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

Yet another orthodontist appointment

So I had my orthodontist appointment today...and you know what, I actually have news to share.

I told the tech about the root resorption observed by my dentist on the X-Rays that were taken on my last dental appointment, and after a few cat-and-mouse moments with the orthodontist office trying to get a hold of the said X-Rays (my dental office had sent them over, but something about the orthodontist office being unable to download them), I ended up taking a panoramic X-Ray at the orthodontist office. Something about the dental office doing bite-wings, and the orthodontist wanted a panoramic view. So anyway, I had another X-Ray taken.

The orthodontist had a look at the X-Ray, and while he does observe the same root shortenings that my dentist did (on my incisors, all eight of them), he wasn't nearly as concerned about them as she was. It wasn't good that I have root resorption, but I guess the amount that had happened didn't really phase him. He said that root shortening was a common effect of braces, and that the roots may look shorter to the dentist because he tilted my bottom teeth, and my top central incisor remains slightly flared out still. So no drastic measurements were taken, and we continue on with treatment...with the caveat that we we finish the treatment sooner rather than later, to prevent further root resorption.

We did more IPR today, and he put a bend in the wire to hopefully coax my upper left canine to be tilted forward. He didn't want to do anything about the upper left canine--he said he didn't want to apply more pressure there, but instead, he'll do some teeth shaping when we're closer to the end. Not sure I like the sound of that, but I guess he knows what's best for my teeth overall. I also got my bite blocks removed today! It was a bit weird when the tech was polishing it off...just a lot of vibration that I wasn't used to. But it didn't hurt, wasn't uncomfortable, and I don't have bite blocks anymore! Sure will be nice to chew food without those two blocks in the way. Got the powerchains placed back, and I was told to continue with the nighttime elastics. Not too enthused about the continued elastics....but it is what it is. I don't want to do elastics when I'm on vacation next month, but at least it's better than full time elastic wear. I'd hate to have to deal with full time elastics while on vacation. Especially when I'm going to the "Most Magical Place on Earth". Nighttime elastics aren't so terrible.

Now, the orthodontist hopes to do impression for retainers with my next appointment, and then the appointment after that is when the braces will be off. Obviously, that's all if things go according to plan. I certainly hope they do. So it looks like there's a chance for me to have my braces off by the end of the year, which would be amazing!

More IPR was done, so hopefully the space between my upper right central and lateral incisor will close up this time.

Week 71, 72, and Month 16

Another two weeks...and another month have gone by! I'm already on the 16th month of my treatment, which holy cow, has been a journey when I think back to when I started. I was looking at the pictures of when I first started, and boy, am I glad that I decided to fix my teeth! My teeth looks much better now when compared to before, and I actually have a bite that's not weird. (I've always known that my bite wasn't perfect, but I never knew just how bad it was before I went to my consult). So I guess with any luck, I should be finished relatively soon.

I have an orthodontist appointment on the upcoming Monday, and I'm going to see what the orthodontist have to say about the root resorption issue. I just hope that it's not severe enough for him to stop things completely, and that we can get to an acceptable finish even with the resorption. I feel like my treatment is pretty close to be finished--all I need done is to bring the front two incisors back a bit from their slightly protruded position, level my left lateral incisor so that it matches with my right, and tilt the left canine out a bit. I really hope we can finish that even with the root resorption. The dumb thing is my dentist is concerned enough to send my orthodontist a copy of the X rays, but not concerned enough that she's suggesting I stop treatment. So who really knows?

The space between my top right central and lateral incisor have closed a bit, but it's still very obviously there, so I predict that there will be more powerchains for that for my next appointment. I also predict that the orthodontist will want to work on bringing in the front central incisors some more. I'm honestly not sure sure if putting the powerchain underneath the brackets on my front four incisor really helps to bring the central incisors in...but my left incisor have seem to been pushed back a bit. That and the gap between those two aren't there anymore. I'd like to think that the powerchain underneath the brackets work--my right central incisor was randomly hurting two days ago, and I'd like to think that's just the tooth moving.

