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