2 Outta 3 Ain't Bad: Second Adjustment

[Look! She posts on adjustment day! Hehe.]

So, yeah. 2 outta 3 ain't bad. Or, more accurately, 1.5 outta 3... Here's the breakdown of my hoped-for results vs. actuality:

1. New wires. Make that "new wire" (singular) instead. My top arch is now on to the .018 gauge but the ortho who saw me - again, not my regular, more on that below - decided to leave the Phase I .013 in the bottom for one more round. *sigh*
2. Lose the turbo. Nope! Still there. Ah, well. I've gotten used to it.
3. Lose the elastic. Not quite. My upper canine has shifted (see pics below) and my lower midline is back where it needs to be, but he decided to keep me in the elastics. Fred will still be around, but...ONLY AT NIGHTTIME, baby! I'm totally okay with that.

Okay, okay, I know you guys (anyone out there? ... *crickets*) just wanna see the pics. It's been just about 4 months since B-day:



My bite, as of today. Really opened up a bit, eh? And it's not just because of the turbo.



Upper and...



...lower arches. Compared to B-day pics it's a lot of improvement! My top arch is finally rounding out. But see how off-kilter my lower arch is, all pulled to the (my) right? That seems to be getting worse instead of better. I'm almost to the point of asking them to put the archwire in off-center to the other side, and see if that balances things, since they aren't going back on their own after 7 weeks of correct (centered) archwire placement.



This photo shows a little better how my lower midline is back where it ought to be, but all my lower incisors are kinda tipped toward my right. Also some MAJOR leveling to be done in the future.



And last but not least, you can see how my upper right canine has pulled back so it isn't directly over the bracket on the tooth below (compare to this pic, a little hard to see). Also notice the nifty little wire tie they wrapped around my bracket for the elastic. I got a new one today because the first one was getting wiggly.

My thoughts at this point?

The ortho who saw me today (and at my last "emergency" appointment) is nice, and very experienced, and I'm sure he's great at what he does. But I really prefer MY ortho - Dr. F - and his approach. Dr. F was the one who told me he was going to try to keep my arches on the same track gauge-wise at my first adjustment. The other guy (I think Dr. D) put me in different gauges again today. Which, hey, IS progress. But I'm going to confirm ahead of time that I will see Dr. F at my next adjustment, I think.

Speaking of my next adjustment (coming up in 9 weeks, mid-July) that will be a real double-whammy, because it will also be my first cleaning in braces. Current schedule is 9:40 to ortho for wires out, 10:00 to dentist for cleaning - the offices are literally down the hall from each other - and back to ortho at 11:30 for adjustment. Fun. I'm actually kind of looking forward to the cleaning, because all sorts of places are way more accessible now than they have been and my teeth will probably get cleaner than they have been most of my life.

BUT now the extended times between Damon appointments is becoming an issue. I really appreciate not having to miss as much work for ortho appointments. BUT when I was hoping for more progress today, the prospect of waiting ANOTHER 8-9 weeks before the next step (new wire on bottom, maybe turbo off) when it might have happened in just 4 is kind of annoying. Maybe I'll come up with some other "emergency" to get seen sooner...

Oh, and I'm still a little miffed about the 2 weeks I spent with an off-center lower archwire. I just feel like it threw everything off and now I'm treading water trying to "fix" that, which is costing me time and progress. But things are still moving, and I guess that's what matters. Dr. D even threw out the possibility of me being ahead of schedule, though I think he was just trying to mollify my disappointment at not getting new lower wire.

Funny side-effect of going to nights-only on the elastic: I've spent almost all day feeling slightly guilty about not wearing it. Like the *cough* few times I forgot to put it in after a meal, and then went a few hours without it in, enjoying the freedom but knowing I was cheating by not wearing it, hehe. I'm sure I'll get over that quickly, though.

Forgive me Doctor, for I have sinned... I realized last week that I had really slacked off on my hygiene. Oh, I brushed twice a day still, and occasionally flossed, but the days of my brush-floss-flouride or brush-floss-mouthwash-interdental every morning and evening were long since. And I never got in the habit of brushing after lunch at work. BUT my gums started bleeding when I did get around to flossing - my old foe gingivitis back again - and that plus my upcoming appointment motivated me to get back in the habit.

Now I try to floss more frequently (back up to 4-5 times/week) and rinse with Crest Pro-Health morning and evening to help with the gingivitis. That's tough because even the relatively mild CPH burns my constantly-raw-from-running-over-brackets tongue. But I'm getting used to it. The CPH also deposits little blue stringy things (pre-plaque?) on my brackets that necessitate an interdental brush. Ah, well.

