Week 83, 84 and Month 19

Another two weeks have passed by, and with that, another month of braces came and gone. I can't believe that I've had these things for 19 whole months (and a bit more) now, but damn, time really goes by fast. It really doesn't feel like it's been that long since I sat in the chair and had my mouth stretched wide open for 1.5 hours while the tech glued brackets to my teeth and slotted in the first wire that began everything. I can certainly feel and see that lot's of changes have happened since last April, but to look back and to know that it's been 19 months? That seems unreal.

The top right canine problem that I was talking about on the last post is...kind of still there, but kind of not? Sometimes the canine will fit poorly against my bottom teeth and hit against the bottom right canine, but sometimes, it'll fit fine and I don't feel anything off. It's just...really weird. I"m definitely going to let the orthodontist know on my next appointment (in exactly two weeks!) but I don't think it will be a major fix. Tilting a tooth a bit out is just bracket repositioning and/or bends in the wire. But I'm totally willing to have braces on for a bit longer if it means fixing that one tooth that is sometimes problematic.

Not too sure what else to update on here, because there just isn't too much to say right now. Everything looks fine, and I can live with the small aesthetic flaws that I see with my teeth. I mean, nobody's perfect, and I wasn't aiming for a perfect Hollywood smile when I started treatment anyway. So a bit of imperfection is fine with me. You know, a bit of personality with my teeth isn't a bad thing.

Right now I'm just continuing on with the (sometimes very, very annoying) nightly elastics, and continuing with my routine dental hygiene routine. I don't expect there will be much in terms of new development now, so all I've been doing is follow the orthodontist's instructions to the dot, and hoping that my teeth will behave in a way that faciliateate braces removal in a quicker time frame.

Week 83

Week 84

Month 19

Week 81 and 82

So I may or may not be getting these braces off before the end of the year. I know I've already mentioned that I'm supposed to be getting impressions done for retainers on my next appointment, but something's come up that may or may not delay that, depending on what the orthodontist says on my next appointment (which, coincidentally, is in four weeks' time).

The issue that came up is that I've been noticing (and feeling) my top right first pre molar is hitting against the right bottom canine. That is totally something new, and I've never felt it before. I wonder if it's due to the bend in the wire, or the fact that I have no more bite block on that tooth. Either way, this is definitely new, and depending on how the orthodontist wants to deal with it, I may be in braces for a bit longer. I have read up on the internet that fixing a single tooth is fairly easy and straightforward from an orthodontic point of view, so I'm hoping that holds some truth. I just need the tooth to be tilted out a tad more, and that it wouldn't be hitting against the canine.

It doesn't hurt, the hitting of the pre molar against the canine. It's just more of a discomfort, and the feeling of teeth touching in a manner that they shouldn't be. So I'm hoping the orthodontist can fix this relatively quickly, and not prolong my time in braces by too too much. I mean, if it means I have to be in braces for a few more months because of this, then so be it. I do want the result to be as good as we can get it, and I won't rush it, but this little development is rather frustration. Oh well, it is what it is, and all I an do is wait for my next appointment and go from there.

Week 81

Week 82

My top right pre molar hitting my bottom right canine.

Week 79 and 80

Well, what do you know, my orthodontist does know what he's doing, not that that's something I should be remotely surprised about.

Remember that IPR gap that I kept repeatedly talking about? You know, the one between my upper right central and lateral incisor? The same one that didn't budge one tiny bit between July and my most recent appointment? The one thing that I was hoping it would work out before my next appointment because it's literally the last thing between me and being braces free?

Yeah, that one IPR gap.

Well, guess what? The wire bends and the anterior elastic box configuration worked because the gap is there no more. There is still a tiny bit of space between the two tooth, but I'm pretty sure that's just due to the shape of my tooth and not the gap. The gap is pretty much gone. It's amazing what some elastics and a few bends in the wire can do. It's the final tweaking of things that really amazes me. How much little things the orthodontist can do just by bending the wire at specific spots and wearing the elastic bands in a specific way.

Which means, we're pretty much on the right track in terms of following my orthodontist's timeline. Which is a pretty damn good thing. By my rough guesstimate, I would've been in braces for roughly 20 months, assuming the braces are off before the end of December. 20 months is a relatively long time to be doing something, but damn, braces are definitely worth all that time and effort.

