll just keep mumbling to myself that it'll be worth it in the end and I'll be a happy camper.

Side note: I realized yesterday that the wire on my lower arch is rectangular! I got so excited and felt like I graduated to the next level, even though I have a long way to go! The little things just amuse me. :)

 I was a bit sad because my upper wire is still round. I wanted to join the all rectangle wire club but that will probably happen at my next adjustment. I guess I shouldn't rush that wire on my upper arch, since I was in a lot of pain last night, due to my rectangle wire... but I just can't help getting exciting about all the orthodontic stuff, it's doing so many good things to my teeth, it's really, truly AMAZING!

Mouth Throbbing.. Owww!

I'm glad I got everything adjusted and all but wowww, my teeth are killing me! I think I'm back at that stage where I want to rip these things out. I think I've completely changed my mind, I'm not ready for elastics and not looking forward to them because I know the pain is going to be worse. =x...

I feel like I can't bite correctly now because if I put my teeth together, I hit my upper left bracketed 2nd premolar and man oh man does that send a jolt of pain through the left side of my face.... I've had to bite my lip to prevent myself from yelping, groaning, etc.. when I clicked that tooth because it hurts so bad....

Supersized Ibuprofen don't fail me now!! :(

My 2nd Adjustment

I had managed to get up in enough time for my appointment and figured that I'd make it at 8:45. Unfortunately, I was like 5 minutes late because my husband thought that we were going to my dentist and not my ortho and we had to turn around and go the other way. But I made it in a good amount of time. lol!

I signed in, got called back and realized that the assisstant who was going to work on me, was not my normal assisstant. So I was a little sad about that... =x The adjustment went fairly well. I had my ligs removed, and my doors open, while the wires were removed and the assisstant put a new upper and lower arch wire in. My upper wire is a little thicker but it's not as thick as the one she was orignally going to put in. After she put the wires in, she put my new red and black ligs on =D and closed all the doors.

 Dr. M came over and looked at her work and said I was good to go. He also told her at my next adjustment in 6 weeks, he wants to put a thicker wire on my upper arch and that he was going to start closing up some of my gaps. I'm like Oh, Joy... 

The really cool thing about this adjustment is that my upper left 2nd premolar has finally joined the rest of the group. Instead of giving me a dinky old coil spring, the wire is now attached to it. :D That makes me so happy. My lower right premolar still has a spring because I guess there's still not enough room. I just think it's soooo neat! I also don't have a powerchain on my two front teeth this go round, I guess before Dr. P retired, she at least wanted to just close up my gap some.

It was a nice adjustment and I look forward to the next one in 6 weeks. Can't wait to see what the next adventure will be. :)

New Ligs! :D



Bracketed Finally!



Week 12: So Far.. So Good

I really don't have a lot to say today. Nothing has really been going on Braces wise. My gap is steady shrinking and...that's about it. Haven't had any major move-age from what I can see.

On a interesting note, tomorrow is my second adjustment! *jumps up and down and flails arms* I'm really looking forward to it. That means there will be a new wire change and I have no idea what else. Plus, I look at every adjustment as a improvement to my teeth. I do know I'm going to get black and red ligs. :D My two favorite colors!  I'm really ready to get the elastic train rolling but I don't think that's going to happen this go round. Will just have to wait and see.... I could be pleasantly/painfully surprised. lol

Week 11: Popping Noises, Loose Feeling Bracket, Shrinking/Expanding Gaps. Oh My!

Weirdest thing ever. I was sitting here and all I did was put my teeth together and I heard a popping noise in my mouth. I started freaking out, thinking a bracket popped off but when I looked in my mouth... everything was fine. So a little later, I put my teeth together again and I heard the popping noise again... I checked again and everything was fine... So I'm thinking what it is, is my molar buildup. It could be making the popping, clicking noises.. I hope... Lol, going to do a more thorough check when I get home.

