Week 51

Okay, so I think I've been a pretty good sport about this whole braces thing (I have to be, considering the fact that i willingly signed myself up for it), and I've been pretty damn good about using elastics (I wear them religiously. I do not want to extend my time in braces unnecessarily). But these stupid box configuration on the molars? They're really trying my patience. Really, really, really trying my patience.

It's not even so much that they're hard to put on. I've got the hang of it now. It's the fact that the right sided one just doesn't want to fucking stay put. I have no problems putting on the elastic for the left side, and having it stay, but the right side? Oh boy. I haven't really quite figured out how to make it stay, and when it does, it's more luck of the draw than my technique. I swear, it'd be so much fucking easier to put the box configuration on if the first molar brackets had actual fucking hooks. But nooooo, the hooks that they do have is curved the wrong fucking way for these box elastics! (they're PERFECT for hooking the powerchains though. Just not fucking elastics.) And on top of trying to hook the elastics onto essentially two curves, the elastics have to sit over the powerchain ends on the first molar! And the powerchain ends aren't exactly thin and delicate. They're rather bulky. And they take up like, 90% of the available space on the damn hook. So it's no surprise that I spend up to 5 minutes just hooking the elastic on the right molars and hoping that it will stick and not slide off on whatever attempt I'm on.

I know it'll all be eventually worth it, and I definitely won't whine when I have that perfect bite down pat and straight teeth to boot, but right now, it's just a very very trying time with the elastics. But I can feel the elastics working "more" on the right side than the left--it feels tighter on the right side than the left side, which I attribute to the fact that my right side may have a bigger open bite than my left. I mean, I'm in these goddamned box configuration to make my molars touch after all, so it would make sense that I would feel the most pressure on the side that has the bigger gap between the top and bottom molars.

On other news, the gap between my lower right central and lateral incisor is now mostly closed, and I can see some difference in my front teeth with the repositioned brackets. On the down side, my upper left lateral incisor looks to be slightly higher than my upper right lateral incisor, so that means there may possibly be another bracket repositioning in my future.

And thus, next week will be one year of braces for me! Time sure flies.

Week 50

Week 51. See how my upper lateral and central incisors are more leveled with each other when compared to the previous week? Also,see how my upper left lateral incisor is a bit higher now?