Orthodontist appointment!

So I went to the orthodontist today, and here's what went down today:

Unlike last time, the office wasn't running late, so I pretty much got in at my scheduled time. Which is good, because I arrived 10 minutes early, and I didn't really want to wait another 45 minutes to be seen. So good thing for me, the office wasn't behind today, and off I went.

So as usual, I was asked to remove the elastics off the brackets, and the assistant took out the wires. She had some difficulty removing them, but after some fiddling and wiggling, she was able to slide them out just fine. Let me tell you, it feels really effing weird to just have the brackets on your teeth, with the doors slid open, but no wires in. It's like...it's just really weird. Doesn't hurt exactly. But I think it's because my teeth have gotten so used to have the wires there as support, that without them, it's just all strange. I wonder if this is what it'll feel like when braces are removed? It's like...I remember not having braces once upon a time, and I was fine, but every time when they remove the wires, leaving just the brackets in...it's really really weird.

The orthodontist then came and did his assessment. You know, the usual opening and closing of my mouth several times, poking and prodding at different places, and focusing his poking and prodding at specific teeth, and then talking in codes to the assistant on what he wants done. Well, not codes, but to me, it might just as well be codes, because all I hear is a bunch of random numbers and words, but the assistant understands all that perfectly (of course she does, it's her job). I suppose this is what patients feel like at the hospital--the doctor assesses them, then turns to the nurse and they speak in medical terms. Isn't great that I'm learning what it feels like to be a patient through my braces journey?

So what the orthodontist ordered today was: 1) reposition the brackets on my upper left canine, and bottom right second premolar 2) keep using the same wires 3) keep the powerchains and 4) discontinue all elastics (at least, until the appointment, which is at the end of January).

I was not a fan of the bracket repositioning, considering what a pain (literally and figuratively) that was last time, but this time around...it wasn't so bad. I don't know if it's because I know what to expect, or the assistant that I had today had better technique than the previous one, but whatever it is, it didn't hurt as bad! She got both brackets off in one go, and she didn't break any of them. The bracket on my canine is a ceramic one, and last time, when the assistant removed the ceramic bracket to my upper right lateral incisor, it broke. But this time, the ceramic bracket on my upper left canine didn't shatter when the assistant pried it off! The whole removal process was fairly easy peasy. She then applied the new brackets on, the orthodontist okayed them, they were cured into place, and my wires were threaded in.

I felt pressure at the areas where the bracket was repositioned, but I had expected it, so it wasn't a surprise or anything like that. I kind of wish they had used new wires with the same prescription as the ones I have instead of just slotting back my old wires in, but whatever. I guess it's easier for the assistant to use the pre-existing wires since they're already shaped to go into the brackets, and she doesn't need to spend as much effort to wriggle the wire into the place. It's a little gross to know that the wires have been in my mouth for...three months and counting, but then again, it's not like I don't brush or anything, so the wires themselves are fairly clean.

BUT NO ELASTICS FOR THE NEXT 8 WEEKS. Holy fucking shit. This was an AMAZING orthodontist appointment, because of that bit of news. The orthodontist wants to see how my teeth will be like without the elastics, so we're not using them from now until my next appointment. He said my teeth are doing great, so I really fucking hope everything goes accordingly, because I'm not in a hurry to be back in elastics anytime soon. Sure it feels weird without the elastics in my mouth, but this is a good kind of weird, not the kind of weird weird that was having wires out of brackets.This makes things slightly easier, because I no longer have to remove and replace elastics for meals, and no more box configuration at night time! I feel slightly more free without the elastics! I can eat and snack whenever the fuck I like without factoring in the elastics now. It's really really really amazing.

I know I said in one of my earlier posts that I would likely find something to complain about when the elastics are off, and that is probably still true, but right now, I've got nothing to complain about. Heck, I'll take as many bracket repositioning as it takes to keep the elastics off.

Now, the picture!

BYE BYE ELASTICS!!! (until my next appointment, that is)

Week 33

Well gang, we made it to another week with braces! And today marks the official 30 days til Christmas countdown! Not that I celebrate Christmas, per se, being Asian and all, but I do enjoy the Christmas decor everywhere during the holidays, the festivities, the gift giving (well, me buying myself presents totally counts as gift giving), the TV specials, the food at work, the Christmas songs, and Boxing Day shopping. I even bought a Christmas tree this year for decoration! I am so ready for the holiday season to start. (And my material self is so ready for Boxing Day sales).

(For those of you not in Canada, Boxing Day is the day after Christmas. Stores put on sales on that day, and those sales usually last through the week. It's like Black Friday in the states. Except it's after Christmas, not before. And yes, we do have Black Friday sales here. The deals aren't as amazing as the ones you see in the states though. I got a HDMI cable and a wireless keyboard this year for Black Friday, because the boyfriend wants them.)

I have an orthodontist appointment next Tuesday, and I really hope that I'll have my wires changed this time around, because I really haven't seen any exciting teeth movement on these wires. I mean, I've had these on since August. It's high time for a change. That and I really want to stop wearing the box configuration at night time. So I hope that something will happen during my appointment on Tuesday, namely wire change!

As far as teeth goes, I haven't seen any changes from last week. Although, I have been noticing that there are gaps developing on the right bottom arch, between my incisors. The gaps are at the bottom of the teeth, just above the gumline....I hope that this is part of the "it gets worse before it gets better" part of having braces. I suspect that more powerchains are in my future. To close the gaps.