I noticed that when I kind of suck on my teeth, that a bracket moves a little bit. It's still attached to my tooth but it just wiggles a little bit. I don't think it's anything serious because when I got my braces, my brackets would do that when teeth were moving. So maybe it's just movement, I'll ask next wednesday at my next adjustment.

As the title says, my gap is steady shrinking! It's amazing. I just think it'll be a little akaward and neat when my two front teeth are touching and I can't stick my tongue inbetween the teeth anymore. I was reading someone elses blog and they talked about how they're going to keep their gap (a small one).

I thought about that for a second and then immediately rejected that thought for myself. I just couldn't see myself still with a gap after having braces for 2 1/2 years. I would probably still smile but still feel a little self concious about my teeth. So with that being said, my gap will be vanquished and my teeth will touch. :D

The gaps that are between my laterals on each side are still expanding but that's so my front teeth can touch. Oh how I can't wait for that glorious day!


Until next time

Week 10: Teeth leveling on out..

Hi! Well I'm finally able to put up most of my pictures for this week, even though this week is about over. Lol.

Anyway, my front teeth are almost completely on the same level with each other, my gap between my two front teeth is shrinking more and more. The gaps that are forming elsewhere are getting bigger, but that's cool too. I look at it all as a process to straight teeth. I'm still giving everyone a big smile (teeth and all) :D

 Also, my dad and some of my co workers have been talking about how my teeth are just moving along as well as my profile is changing a bit. I've never noticed but I guess my top lip is going down a bit, which I think is really neat! I just hope my face doesn't change too much because I like the way my face looks.

The other night, I noticed a red bump under my tongue. It was really gross looking and it kinda hurt whenever I would run my tongue across it. It's probably some type of inflammation from the braces, I'm sure it will go away soon. (There's a picture of the bump, it has a square around it.)

Lastly, in 12 more days, I go for my 2nd adjustment!! I seriously am excited, because that means my teeth are going to change even more. Even though I'll probably be in some pain, it'll all be worth it in the end. I just wonder if I'm getting elastics yet, I want them already. I do know that my wire will be changed too, so that's going to be neat! :D

counting down the days.....

Ciao!

Decalcification.. Oh how I don't want that...

I think a lot of my friends think i'm a bit crazy because I spazz when I drink pop and can't brush my teeth for a while. I have a good reason to..

Decalcification is a scary thing and especially the thought of not knowing if I'm brushing right... What if my debrace day comes, my braces come off and I have decalcification spots on my teeth where my brackets used to be. I'll probably lose all the self confidence I built up and go back to hiding my teeth. Yeah, they'll be straight but they'll be ugly once again.

I know I have been slacking a bit, not with brushing but with flossing. I went 2 days without flossing and I really felt terrible. I better get back on schedule with my cleaning routine, so I don't get decalicification spots. I will never forgive myself if it comes to that...

So with that being said, I will brush/floss my teeth like no tomorrow, so they'll look nice when the braces come off. =]

*Oh and week 10 pictures will be up soon!*

Later

Awesome Tooth Update!!

This morning, I was on my way to work and I was talking to my husband. My upper tooth collided with my lowers and of course my first reaction was ow! Then I realized, It was the tooth that used to stick out. Omg! I was so excited, so I looked in the mirror and put my teeth together and the protruding tooth is almost touching my lowers. It's like || <<< that close to touching. It's soooo cool! :D My midline is still way off when I put my teeth together but that will be fixed soon.

What a great surprise this morning. :D

*Sorry about the grainy pics on the left, my front camera on my phone sucks! lol

Week 9: Teeth are subject to move..

Hola, I've noticed that my front tooth that used to stick out a lot is almost to the point where I can touch it to my lower teeth. I have never ever been able to do that! *party over here, whoop whoop* lol! I'm just so excited. When I go for my next adjustment, I'm going to have another wire change. So exciting... I wonder if I'm going to get elastics yet. I actually really want them, even though I know that they're going to hurt but hey, I'll get em when I get em.

* I just realized that my teeth in my overjet picture are going the wrong way. My teeth are really going to the left and not the right.