I've been practicing smiling in front of the camera, and it's definitely a different smile than the one that I'm used to. My "old" smile if you will. I feel a little silly standing in front of the mirror and practicing smiling, but you bet I'm going to be doing a lot of smiling once the braces come off! My contract comes with a complimentary whitening, so after the braces are off and my teeth whitened, I'm going to be smiling just because I can!

Week 79

Week 80

This may be my third last appointment ever...

So I went to the orthodontist today.

And from the way things are sounding, I could be two appointments away from getting the braces off. Which, is pretty damn amazing when I think about it. I still think it depends on if that gap between my right upper central and lateral incisor will close in time, but I think my orthodontist is trying to close that by using elastics.

The appointment itself was fairly uneventful as far as appointments go. I went in, didn't have to wait too long before I was called in. The tech took off the powerchains and the wire ligatures, and then the orthodontist came by to assess things. Did all the usual opening and closing of my mouth, and he did the usual prodding and looking. I've got no idea what he's really looking at, but I'm guessing it's my bite, how the teeth are mashing together, molar relations, stuff like that. I got bends placed in my top wire, at the spots between my canines and lateral incisors. Got the wire placed back in (yup, totally felt the tech put the wire back in. That would be the bends at work!), and new powerchains on (and yup, definitely felt the powerchains over the wire!). Got one new elastic configuration added to what I already have, and new bags of elastics. Made my appointment for next time, and that was it. Really not a labour intensive or long appointment by any stretch of imagination.

The good news? The orthodontist is planning on doing molds for retainers during my next appointment. Which is why next appointment will be a longer one, clocking in at 40 minutes. Even better news? After the molds are made, braces will come off within a few weeks. Which, by my vague estimations, I could potentially have the braces off by the end of the year, seeing as my next appointment is on Nov 30. Adding a few weeks takes us to middle/end of December...so if everything works out well, these brackets, wires, and elastics will be a thing of the past soon. Which brings us to the crux of the problem--if everything works out well.

I still have the IPR gap between my upper right central and lateral incisor. The orthodontist place bends in the top wire in an effort to bring the teeth down, and he also instructed me to wear anterior box elastic configuration at night on top of my posterior box configurations. I'm thinking that the anterior box will bring the front teeth down, which could help to close the gap. At least, I think that's what he's planning on. It can't be for open bites, because I've got none.

Currently I'm wearing my elastics and...everything just feels so tight. I could hardly open my mouth, but I guess that's the point of the anterior box elastic. I trust my orthodontist and that he knows what he's doing...but god damn, I want these things off already! I really am in the home stretch of braces now, so I'll keep on wearing these elastics religiously!

Can't wait to have these things off and I can eat all the things I haven't been able to eat. Braces are worth every single sacrifice that comes with it....but that's not to say that wearing braces is easy or fun. And I know that retainers will be a long term thing that I'll deal with...but a $3719 smile isn't something I'm willing to mess up on. Especially since it's my own hard earned money!

Anteior box configuration, we meet again. Hopefully you'll help to close the gap!

Week 77, 78 and Month 18

So it's officially been 1.5 years in braces...and I don't think I'm getting them off before the end of this year. But that's okay. I don't really mind that I would be in braces for a bit longer...I've had these on for 1.5 years already, what's another few months in the grand scheme of things? And I've totally gotten used to life in braces, so it's not like it would be anything foreign that I have no experience with. Though it would be nice if I could get these things off before the end of the year. It would be a nice Christmas present indeed.

The reason that I don't think I'll get these off before the end of the year (despite my orthodontist's plan to make molds for retainers on my next appointment--which is tomorrow--and to debrace the appointment following that) is simply because the gaps created by the latest round of IPR have no closed. Particularly, the gap between my upper right central and lateral incisor haven't budged since the last appointment. And I'm pretty sure the gap between my upper left lateral incisor and canine haven't moved either. So until those gaps are closed, braces won't be off. I'm confident that those gaps will close...but it will take some more time.