Look for a future review post on my favorite Oral-B products, and if I get really excited I might post some progress pics next month instead of waiting till July. Or I might be lazy and not. *g*

T-minus 3 days

Okay, I'm nowhere near retainer stage yet (I wish!) but I thought that was hilarious enough to post.  Thanks to DH for the pic.

 

I am, however, 3 days away from my next "big" adjustment.  I am hoping for some combination (preferably ALL) of the following outcomes:

1. New wires.  Okay, I know I got a new wire on the bottom last time, but really that was just moving up to the wire I *should* have started with.  I'm still in Phase 1 wires, and it's been 4 months.  My teeth have been a little squishy lately, but no real discernable movement in the past several weeks.  My lower incisors are still a little more forward on the right, but at least my midline is closer to normal.  I'm ready to get on with it and start the major mechanics.
2. Lose the turbo.  I've kinda adjusted to having it, by changing my bite and whatnot, but yesterday I scraped my teeth on it while eating and that was like fingernails on a chalkboard...in my mouth.  I'm SO ready to be able to actually chew again, y'all don't even know.
3. Lose the elastic.  I have the feeling this is less likely to happen than #2.  And I'd be okay with that, but I'd really hoped to avoid elastics until the end phase, and not have to wear them for the better part of 1.5-2 years.  Plus, my canine has pulled back to where it's not directly over the bracket on my lower tooth anymore.  And gaps are starting to open up between all the teeth from the middle to that point.

So, I guess we'll see in a few days.  More pics and an update after Thursday.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Meet Fred

I got more than I bargained for when I went in for an "emergency" appointment with my ortho today.

Last week I was starting to feel pressure on my bottom brackets when I bit down. I didn't want to pop one off, so I called them and they scheduled me this morning to have a look. What I thought would be a quick in-and-out appointment turned into more work than they did at my last adjustment.

The ortho (not my usual) who saw me decided to place a bite turbo on my front teeth to prop my bite open even more and then ground off my molar buildups - and caught my tongue in the drill in the process. Ouch!

So, yay for no more molar buildups, but the turbo is, I think, worse. I'd gotten to the point where I could chew just about anything but now I have to relearn because my molars are farther apart and I don't have the surface of the buildups to rely on either. Joy.

I also got a new archwire on the bottom. Same size as the last time, but THIS time it's centered properly.

Backstory: after my last adjustment and new archwire, I noticed the three grey lines that mark the center of the archwire - and had previously been aligned between my central incisors, top and bottom - were off by a tooth on the bottom.

I was worried it would pull my lower arch into an offset shape. So I called the office and explained the situation and the response I got was "It's not problem - those are just a guide. Don't worry about it."

Oooookay. Well, they're the experts. I grudingly dropped it, but I kept watching my teeth. And then my fears were confirmed and my teeth started shifting to the right. Hello - if the archwire returning to its shape is what moves the teeth, and that shape is offset, it only makes sense that my arch would start to align crooked. Thank goodness it was only in a couple of weeks.

I pointed this all out to the ortho today and all he said was "very observant!" but he DID tell the tech to replace my archwire. Better late than never. I shudder to think what my arch would have looked like if I'd waited the full 8 weeks to my next appointment.

But what about Fred, you ask? Fred is the name of my new elastics:

Apparently the different manufacturers use different designations for their elastics. Some use animal names (e.g. chipmunk, ram) and some use country names (e.g. China) but 3M uses proper names. And mine are named "Fred"...I find it somewhat amusing.

The purpose, I was told, was to pull my upper right canine back. My left canines are okay, but my right ones are directly above each other (a "Class II") and that's partly why the brackets were hitting. I'm supposed to wear it 24/7 except at meals and when I brush. Not so bad now, but I've only had it in for a couple hours. Guess we'll see how I feel in a few days/weeks.

I suspect that ALL of this is due to the way my lower archwire was placed last month. It's pretty annoying. *sigh*

Anyway, what's done is done and now it's fixed so on we go. I wasn't going to leave there today without a new lower archwire, and so I didn't. Next (regular) appointment is May 15th, or about 5 1/2 weeks from now. Cross your fingers I'll get the turbo off then - I think I was supposed to get the molar buildups off at that point anyway - and I can return to chewing as usual.

I have the sinking feeling that elastics (in some form or another) are here to stay, though.

First Adjustment: 9 weeks later

And you thought I'd forgotten about this blog!

Nope, just other stuff going on in my life, and after the first few days my braces quickly became "normal" to me and I quit thinking about them so much. I do plan on updating this blog at each adjustment, but my family blog and my writing blog get the majority of my attention.

I did remember to take pics at 2 weeks and one month, and I'll post those up with the ones from today so you can see the progress. Oh boy, has there been progress! Already my b-day pics look like someone else's teeth. See below for comparisons.