2 Months

It's been two months and I believe I've finally gotten used to my braces. I have noticed that I don't like to eat very much because I don't want to have to brush my teeth a million times. I've probably lost a few pounds because of not eating as much, so I better watch that. Besides that small little thing, I love my braces and what they're doing to my teeth. Yeah, I may have pain here and there but all of it's really worth it, after seeing how my teeth have changed from day one to now. It's wonderful! So, HAPPY TWO MONTHS TO ME! :D

Week 8: No More Overlapping Lowers

I really don't have a lot to report. Let's see...

My lower teeth are no longer overlapping, they're pretty straight, minus the tooth that hasn't join the rest of the pack yet. Seems like my gap is slowly closing too but I'm starting to become mrs. gappy mouth in other places because my teeth are moving around. Besides those few things, there's really nothing new blog about.

Week 7: Gap Smaller and Temporary Indentions...

Lets see... As I said in  a previous post, my gap is shrinking and getting smaller. I think that's the most amazing thing ever. It's pretty neat knowing that a piece of rubber is closing my gap... Who would have thought?.

One thing that is driving me absolutely bonkers are my braces creating indentions in my cheeks.... Everytime I close my mouth, my braces just nestle  in the groove they created in my cheeks. I should put wax on it, but I can't figure out which brackets on my teeth are causing the irritation.

I don't want to call the ortho because they're going to ask me to come in. I really, really don't want to do that because it could be another wasted trip...  So I think I'll just stick it out and deal with it until my next adjustment. Maybe my cheeks will toughen up by then and it won't bother me anymore. We shall see.

*I didn't think about it until now, but I'm going to start taking pictures of my overjet on a weekly basis.* :)

Gap Slowly Closing!! =]

I'm proud to say that my gap between my upper two front teeth is starting to slowly close! It's the most amazing thing in the world. I've had a gap for so many years and pretty soon, it won't be there anymore.

I actually thought the powerchain was going to move my teeth very slowly, to the point where I really wouldn't notice the difference. My mom and husband were the ones that pointed out that it looks like my gap is getting smaller and I started looking and still really didn't see much of a difference. It wasn't until my husband showed me a previous picture of my teeth and then a current one, that I noticed how much smaller it is. I feel so happy right now.

One thing I did notice is that my teeth are starting to shift to the left. That's a normal thing because sometimes the ortho has to take your teeth out of alignment in order to get teeth straight and in the correct alignment.

I know I have a long road ahead of me but the results will be so beautiful when I am finished with my treatment! :D

Sleep came to me.. and it was good..

Since I had my first adjustment yesterday, I was thinking that I was going to have a hard time going to sleep and staying asleep. I was totally wrong.

I made sure to take a pain pill before going to bed and I slept through the night. It was a great feeling! I woke up and didn't feel any throbbing, aching pain from my teeth either. I was expecting to wake up in the middle of the night and just laying there in pain. I guess my teeth are used to being abused. lol.

I think what might have helped me to not have pain, was the fact that instead of eating soft foods, I chose to chew through the pain and ate soft tacos... That was a struggle but I finished it, sore teeth and all. My powerchain didn't make my teeth ache either. It really was a pleasant surprise! :)

Week 6: 1st Adjustment

I had my first adjustment today and it really wasn't that bad! =]

It really only took 30 minutes for the whole thing.

My name was called and I went to the back room, sat in the chair. I was told that I was going to have stiffer wires put in top and bottom.. I heard the ortho assisstant say my new wires were 018. I didn't think to ask about the old wires but that's ok. (Do that at a later date)

Anyway, I asked the assisstant if I could have colored ligs and she said sure. I picked out teal ligs and they are purty! :D After she put my bottom wire in, which was bad at all, she began to put my top wire in with the ligs and ummm... that's the part that hurt.... She had to hold my teeth and the wire tightly in order to get the lig around the bracket... Let's just say I had watery eyes for a few minutes, since my teeth are still sore.