Weeks 31 and 32

....yeah, about that thing about me being good at posting in a timely manner. It obviously didn't happen last week, because I totally goofed. I had every intention to do it. And then I didn't. Mostly because I was a lazy ass, but also because I had bought a Christmas tree, put that up and decorated it. And this blog thing kind of, sort of, got pushed aside. And I know all that just sounds like a bunch of excuses for why I didn't post my usual "week by week" post last week, and you know what? They are. They really are just a bunch of excuses why I didn't do it. I don't even have a good reason for why I didn't bother to post last week other than I fucked up.

But I am here now, blessing this blog with a long overdue update.

Last two weeks, I really didn't notice any visible teeth movement. (Ha. ha. I almost spelt "movement" as "moothment.) I mean, I can tell that there has been some movement, because my bite continues to change and shift, and overall, it just feels different. But I really can't pinpoint any visible changes in terms of teeth movement. I think my two lateral incisors on the top arch have rounded out a little bit more, but it's so hard to tell. The only thing I know is that my bite is changing, and because of that, I know that teeth must be moving in order for that to happen, but which teeth moved is the thing I can not make heads nor tails with.

Welp, that was just me rambling about my bite changing. Man, I've got this self-deprecating thing down pat today. Way to go me.

So instead of me spending another paragraph rambling on about how there's no visible teeth movement, but swearing up and down that there must be because of changing bite, I'm just going to post the pictures.

Yeah I'm not too sure where this self-deprecating sarcasm is coming from, but I sort of like it. I think I'll use it more often here. I mean, I don't always have to be saccharine sweet, honest and candid.
(Honestly, I think I just feel sassy today for no good reason other than I feel like it).44

Week 31

Week 32

On the bright side of things, my next orthodontist appointment is in 11 days, so hopefully, hopefully, things will be changing soon. I really really really hope that he takes me off the box elastics. It's done is job and I'd rather not wear it to sleep any more. I'm okay with elastics. Just not this box configuration.

Month 7

Holy shit what is this? I'm ACTUALLY posting on time for once!!

Anyway, we're at month 7 of braces! By we, I mostly mean me, my teeth and this blog. And to the handful of people who actually read my blog. Not sure why you still do, since half the time it's me rambling about teeth moving (or not moving), and complaining about wire changes and elastics...but hey, whatever floats your boat man. (But seriously though, thank you for putting up with my rambling).

I always maintain that braces is one of those things where you just won't see the changes on a daily basis, but when you compare photos of the before and after, you will see loads of changes. And I stand by that. I didn't think that a month would do a lot, but boy, I've been proven wrong again. Pleasantly surprised. Looking at my Month 6 mugshot with this month's...yeah, you definitely can tell there's been some changes. Which, you know, isn't a bad thing.

Month 6

Month 7

As you can see, the top right lateral incisor have definitely moved. It's come down, and I'm pretty sure it's rotated just a tiny bit. You can also see that the night time box elastic configuration have done their job. My open bite is more than gone--the top arch have come down a bit more (just look at the top central incisors. Last month they were still a bit far from the brackets on the bottom teeth...but this month? They nearly touch them). And overall, things look a bit more neater this month when compared to the last month--the teeth looks a bit more rounded out to the arch. And of course, my bite changed too! With the top arch now completely over the bottom and the open bite gone...my bite feels different. Different good!

Onward and upward to another month!

Week 30

I swear I'll get better at this week by week update! But anyway, another week has come and gone, and I've now officially been in braces for 210 days and counting. And in two days, it'll be my seventh month in braces. Doesn't time fly by so fast?

Speaking of time flying by fast...we got our first snowfall of the season on Thursday. Yup, first snowfall. It was...not fun, to say the least. I don't mind the cold. But snow? Dear lord, snow just bungles everything up. Sure it's pretty to look at, but that's about all that it's good for. It makes commuting anywhere an annoyance, not to mention all that extra work that comes with the snow. Shoveling the walkway (repeatedly and multiple times), brushing snow and scraping ice off the car, wearing snow boots everywhere...pain in the ass, if you ask me. If it were up to me, I'd be living in a more...temperate city in the world. Maybe somewhere where snow and cold doesn't bloody exist, like Southern California. Or Hawaii. Or the Caribbeans. Or Asian countries. But...obviously, I'm stuck in Winter City here, where it's cold and snowy for half the year. Go figure, huh? I should make that my life goal to retire somewhere warm. I mean, it doesn't even need to have sunshine all year round. Just...much much much less snow and cold is all I ask for.

Not that all that winter ranting have anything to do with braces, but hey, braces is one small part of my life. But I suppose I'll go back to talking about braces, seeing as this is a blog about my braces journey...

I know I talked lot's about elastics (everything from how annoyingly stupid they are to how amazing they are when they work), bu something happened the other day that proved to me once more that the elastics do work, if you wear them. I had went to work on Thursday night without my elastics. Not intentionally, mind you, but it just slipped my mind, and I was concentrating on getting out the door on time with all the hubbub surrounding the first snowfall of the season (I failed spectacularly by the way. I was late to work.). And I only realized that I didn't have my elastics on on the car ride to work, when it was much too late to do anything about the missing elastics. And so, I probably had them out of my mouth for about....14 hours. And while it was freeing to be able to have open and stretch my mouth freely without two elastics holding me back, my bite just feels all sorts of weird and wrong during those 14 hours. It just...didn't sit and feel right. And as soon as I placed the elastics back on, everything felt right again. So I guess elastics do help to correct your bite, if what I experienced is anything to go by.

As for teeth movement, I didn't see any real changes this week, but that doesn't mean changes aren't happening. I do think that my lateral incisors have rotated a tiiiiny bit more, but that could all be from my own imagination, and not what's actually happened. The gap between my bottom right canine and lateral incisor is still there, but it does seem a tiny bit smaller from before. Again, I could be imagining all that up.

Week 30