As for today's "adjustment" itself, pretty in-and-out. They didn't do anything at all to my upper arch. I did ask them to scrape off some of the flash left over from the indirect bonding that they didn't get on b-day. She got some off, said some was too small to really get without a hand tool but shouldn't be a problem, and missed some that I noticed when looking at my teeth in the car. Ah, well. I'm keeping stuff clean and I'll just have them get some more at my next appointment.

The bottom arch did get a new archwire. Apparently (according to this) the standard "initial" archwire is the round .014, and that's what they put in my top arch on b-day. But my bottom teeth were too jumbled, so they went down a size (I think to .013?) in order to fit the wire into all the brackets. Now they've straightened out enough, so they fitted the .014 on the bottom and left the top one in so both arches are on the same kind of wire.

If my teeth keep moving at their current rate, I think I'll get all new wires at my next appointment (8 weeks from now). Hopefully on to Phase II, but it wouldn't surprise me to have to go with the round .016 SE for a bit first. And my ortho did say my bite was opening up enough that I'll probably get the molar buildups off "soon" - aka, next appointment. Hallelujah! With my luck I'll get those off only to have to go into elastics, but I think completely-chewed food is worth it. *g*

Oh, speaking of opening up, did I mention I have freaking gaps between my teeth now? Not that this is a problem, more of a novelty. My teeth have been so crowded all my life it was like, well, pulling teeth *g* to get a piece of dental floss in between them. Now - once I've got it threaded under the archwire - the floss just slides in. And I can see between them. Again, not a cosmetic problem, and I'm sure some gaps will close up as the teeth continue to sort out, but it's a huge indication of progress to me.

Confession time: I've been "slacking" on my dental routine. Now, I put that in quotes because I still brush twice a day - and with my beloved Oral-B electric toothbrush. (Hmmm...never did get around to reviewing the new Triumph, now that I have a working one. I'll try to do that soon.) But the floss-and-flouride every night has fallen into about 3 times a week. Hey, still not bad! But I'm also not brushing at work or using my interdental as much as I should. Next step: kit to keep in my office (the beloved DentaKit stays with me in my car) and more consistent f-n-f.

Okay, okay, I know everyone just wants to see the progress pics. Here you go (see my b-day post for comparison):

Huh. I seem to have lost my 1-month pictures. I know I took them...but they're not in the appropriate folder on my hard drive. And I delete them off the camera memory card as soon as I upload them. So where'd they go?

Anyway, look at that lower arch now! My lower incisors are sure lining up nicely. It's still a novelty to be able to keep plaque off of the back of them, now that they're not all jammed together (quite the opposite - there's a gap developing!). I'm pretty sure my canines are rotating, and they're definitely moving out. I usually can tell because I'll have a period of "squishy" teeth followed by a few days of gum irritation as the brackets rub in new places. Hydration and the occasional bit of wax take care of that. And the upper canines have pulled back a bit, making my top arch smoother in general and minimizing my "vampire" smile.

How has braced life in general been these past 2 months? As I said up top, pretty normal. I really didn't have a lot of pain at first, but I realized how much I was in fact affected about 2 weeks in. I lost 5 pounds (woohoo!) those first weeks, mainly because eating was so tedious and slow. Somewhat unfortunately, what pain/discomfort I had did go away and I adapted and now I eat pretty much the same types and quantity of foods as I did before. I'm still careful and know better than to try stuff like hard caramel or nuts. But everything else is game.

Have I mentioned how much I love these Damon system braces? Not only are my teeth moving quickly with relatively little pain, but I don't have to worry about foods with curry, or tomato sauce, or red Kool-Aid staining my ligs...because I don't have any. I've gotten quite a few comments about how "small" and "nice-looking" my brackets are.

At any rate, 2 months down and 16-18 more to go. Look for another update in about 8 weeks.

Day 3

Yeah, I broke down and put on wax this morning. My cheeks were starting to become more than just slightly irritated. Waxed my upper canines and first bicuspids, and my lower bicuspids (both).

Ahhh, sweet relief.

Other than that, though, I'm starting to not feel the braces anymore. My lips are even used to how far out the archwire holds them. There's just a residual soreness when I bite down (especially on the buildups), and my front lower incisors feel ever-so-slightly loose. Which is good! Things are on the move...

The Day After

I was told that even if I didn't feel pain right off after bonding, it would probably get worse the first night and especially the day after. So I - no pun intended - braced myself for the worst.

Guess what? No worst!

I really have had very little pain. I woke up this morning and couldn't even feel the braces until I thought about it. It got a little worse when I got up, but a couple Tylenol took care of that right away.

We all went to McDonald's for breakfast, and I ate pancakes and scrambled eggs and a hash brown (didn't tackle the sausage biscuit). I'm really losing all hope of losing weight because of these things. *sigh*

Lunch was the last slice of pizza from last night. At that point I could tell I hadn't taken any more painkillers since first thing in the morning, and I remedied that. But no biggie, really.