After she finished with the wires, she said she was all done and was going to get the ortho. I was a little sad that it wasn't Dr. M, but Dr. P.. oh well lol! The ortho looked at my mouth and told me that I was moving fast... and then she says... hmm.. I think we should put a powerchain with a extra loop on your 2 front teeth to close this gap a little bit... I was like oh no! O.o I've heard horrible stories about chains.... =[ The ortho told me that, they're not that bad and they won't hurt as much as it did when I first got my braces on.... (hmm we'll see.. So the assisstant unhooked my ligs and.. proceeded to put my new powerchains on my teeth... it really wasn't so bad!

All in all, I had a good appointment and it totally wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be. lol!

Oh yeah, I also asked about elastics, won't get those till I have much stiffer wires... which is fine!...


On a Side Note: I'm starting to see a small gap form between my right central and lateral incisors. I do know that's a normal thing but it's still weird. lol



Week 5: Not seeing any changes

I really haven't noticed any changes this week, but then again, maybe they are moving and I'm just not seeing it. lol Oh well! I know there will be many more changes to come with the many months ahead.

I'm also getting nervous again, my 1st adjustment is almost here. I better enjoy eating solid foods for a few more days, after the adjustment, it will be back to mushy food. =[

Such is life!

(My teeth are not that yellow, I promise! lol stupid lighting.)

1 Month!

Yay 1 month! *releases balloons and confetti in the air*

Anyway.....

I really have a hard time believing that it's been a month since I've had my braces on! Despite them being painful sometimes, I've come to love them and they've become a part of me. It's so cool! I've said this before but in one month, my confidence and self esteem has went through the roof. I no longer want to hide my smile. I smile and laugh, showing my teeth because I'm so proud of what my braces have done thus far, and can't wait to see what they'll do in the next month even years to come! :)

If you are considering getting braces, it would be the best decision you will make. You won't regret the beautiful smile you'll have one the treatment is over! Can't wait until my mouth jewelry comes off, and I can really smile like crazy.

Side Note: I did wake up early this morning because my mouth was aching... I guess after having the ortho assistant yank on my brackets, the soreness finally kicked in. lol! Oh well, I brought it on myself by being paranoid. :p
*cheers to braces*

Ortho Visit..

My visit to the ortho wasn't very eventful and really wasn't what I was expecting. I didn't have any adjustments done, or anything like that. I pretty much just looked like a paranoid patient. lol!

I arrived at the ortho's office, signed in and waited to be called back. When my name was finally called, the ortho assistant asked me if I had any broken brackets and I told her that I felt like they were loose, since I had been biting on them on accident and I told her about my clenching problem as well.

We went back in the patient area and I sat down and she started pulling on my brackets and said that none of them were loose, she asked me if I could remember which one I broke, unfortunely I couldn't. So she pulled on them again and said no, they're just fine.

She called the ortho over, Dr. P, and she started looking at my mouth and wanted me to open and close to check my bite. She said well there's really nothing we can do about you biting your cheek, I might be able to just reduce the glue a little bit. So she used her drill thing and started taking off some of the molar buildups on both sides and had me bite down to make sure it was even. She just said, this too shall pass and the appointment was over.

I really felt a bit disappointed because I thought that I had wasted everyone's time, my husband and myself included. I just now know that I'm a paranoid patient. lol. I also know that these things are stronger than they look, and I just need to stop being  a spazz!

Dentist Visit..

As I said in a previous post, I like going to the dentist and really don't mind all the drills and instruments that they use. I had a dentist appointment for a cleaning. It went really well.

My husband and I had to wait for almost 30 minutes because the dentist office was super busy. That was sort of ok with me. I was able to read some more of Treasure Island, but I was also really hungry since I had not eaten any breakfast.

Finally, I was called back to the room and my cleaning began. It was going really well until the dental hygienist started using the ortho brush on my teeth that were still a little tender. Let's just say I wanted to jump out of the chair. lol After she finished cleaning my teeth, she started scraping my teeth... Which wasn't too bad. I think the part that hurt the worse was when she started flossing and she forced the floss in between two overlapping sore teeth. I groaned a little and just laughed it off...