I have my appointment tomorrow, and the one thing that I'm hoping to get out of this appointment is no more elastics use. I'm just so tired of the box configuration for my molars. Even if it's just night time wear. I've been in this configuration for seven months now, which is the longest time I've been in any elastics configuration...and couple with the fact that it's just not easy to put the elastics on (due to one of the hooks not being a hook but the back of curve hook!), it's just annoying. There's been more times than I care to count where the elastic snap off on the right side (always the right side!) in the middle of the night and I'd have to get up to fix it...if I'm aware of it as it happened. If not, then I try to squeeze in a few hours during the day on nights where the elastic have snapped. It's just a big annoyance. I'm thankful that it's been only nighttime wear for the past few months...but I'm ready to not have to deal with them.

I suppose my orthodontist will try to close the two gaps that I have during tomorrow's appointment. Probably with more powerchains, or by placing the powerchain underneath the brackets instead of over them. I know the end is near, and these are just small things that needs to be tweaked out before the braces can go off. I still think that this was easily one of the better decisions that I've made, and I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I'm not looking for perfect Hollywood teeth, but I do like what I have so far. Big improvement from what I started with!

Week 77

Week 78, Month 18

Week 75, 76, and Month 17!

So the trip to Disney World has come and gone...and I would definitely 100% visit Disney World again. It was, as cliched as it sounds, magical. Although a future trip would likely not include all four parks, and it would not be me trying to cram as many rides and attractions in a day as possible. Trip was fun, but tiring. And I'd like to visit Disneyland (the park that started it all) before visiting any other Disney parks. But...that's not for a while.

So I wasn't the best at braces maintenance during my trip. And I tried, but teeth and braces were not exactly my priority after doing a full day at the parks for 12 hours. I didn't floss at all during the week I was at Disney (I brought floss. I even brought Super Floss to facilitate in easy flossing!). I probably didn't brush as thoroughly as I usually do while on vacation. I did keep up with the elastics use...except for the one night that they kept snapping off, and I was too exhausted to really care. Braces maintenance during vacation is hard. But I'm really hoping that by the time we go on our next big trip (London, if I had my way), these suckers would be off. And I don't plan on taking any big vacations for at least another year, so these things better be off then.

In terms of movement...really nothing. The IPR gap between my upper right central and lateral incisor is still there, so I really don't think I'll be debracing in two appointments' time. I hardly think the orthodontist would make a mold of my teeth when there is still a very visible gap between two of my teeth. There goes that idea of debracing at around the 18 month mark. We've certainly gone a long way, but I know my teeth aren't ready to be debraced until that gap is fixed. Which, at the rate we're going, will not be closed by my next appointment.

The elastics continue to be pain in the ass, and I'll be so glad when I don't have to wear them anymore. I'm really hoping that I can leave them off for good at my next appointment. As much as I think it's so amazing that they work...I'm getting a bit tired of wearing them.

Month 17/ Week 75

Week 76

Week 73 and 74

So another two weeks in braces have gone by!

And while nothing really exciting or major happened this week, I do have to report that getting used to life without bite pads was a bit...weird. I was just so used to having two globs on the biting surface of my upper first pre molars that the first few times that I ate without them on, it felt almost a bit unnatural. As if having globs on your teeth is normal at all, but that goes to show you just how fast your body will adapt to anything. It's...a bit weird to not have the bite pads on my teeth, truth to be told, but it does feel much nicer without them. I guess they have done their jobs, and my bite corrected beautifully with them in. I still remember the first days and weeks with them in...eating was a big challenge. Then it slowly turned into me being used to them....then it morphed into that I don't even notice them at all.

The gaps made by my most recent IPR are still there, the right side worse than the left. At the rate that my IPR gaps are not closing, I don't foresee braces coming off that soon. i mean, my orthodontist wants to do impressions for retainers on my next appointment, but I just don't think that's realistic. I mean, it is true that IPR gaps can be closed relatively easily and hastily with powerchains, but I just don't see it happening with my gaps. The IPR gap between my upper right central and lateral incisor haven't from July haven't closed, and now the ortho made that gap ever slightly bigger by doing more IPR on my latest appointment, and it's all supposed to magically closed by October? I don't think so. But then again, I'm not the orthodontist, and I don't know the magic of braces, so maybe my gaps will be closed by the next appointment. I certainly am not holding my breath for it.

On the bright side, I'm going on vacation next week, so it shall be interesting to deal with braces while on vacation! (I know I went on a short road trip last summer with braces...but this time I'm actually going on a real vacation, so it'll be different). I can't wait to be at The Most Magical Place on Earth in a week!!

Week 73

Week 74