The worst soreness is at the points (upper and lower) where my molar buildups hit. Which makes sense, like the balls of your feet hurting in high-heeled shoes: all the pressure concentrated in a smaller area.

I'm learning to eat differently; how to chew without my molars meeting and doing a lot of mashing to the roof of my mouth. Also swallowing bigger chunks than usual. I'm slowly remembering to swish often with water - which has become a constant; I have a glass with every meal, no matter what else I'm drinking - to keep the food gomming to a minimum. The whole process takes longer and I get full sooner; if my food choices haven't changed much, at least I'll eat less at each meal.

I'm about to head to bed and still no real pain and no wax. Just the constant, dim ache that says "there's something going on here", especially in my front lowers (which are the most crowded). I seem to have adjusted to these braces very quickly. I'm not sure if it's the Damon brackets or just me...probably a little of both. Whatever reason, I'm glad of it.

The Big Day - January 17th 2008

Well, the date stamp won't show it, but I didn't get the chance to post this on my actual b-day.

Here's how it went down:

I showed up a couple minutes late for my 9 am appointment (oops!) but I'd called ahead so they knew I was coming. When I got there I followed advice and went to the bathroom first and then coated my lips with balm (Chapstick Moisturizing - I'm a fan).

I was tipped waaay back in the chair and she brushed my teeth with the pumice toothpaste and then I was told to go rinse. I was afraid to close my mouth, but it really didn't taste like anything, just gritty. Then it was back in the chair and the dreaded lip spreaders went in.

She dried my teeth with I swear a mini blow dryer, then painted the etchant on my bottom teeth. It didn't taste great, but I didn't get too much so it wasn't bad. Super sour/bitter/astringent, like strong vinegar. Then she put on some kind of "sealant", which smelled like a hair salon, or nail polish.

Then the indirect bonding tray was fitted to my lower arch, and she went over each bracket twice with the little blue light. She left the tray in place and repeated the process for my top arch. The bottom hard tray was peeled off and another round with the blue light, then the same for the top. The majority of the time was spent doing the blue light. At last she peeled the soft inner trays off and I was officially bonded.

At this point I got to get up and go rinse my mouth. I have to say, right off the bat I was impressed with the Damon brackets. I was expecting them to feel HUGE on my teeth, but even with the doors open they didn't. For the record, I got the "social six" (front upper six, or canine to canine) bonded with Damon 3s, the half-clear brackets, and the rest with all-metal Damon 3MXs.

Back in the chair again and the ortho took a look. I had to bite down to show where my top teeth were hitting the lower brackets (we knew that would be a problem). Then he told the tech where to bond some molar build-ups and it was more etchant, sealant, and then two blobs of stuff that she cured with the blue light, one on either

Finally my archwire fitting. I think I heard the ortho say 0.013 for my wire gauge. It is not the heat-activated kind of wire. She had to work a bit to get it engaged with my canines (no surprise) but eventually everything was locked in. A little tightness, but not too bad. What was most striking - even more so than the brackets alone - was how it felt like my top lip was being held so far out.

And that was it! I was given a bag of supplies and told what food not to eat (I've already broken that, but with due caution) and given prescriptions for "Magic Mouthwash" - no lie - and some kind of at-home nightly flouride treatment.

Oh, and my ortho went over my plan with me in more detail. In about 6 months I'll be getting elastics from my upper canines to my lower first molars to bring my lower jaw forward and open up my deep bite. And eventually my back molars will get brackets too (they didn't this time).

My next appointment is March 20th. I may get a new archwire then, if I've made enough progress. I read on the Damon website that 90% of alignment and leveling is done in the first 10 weeks, so here's hoping.

Now here are way more pics than you probably care about, but hey - it's my blog. *g*

My smile before, and now with braces:


A shot that shows more of my teeth/the convoluted archwire, and a shot of my current propped-open bite.


My official b-day records of my arches, upper and lower. Note the blue molar buildups.



I met DH and Little Boy for lunch before heading to my afternoon spa appointment. First meal in braces: cheeseburger and fries, with a chocolate shake. I didn't even have to use a fork and knife! But the going was sloooooow and I got all sorts of stuff gommed up in the braces. Thank goodness for my DentaKit, which I broke in immediately after.

And I have to say, if you're an adult getting braces, following up your morning bonding appointment with an afternoon at the spa for a custom facial and 1-hour relaxation massage is the way to go! I pretty much forgot I had them.

My first day overall was very easy. Little to no pain (I did stay current on OTC painkillers, though, alternating between Advil and Tylenol) and aside from getting used to where the brackets snag my lips when I smile or open wide, I didn't even have to use wax.