After she was all done, my dentist came out, Dr. Bob. He was talking to me about my teeth and braces and finally started looking at my teeth and he's like well you're good to go. There are no cavities! I was so happy! Being a slave to my teeth is totally worth it. :)

He was also really surprised that I floss every night, which I thought was kind of weird, until he said that I should floss once or twice a week. I understood, I was like a floss overachiever. Oh well, I'll continue what I'm doing to keep my teeth clean and hopefully in the next 6 months, my teeth will be cavity free then too!

Day 28, Week 4: Upper Right Central Incisior has moved a little! =]

Well, well well! I've noticed that my upper right central incisor has moved a bit more! :D Before, it was overlapping my lateral incisor, now it's moving in line with the rest of my teeth. It isn't completely in sync with the rest but it's getting there!

When I see progress such as this, it makes me so glad that I took the plunge to get braces! I don't regret it one bit! :)

*I know I need a better camera. Once I dig my camera out of a moving box, the quality of my pictures will change. *

Dentist and Ortho Visits this Week..

It's going to be a busy next couple of days! In my previous post, I was talking about how I almost didn't get braces because I was told I needed a cleaning first. Well after my ortho put my braces on, I went ahead and scheduled a cleaning.. I really don't mind going to the dentist or maybe I'm just weird when I say that I actually like going to the dentist. It's just fun to me. lol Well there's an exception to that rule, the only time I minded going to the dentist was when I had an abscess and my dentist had to clean it out... Talk about being in PAIN....

Anyway, back to the story!

Since I've been having problems with clenching my teeth and biting the inside of my cheek, I went ahead and called Dr. M's office so I could let them know what's been going on... They want me to come in on Wednesday. I really was hoping that they'd say that I could come in on Tuesday because of my dentist appointment. My bubble was burst when the receptionist said, "No, the doctor won't be in on Tuesday, how about coming in on Wednesday?" I'm thinking to myself, ahh! Dr. M... You're not allowed to take a break! lol I said ok... and left it at that.

Of course, my overactive imagination decided it wanted to start up this morning.. and I started thinking, oh no! What if Dr. M. looks at my mouth and says okay, we're just going to go ahead and adjust your braces for you.... *runs and hides*

If he does make an adjustment, does that mean that when I got for the real thing, is it going to be a tighter adjustment? Well, I won't know until Wednesday...

Feeling: Nervous and Anxious

Hmm.. Sleep time is not a fun time!

I'm trying my best not to clench my teeth while sleeping. I know because I've been trying to prevent it, I don't sleep well at night. I tend to wake up a lot because I realize I'm clenching my teeth and I wake up and try to relax my jaw. That's just one problem though.

As I've talked about in a previous post, I'm still dealing with my upper teeth biting my cheek and causing me to have sores. I don't know if I'm like grinding my teeth now or what it is. It's just the craziest thing ever. I hate that I don't know. I figure I'll ask this question on archwired and hopefully, I can get some suggestions on how to at least protect my cheek while I'm sleeping at night.

I just hope this stops really soon. I would really love to sleep all the way through the night.

Orthodontic Terms

When I went to my consultation, I was seriously confused about all the Orthodontic Terms he used. So I'm trying to educate myself about my teeth and mouth. I'm slowly learning...

My orthodontist told me that I have a 8mm Overjet meaning my upper front teeth stick out 8 mms... Yikes! Then he said I have a Deep Bite meaning my upper front teeth covers my lower front teeth too much.. that's the part of the reason I have the dreaded molar buildups... *play doomed music * lol
I was also told that I have a Crossbite meaning my upper and lower teeth don't line up and I have some teeth that cross each other, upper and lower.

There's still some other terms I don't understand... so when I find out, I will be updating this post! :)

Sweet, Sugary Goodness that I can't have....