Other than that, I'm pretty damn sure my molars are all touching when I bite down, because I feel them. And I really hope that I can stop with the nightly elastics...because this box configuration is seriously pissing me off. Especially when doing up the one on the right side. It just doesn't matter what technique I use or not use...it'll just slip off over and over again until I randomly get it to stay. I've woken up with it off, the elastic having snapped off the first molars during my sleep. And I've spent good chunk of time before bed just coaxing it to stay. I'm just really hoping that all my efforts and work will result in me not having to wear this elastic combination ever again. I don't mind wearing elastics. I just really fucking hate this one particular combination, mostly because they didn't think to put in a post on the top first molar. If there had been a post, it would've made all the difference in the world. But nope. I get to put it on the back of a curve. Yeah, because the back of a curve is the best position to make sure that the elastic doesn't fall off.

Overall, I think I'm at the stage where I'm just about done with having braces. I'd like them off sooner rather than later, but not at the compromise of my teeth.

Week 71

Week 72

Month 16. You can definitely see some minor changes when compared to the picture from Month 15. My top left central incisor is more tilted inwards now, and the space between that and left lateral incisor is gone. Actually my top right central incisor seemed a bit more pulled back too...well I guess things are moving after all!

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Month 15

Week 68, 69, and 70

So another three weeks went by and I...obviously haven't been the best at keeping this blog updated. I blame it on the summer heat and sunshine.

Anyway, I did call my orthodontist regarding the X-Rays that my dentist sent over, and the office said it was okay for me to just keep my original appointment on August 20, instead of coming in earlier. I'm guessing that the X-Rays weren't that terrible to the orthodontist...or this is just the way the office does things. Squeezing in last minute appointment is hard at the office, and I'd know from changing my appointment dates. So here's to hoping that the root resorption isn't as bad as it looks.

The gap created by IPR between my top left lateral and central incisor have closed, but not the one on the right side. Coincidentally, my top right central incisor have been more achy than usual...I just hope that means that the tooth is moving and the protrusion is getting better. Other than that, wearing elastics at nigh is pretty damn annoying, and the hooks on the right side just doesn't want to cooperate with me.

Pictures!

Week 68

Week 69

Week 70

Week 67, and a trip to the dentist revealed something of concern...

I know I've been doing the week by week every other week now, but seeing as I have something to talk about this week, why not make a post?

So first off, the old adage of being careful of what you wish for rang true for me. Remember how stoked I was to not have to wear those posterior box elastics continuously anymore? Well, I don't exactly prefer night time wear over continuous wear, as I've (sadly) discovered. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty damn freeing to not have to worry about elastics during the day, but damn...I don't know what is it this time around, but I've just been having a lot of trouble hooking the elastic into its configuration on the right molars. Kind of like when I first got put on them. Yesterday I spent ten minutes just hooking and rehooking the elastic into a box configuration that would stay on my right molars. Today I seem to have better luck and only spend a few minutes on it....the frustrating thing is, I don't even know what I'm doing right or wrong when hooking the elastic. I'm using the same technique as before...and sometime the elastic will stay, and sometime, it won't. Also, the pressure from the elastics seem to be...intensified a bit when it's just night time wear. I guess the elastics have to bring my teeth together from a day of them not being in elastics. So there's that.

The gaps from the IPR haven't really closed yet, and I don't really see the powerchain pushing my front two teeth back, but again, it's not even been a week since my appointment, so I'll have to just have patience and wait.

Went to the dentist yesterday for a routine cleaning and check up...and while the dental hygienist pronounce my oral hygiene excellent (barely any plaque, according to him.), the X-Rays taken show that I have root resorption. And not like an insignificant amount either. About 1/3 of the root is gone, when compared to the X-Rays taken last year. The dentist is concerned, and encouraged me to speak to the orthodontist when I next have an appointment.....to be honest, I'm going to phone in the morning and get it clarify with the orthodontist office on whether or not they want me in sooner than my August appointment with regards to this finding. My dental office is going to send my orthodontic office a copy of my X-Rays, so hopefully I won't need to do another one at the orthodontist.

Now I've been googling root resorption up, and basically it's when your roots get shortened. Orthodontic work is a contributing factor, but so is trauma, genetics, and hormones. I've read that what I have--1/3 of the root affected--is considered to be moderately severe. I also read that teeth are okay with 50% of the root gone. I also read that the portion of the root closest to your gums and crown is more important that the apical part...and that apical root loss is not as severe as root loss closer to the crown. There's definitely no cure to this, and roots won't grow back. There are different treatment options for root resorption, going from treatment termination, to just pausing for a bit with a passive wire.