Second meal in braces: pizza with mushrooms, and breadsticks. So much for the "braces diet"! Actually, I didn't eat much of the breadstick or any of the crust, and I eat so much slower I end up not eating as much. So there's that.

Before bed I used the WaterPik - a godsend - with the ortho attachment, then brushed my teeth with my trusty Vitality and the ortho heads (officially "Oral-B Braces Care Essentials") I got off eBay. Wonderful! My mouth felt better overall after that. Then I managed to floss, though it took quite a while, and followed all with a warm salt water rinse.

All in all, an easy beginning.

The last step (pics!)

Yesterday was the last step in my preparations for Brace Day (tomorrow! yikes!) - I had a dentist appointment for cleaning and a possible filling.

As it turns out, I didn't need any new fillings. *whew!* We discussed replacing my old amalgams with the new white composite, but my dentist said wait until the braces come off and I was okay with that.

I got an "A" for my cleaning; both my dentist and hygenist were impressed with how clean my teeth are and my healthy gums. For that I mainly credit my beloved Oral-B electric toothbrush. Though I did get to say with complete honesty that I'd been flossing every day, too. Guess it showed. *g* She still had to do some scraping, but that's the nature of my crowding (and why I'm getting braces in the first place).

I also asked for and got a pre-emptive flouride treatment. This was a foam the hygenist "brushed on" for one minute, and then suctioned away. It was interesting...not as gag-worthy as the trays, though.

A fun bonus was that I had some downtime in between chair appointments, and I popped down the hall to my orthos office and they let me play with my OrthoCAD plan. Very interesting, and inspiring to see the finished results!

I took pics and video. (With my phone, sorry 'bout the quality.)

ETA: The videos aren't working for some reason. They were hard to see anyway. If I figure them out, I'll put them back up, but for now, here are the pics at least.

Here's the computer model made from my impressions:



I got to see what my teeth will look like with the brackets on (not including turbos):




And specifically the very crowded lower arch from the front:



And top:



Here's a side-by-side comparison of the expected results (left) to my teeth with brackets (right):

And one of just my current teeth (left) to my projected finished results (right):

Last but not least, a close up of the finished results. This is what I have to look forward to!

Off-Topic: I finished my novel!

This has nothing to do with braces, but...this morning at about 7:47 am, I finally finished the SFD (for non-writers, that's the Sh!tty First Draft, hehe) of my first novel, One Highland Night.

I started writing in late July of 2006, chunking with no clear idea of the overall story. Now, almost 18 months later, I have 418 pages (111,587 words give-or-take) in 34 chapters and an epilogue.

Rewrites loom on the horizon. Oh, boy, do they loom.

But hey! I finished the first draft, which I think is (more than) half the battle.

Someone asked me what I plan to do now. I'm going to Disney World! Seriously, though... Short answer: sleep. *g* Long answer: I'm taking Thursday and Friday off for a 4-day weekend, I've got a spa appointment on Thursday afternoon, and I've been saving several big gift cards to treat myself to a shopping spree.

Anyway, just thought I'd share the good news.

(The whole grueling journey is chronicled on my writing blog.)

One week and counting...

Almost exactly one week from now (my appointment's at 9 am, so they might be done by 11) I'll be in braces. This after 14 years of putting them off.

Whoa.

Thank you, that is all.

Making a Good Impression

Just got back to work from my impressions appointment. Now the clock really starts ticking.

They took me right back when I signed in. I tried to get my coordinator to retake my face shots (since I'd bothered with hair and makeup today) but no dice. The x-rays took about a second. Literally. They had a pan and bite wings for me already, so this was just the cephalometric.

From there it was into the "common room" - there are about 5 chairs arranged in a curve, facing outward, with centralized counters and brush/rinse stations. While I was there another woman about my age, maybe a little older, came in and had her braces adjusted. Two teen boys were there and another older teen or maybe early 20's girl.

I was anticipating the nasty alginate trays but good news! that's not what they used. It seriously looked like Play-Doh, blue and white that she squished together (activating it?) and then put in a plastic tray and C-R-A-M-M-E-D it into my mouth. Set for 5 minutes, removed, put some yellow stuff in and put it back in my mouth for another few minutes. Then it came out nice and hard. Rinse, repeat for lower jaw. The impression trays went right into a special box to be shipped off to OrthoCAD posthaste.

While I was there they were supposed to be bonding someone but the indirect bonding trays had not come in from OrthoCAD yet. Oops! I heard one of the orthos comment that they had approved the plan on the 29th, so it was likely due to the holidays.