I would like to start out by saying that I absolutely LOVE chocolate! Before braces, I would eat chocolate all the time but I wouldn't brush my teeth afterwards... Sooo that's probably why I have so many fillings right now... lol.

Anywho, don't get me wrong, I love my braces but my sweet tooth is kicking me in the teeth right about now.... I just want a piece of chocolate, and I'll be a happy camper.. I know since I don't eat chocolate in moderation "a piece of chocolate" would turn into me eating the whole candy bar. =/

I'm trying my best to resist sweets, I really am, for the sake of my teeth. I don't want any cavaties... I have to keep telling myself that I'm stronger than my sweet tooth and I can make it through. It's all about self control!

I'm going to try to set a goal for myself... If I don't eat or drink anything sweet for a whole entire week... I'll reward myself with a small piece of chocolate and I really do mean a small piece. Lol.. I'm starting this Monday Morning!

*Wishes self good luck!*

Thankful

Somedays I forget to be thankful for the many things I have been blessed with. One thing I can say that I thank God for blessing me with is my braces. My braces have changed me in a very positive way. I used to hate my teeth. I would always cover my mouth whenever I laughed because I didn't want anyone to make fun of me. I used to get ridiculed for the way my teeth looked and that really brought my self esteem down. I used to just think that I wasn't pretty even though countless people had told me how pretty I was, I just couldn't see it for myself.

Since becoming braced, my confidence has just soared. I used to be really, painfully shy, most of it due to my teeth. I know longer feel shy and I feel more outgoing and not worried about how people look at me anymore because I have my braces and know that my smile is going to be really pretty soon. I show my teeth so much more and when I laugh, I no longer cover my mouth. It just feels great to no longer feel the way I have in the past.

I have a long journey ahead of me but things are definately looking up. I would just like to say thank you God!

Slave to my teeth?

There are days that I don't mind brushing and cleaning my teeth so much because I know that's what I'm supposed to do. There are other times after I've finished eating a snack, where I feel like I'm a slave to my teeth. Today I feel like the second sentence... I better get used to it, 2 1/2 years till these things come off. Might as well slave away for a pretty smile..

It'll be worth it in the end...

L <3

Waterpik :)

I ordered a Waterpik last week from Amazon and it was a little on the expensive side but it's so worth it!

I received my waterpik yesterday and when I got home I just had to try it out. I had to get the hang of how to use it because I sprayed water all over the mirror the first time I used it. After the water spraying incident, I finally used it correctly and my teeth felt so clean afterwards. If you don't have one, I would highly recommend it!

I think the coolest thing about the waterpik is the fact that it has different tips. I used the plaque seeker tip and the orthodontic tip and I didn't have a single problem with getting my teeth and mouth jewelry nice and shiny.

Day 21, Week 3: No New Changes

I'll have to take some more pictures for this week but so far, I haven't noticed any new changes. :(

                                                                         Front

   

                                                       Left                                                Right

                                     Upper Arch                                                            Lower Arch

I have been dealing with clenching my teeth at night. I was told that that is normal, since your jaw is trying to adjust to it's new bite. With me clenching my teeth, I wake up with sore teeth and it makes it a little hard to chew. Not only that, I've been biting the inside of my cheek in my sleep because when my teeth are clenched, my upper teeth will slide off my lower and my teeth will collid with my cheek. It's a painful wake up call! So I'm trying to train myself to keep my mouth closed but don't let my teeth touch while I'm sleeping.

 Motto for today: It'll be worth it in the end!

L<3

Day 14, Week 2: A little pressure and some movement... I think

Today makes it exactly 2 weeks since I got my braces. I'm feeling a little pressure on my front upper teeth, which is fine, that means it's moving! I also think that my lower front teeth have shifted a little bit. It's so cool and exciting.

Sidenote: I have 28 days till my 1st adjustment. That's going to be interesting. I'm really dreading it because I'm afraid of how it's going to hurt. It will all be worth it in the end!

L

Week 2:

Upper Arch                                            Lower Arch

Left Side                                          Right Side

     Front View