Obviously, I'm not an orthodontist so I wouldn't know what to do, but this is...concerning, nonetheless. My dentist told me that while it's common for roots to get shorter during orthodontic treatments, she is still concerned about the amount of root that got absorbed. She didn't seem too...urgent about me speaking to the orthodontist about it (I don't know why she can't or won't speak to him herself), but I"m still going to make a call to the orthodontist office tomorrow, just to be sure.

If worse comes to worse, I'll just have the braces taken off. Definitely won't be the way I'd want them to be off, but honestly, if I have to have to them off due to root resorption, then I will. And...really, my teeth are pretty much straight, and my bite is pretty much there, so I won't exactly be loosing out a lot of stuff if I do have to stop. Beside the only thing that we're working is bringing in the protruded upper central incisors...but if I were to take the braces off, I'd be okay with my teeth. They won't be perfect, but they'll be good. And well, I never was aiming for a Hollywood smile anyway. I just wanted my teeth straightened out, and I mostly have that.

So we'll see where this takes me.

Week 67

Another trip to the orthodontist

I went in for my regular check up appointment with the orthodontist today, and I think things are definitely closer to being in the "finished" side of things now.

As you probably figured out, there just isn't much in terms of movement and changes now. Not that I expect there to be. After all, I'm in "finishing" archwires, and I really don't think that major movements are expected when one is in the finishing stage of braces. Just small tweaks and fine tuning, working on the bite, and making everything as perfect as it could be before the braces go off. So based on that, I figured that I must be in the home stretch of things now....and after today's appointment, I think I'm a bit closer to the end now.

Realistically I don't know how long I still have in braces, but based on what my orthodontist and the tech said today, it's sooner rather than later.

So today, we worked on bringing in my upper central incisors as those are still a bit flared out. I actually think that's all we have to work on now. My bite is good, as per the orthodontist. Goddamn, I knew that religiously wearing those annoying as fuck posterior box elastics on the molars would pay off. And today, it did. The orthodontist and the tech were impressed by how my bite has changed, and the orthodontist even said that my teeth respond well to elastics, and they move fast under the influence of elastics. Now, I don't know if my teeth really move that fast due to elastics, or they show noticeable movement directed by the elastics because I wear them religiously. I'd like to think it's more the latter than former, because I am one super compliant elastics wearer. But either way, it's good that my teeth respond well elastics wear. It's also good when the orthodontist and tech notice the difference in your teeth due to your religious elastics wear.

I'm not completely in the clear in terms of elastics yet. I have to still wear the bilateral posterior box configuration on the molars...but only at night time, when I sleep. Fuck yeah. I can do that. Anything is better than full time elastic wear for that particular configuration of elastics. So in that regards, I'm quite happy about the "upgrade" in elastics wear. At least it will be less annoying now. I can just, for the most part, be without elastics, which is pretty freeing.

To bring my upper central incisors in, the orthodontist did a bit more IPR on my front four teeth today (still feels weird as fuck when he does it. It doesn't hurt. Just a vibration between the teeth. But it feels weird). I also got wire ties placed on my upper back teeth....I'm not exactly sure which ones. I think it's the first molar to the first premolar on both sides. But again, not sure. And it's hard to tell when I look in the mirror. The point of that is to keep those teeth together, at least, that's what the tech told me. I can sort of feel them, just a bit of extra pressure in the back. But nothing serious. In addition, the powerchain on my top teeth is done differently in an effort to help bring the central incisors back. Instead of the powerchain being looped around every bracket as usual, this time, the orthodontist wanted the powerchain to be under the bracket for the front four teeth. So we're basically using the powerchain as a sling of sorts, to pull the front teeth back. Hopefully it works. But we'll see what happens when I next go in in August.

Cute anecdote: The kid beside me got told that he will get his braces off in three weeks, and the tech turned to me and said "That will be you soon!". I hope she is right! I feel like we're definitely in the end zone of the home stretch now, and I just hope it won't take much longer! Still hoping for the 18 month projected "deadline" as opposed to the 24, but once again, only time will tell.

The powerchain is now under the bracket on my upper central and lateral incisors.