My ortho came by to chat while I was between impressions. I mentioned I had been researching the Damons and his face lit up and he told me again how impressed he was with the system, that he thought they were absolutely the best bracket on the market, etc. Encouraging. *g* I also mentioned ArchWired and he said he'd heard of it - knew there was a forum - but I was the first patient of theirs who had been active on there. I'll print some info to take in with me at my next appointment.

Last thing, the tech came at me with what looked like a caulk gun and squeezed some blue goop on top of my lower teeth and asked me to bite down so they'd have a record of my bite pattern. Now I officially cannot bite someone while committing a crime - they'll know it's me. *w*

Then one last meeting with my coordinator, payment - gulp! - and I was out of there. Two weeks from today I'll be bonded.

Oh, and I forgot to say that my DentaKit.com order came in late last week and you would have thought it was Christmas all over again! I got the eponymous DentaKit (black, to match my purse), some spare travel and regular ortho toothbrushes, a bunch of OrthoSil, the comfort covers, and a few odds and ends. Add that to the Oral-B ortho brushheads I've been stocking up on, and whatever I get in my goody bag (I saw a closet FULL of stuff, so here's hoping!) I should be set!

More info on Damons

Certain posters on the Metal Mouth Forum over at ArchWired.com - my main braces haunt - make it a point to inform everyone who mentions the Damon system that it is "really NO different" than traditional metal brackets with elastic ligatures. They even cite quotes from a few orthos ostensibly (I think the wording is a little more vague than the point the posters are trying to make, but maybe that's just me) supporting that view.

I've seen it enough to be a little annoyed about it. Dang it, I want to be excited about my braces!

But on the whole it doesn't bother me. MY ortho is convinced it's the best option for me, and I did my own research on it and have confidence it's the right thing to do.

Then today I noticed this article posted up on the ArchWired front page:

Using the Damon Bracket System

The author, Rowe, got his DMD from Harvard and his MS from Michigan. He's president-elect of the Massachusetts Association of Orthodontics. Dude knows whereof he speaks. *g*

And he speaks highly of Damons. He, like my ortho, is convinced it is a "smoother, more consistent treatment with better results than ever". Especially for adults.

So as I get ready to head into this full gear - my records/x-rays/impressions appointment is this Thursday! - it was a nice little boost to my excitement and confidence.

Bring it on!

LOL of the day

Courtesy of icanhascheezburger.com

Basket Case

My extended family doesn't exchange gifts at Christmas. Instead we all put together themed gift "baskets" with a spending cap of $25, and then we play a "Dirty Santa" game with them. Much hilarity ensues.

There are informal competitions to see who can get the most stuff in their basket without breaking the cap (my bargain-hunter aunts are tops), who has the most original theme, and whose basket gets "stolen" most during the game.

I was having trouble coming up with an idea, and was almost going to just co-op with DH and do a joint basket. Then, as I was going through my recently-updated nightly dental routine, I had a brilliant idea. This year, I gave the gift of oral hygiene.

Here's my "oral care" themed gift basket for this year's exchange:



Contents:
Reach Access flosser - free (from my dentist)
Oral-B Vitality electric toothbrush - $12 (eBay)
Colgate Luminous toothpaste - $2.50
Manual toothbrush - free (from my dentist)
Crest Pro-Health 500 mL - $3.50
Orbit White sugar-free gum - $1
Aquafina Hydrating Lip Oil balm - $1
Oral-B Satin floss - $2.50
Ice Breakers sugar free mints - $1
ChapStick Moisturizing - $1
Total = $24.50

Can you tell I went for a color theme, as well? *g*

I was interested to see how it would go over, but as it turns out it was the last gift chosen. (They are all wrapped to begin with.) My mom ended up with it. But she did know what it was, at least in part, beforehand and was actually excited to get the toothbrush. All's well that ends well, I suppose.

(I ended up with a coffee maker and an assortment of "hot drinks" - coffee, tea, chai, cocoa, etc. I don't drink coffee so I'm going to try to return the coffee maker. But I am enjoying the instant cappuccino and others.)

Review: Aquafresh White Trays

I chose Aquafresh White Trays because my teeth are crowded, especially my lowers, and I didn't think most other products would whiten my entire teeth such that when they straighten out with braces there won't be streaks. But I was unhappy with their dingy color, and I wanted them to be clean and pretty for when my braces went on.

I've now used this product twice, and been very pleased with the results.

Here's what my teeth looked like this summer, before the first round (small, sorry!):



Here's what they look like now, after two rounds (4 months apart):



For a real comparison, look at my lower canine and bicuspid vs. my upper incisors in this pic:



So, I'm pleased. Only my front teeth show and I enjoy seeing my pretty, much whiter smile in the mirror:



The product itself is flexible (kinda flimsy, honestly) trays pre-loaded with a strip of thick whitening gel. You put the trays on your teeth and mush the gel up and around so it covers all the teeth, even in-between. Then you wear them for 30-45 minutes

I still couldn't get good coverage on my lower canines/bicuspids (as seen above) and the very tops of my (long) upper canines didn't get quite as white as the rest. BUT like I said, the teeth that actually show when I smile are *noticeably* whiter and I'm happy with that.

