Only 3 weeks after my cleaning-adjustment day, I was back in the chair, but this time I got some VERY good news.
I'd made good progress and the gap in my lower arch had finally closed, so Dr. F said he would make the bends in my archwire to start detailing, putting me in Phase IV at last! He also said something I had to ask him to repeat to make sure I heard correctly: "Next appointment, check for deband!" which translates to "At your next appointment, if the detailing is doing what it should and it looks like another few weeks will be all that's needed, we will schedule your debanding date."
He said his target date was May 1st (!) - about a month earlier than I strictly NEED them off, but that gives him some leeway in case anything takes longer than expected. So at my next appointment we should know for sure, but he expects to give me a date at that time. WOOHOOO!!! My freedom is so close I can almost taste it.
The detailing he did was pretty simple - just a couple bends around my right central incisor to "extrude" (bring it down) a bit so he can smooth it off even with the left one.
Only I misheard him, and thought he was extruding my "short" right lateral incisor. A few days later I called in a panic, visions of delaying my deband dancing through my head. They brought me back in for him to look at and I felt very foolish when he explained that's what he'd meant all along. BUT I did talk to him about my lateral incisors being different lengths and how that made it look (to me) tilted, so he decided to put a few more bends in to extrude the short right one a bit, and intrude the longer left one. My upper archwire is a .019 x .025 TMA. At the next appointment he'll smooth off the edges of my teeth to make them look straight and even.
I left happy, especially because I also taked to them about retainers and got the news that since I wanted a permanent bonded retainer on my lowers - which they only agreed to if I SWORE to floss regularly - I'd get the clear plastic "Essix" retainers for both arches, instead of the plastic-and-wire Hawley on the bottom. They'll take impressions for the bonded retainer at my next appointment, so they can have it ready to bond before my braces come off on deband day. I can't believe it's this close!
I don't have pics this time, but I'll likely post them after the next adjustment; I expect they won't change much. Coming up soon on April 9th.
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3 comments:
Great! I hope you get them off in May. Beware the receding deadline, though, as well the Jabberwock.
BTW, spend some time thinking about a permanent bonded retainer. You will go through many periods of discomfort and canker sores.
Also, three of my four brackets have come off over time, resulting in asymmetry (which I know you hate) and a slight shifting of my front four teeth. Then again, you can afford to go back and have your fixed if need be.
Disadvantages: canker sores, potential disrepair, flossing is a bitch.
Advantages: you can't forget to wear it, nor will it get that disgusting sour smell of a retainer left in its case without proper cleaning.
I have friends with a permanent bottom retainer and they love it but my dentist gave me a two piece hawley retainer. I guess it works but it's a bummer to have to worry about two pieces forever. As Jon mentioned, I do like the fact I don't have to worry about flossing though.
If you're looking for more information on cleaning your upper retainer check out http://www.slybargain.com/retainer-brite-clean-retainers
I didn't use braces or even retainers, instead I used Orthofill. Effective for closing teeth gaps. Visit https://www.orthofill.com/ to learn more details. #howtocloseteethgap
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