My mom came to visit after the first round, and actually asked me if I'd gone to the dentist to get them bleached. She was very impressed.

There are 14 trays in the box, 7 upper and 7 lower, for an assumed one-week treatment.
However: this product WILL MAKE YOUR TEETH VERY SENSITIVE.

First round I did 7-straight days, and by the end of it my gums were singed and tender, and my teeth ached, and it hurt to brush. BUT within 2-3 days it got better, and I didn't have any further problems.

This time, I did every-other-day over about two weeks and had much less sensitivity. I was able to brush twice a day with my electric toothbrush no problem, and even floss. My teeth might ache slightly the day after a treatment (I did them at night before bed) but nothing really noticeable and it was gone by the end of the day.

So I would recommend this product, just warn about the sensitivity issues and suggest an every-other-day routine. It works well on very crowded teeth or uneven teeth, but not as great on rotated teeth (like my lower canines).

Where have you been all my life? The Oral-B Vitality

Not much going on in my life tooth-wise, other than me enjoying a guilt-free, crunchy, chewy Thanksgiving weekend. I figure by next Thanksgiving I'll be used to the braces enough to get away with most stuff, but I didn't want to be newly-braced and sore for this holiday season. Hence (among other reasons) the wait until January.

In general braces news, I'm giving more thought to asking for a bonded lower retainer at the end of it all, since I just found out my brother and his girlfriend, and presumably my other brother, all have them. Also a friend at church. Makes the most sense, as my bottom teeth are the big issue. But that decision is a long way off.

Today's post is mainly to rave about the new love in my (dental) life: the Oral-B Vitality electric toothbrush.

I vaguely remember a dentist at one point recommending I use an electric toothbrush. My teeth are hard to clean manually, after all. But at the time my mental concept was of the old-style one we had when I was a kid. Basically a toothbrush head that sort-of vibrated. I also thought they meant the uber-expensive models. So I stuck to my regular toothbrush.

Little did I know that I could get a very functional model for only $18, and what a difference it would make!

After recommendations on the ArchWired forum, I decided to go for it and add an electric brush to my dental gadget collection. I wanted to get started now, so that my teeth would be as clean as possible when the braces go on. I researched a few brands, settled on the Oral-B Triumph 9400, asked if the expensive models were worth it, and was advised to get the Vitality to try out. Then if I liked it enough to upgrade, I could keep the Vitality as my backup/travel.

What the heck? I thought. It was only $18. I went for the basic "Precision Clean" model (they also offer "Dual Action" and "Sonic"). And I mean basic. One speed, on or off, plain brush head, and a simple timer mechanism (see below).

This model (also the Dual Action) IS however compatible with all the specialty heads that come with the top-shelf models, so if I do get a fancier one I can in fact switch out the heads and use the Vitality as a backup. Or if not, I can still use the fancy heads on my cheapo model. *w*

It's rechargeable (I gather previous versions were battery-powered) and stores on its unobtrusive charging base so it's always at full power.

An automatic two-minute timer indicates optimum brushing time by "stuttering" (the first time you think the brush is dying). It is possible to keep brushing, and after another two minutes it will "stutter" again. I know this because I'm averaging about 3-4 minutes per brushing right now, due to taking special care to clean around all my crooked teeth. I hope I'm not doing damage by brushing longer, but really I'm only spending a few seconds on each tooth.

The results? Wow.

After the very first time I used it, my teeth felt cleaner than they had in ages. By the second use, I could not contemplate going back to a manual brush. There's just no comparison in the level of clean. It's like when I brush manually, my mouth might taste fresher, but my teeth don't feel any different. With the Vitality, I can tell they're clean. And already I'm noticing some of the stains (caused by my mouthwash? jury's still out...) between my more crooked teeth lightening. I made DH try the brush out, and now he's thinking about getting his own.

I think I'll ask Santa for a Triumph, but if I don't get one I think the Vitality is certainly a welcome step up from my old routine. $18 well spent!

Before photos

Below is a pic of the pics (I know, right?) my ortho took at my consult. I don't have lip spreaders at home, and it shows all the relevant angles, so I just thought I'd post that up:



You can see how my top arch (upper left in photo) is constricted into a "house" or "tent" shape. My canines came in ABOVE my baby canines, so they're high in my gums and stick out a bit.

My lower arch (upper right) is really constricted and bows in, making all four of my lower incisors plus my lower canines jumbled and twisted. My canines are rotated about 90 degrees. Here's a pic I took that shows the lower teeth better from the front:



The bottom consult pics show my deep overbite (90%) and I think I have maybe a 4-5 mm overjet. Also you can see some of my molars don't match up.

I have some gum recession, especially on the lower teeth, that my ortho wants to watch carefully. I think that's partly genetic (I had a graft done in front of my lower incisors for the same issue when I was in 6th grade) and partly a result of overbrushing on my part, trying to compensate for my crowded teeth by brushing really, really thoroughly.

My appointments are made as of yesterday: x-rays and impressions on January 3rd, and the braces themselves (!) two weeks later on the 17th. I have exactly 8 weeks from (US) Thanksgiving to enjoy my favorite brace-taboo foods.

The countdown begins...

Taking the plunge

Well, the decision is about 90-95% made. I am almost certainly getting braces at the first of next year. (To the tune of a cool $5300...ouch!)

You may recall my post on the subject earlier, after I went for my initial consult. Then I knew I had time to think about it, because it would be months until I could turn in my insurance-and-related paperwork for next year. Well, that time is upon me, and so is the final decision. Once that paperwork's submitted, I can either get the braces or I'll have to find something else medical to spend the $5300 on, because I can't stop it coming out of my paycheck, and I have to submit bills/statements for medical services to get reimbursed for it.

I am both dismayed and glad I waited this long for braces. Dismayed, because if you've seen my teeth up close, you know they're pretty bad. (Oh, healthy and clean, just really, really crowded, especially on the bottom.) I'm wishing I'd stuck to the treatment recommended when I was much younger, and gotten braces when I should have, because by now I'd have had nice, straight teeth for a while.

OTOH I'm actually glad because by waiting, I have reached the point where there is technology to make the whole process much faster/smoother/less painful. I also avoided having braces in band (hit by a flagpole would not have been fun, and playing an oboe with that itty-bitty embouchure...), for prom, college, and my wedding.

Honestly, if I'd gotten braces in middle or high school, it would probably have taken 2-3 years and they would have removed teeth (possibly as many as 4). I also may or may not have had to use a palatal expander, since my arches are so narrow and constricted.

Now, using the Damon system, my orthodontist (one of only 2 in the area to use it) is pretty confident that treatment will only require 18-20 months. I will most likely not have to have any extractions. And no expanders, spacers, or - perish the thought - surgery. I'll only have to go in every 8-10 weeks for adjustments/wire changes. He was actually pretty excited to see me, as the system is fairly new and he said I was a "prime candidate." I don't get the sense that I'm being manipulated, only that he expects really good results and is excited about them since they're new to him, too. (He's been fully trained, just hasn't had many cases yet.)

Also, with this really awesome software/service called OrthoCAD (my ortho is the only office in the area to use it), the treatment planning and bracket placement will be uber-precise and quick. Basically, they'll scan the impressions of my teeth into the computer, and the program will calculate where to put the brackets for most effective treatment and even show the projected end result. Then the company will make molds of my teeth, place the brackets with computer alignment, and mount them in plastic trays and ship them back to my ortho. I go into the office, they put the trays on my teeth, flash the bonding light to glue the brackets on, then warm up and peel off the trays. Viola! All the brackets are in place, and they have only to insert the wire.

I actually didn't get any estimates from other orthodontists because after doing my own research I was so impressed with the combination of Damon system and OrthoCAD, I didn't feel the need. Their office (Bluegrass Orthodontics - on the random chance that a reader goes there tell them I referred you, please!) is also literally down the hall from my dentist, maybe 20 feet, so having the wires out for cleanings and whatnot will be super easy.

The downsides: I will probably have to wear rubber bands (who in braces doesn't, though, really?) - hopefully only at the very end of treatment - and I will most likely have to have "ortho-" or "bite buttons" on for the first few months of treatment. That's because I have a really deep bite, almost completely covering my bottom teeth, and my top teeth would hit the lower brackets. A real bummer, because my teeth won't meet completely for a while, and I'll be restricted to mushy foods. Ah, well. I've been wanting to lose weight, anyway.

Side benefit of waiting till the new year: I can binge during the holidays and enjoy them, at least. Expect to see me going for a lot of my favorite and soon-to-be-verboten foods (I think sushi qualifies *sigh*) over the next couple months. I'll likely go for impressions mid-December and have the brackets placed first of January.

The actual brackets will be a combination of the solid-metal Damon 3MX brackets (all lower and side-upper teeth) and the mostly clear ceramic Damon 3's on my upper front 6 teeth (the most visible). The advantage: even the solid-metal brackets are smaller and less-visible than traditional brackets, and no bands/ligatures to stain and collect food particles/plaque/bacteria. They're supposed to be easier in general to keep clean.

To that end, I've bought my first piece of equipment to aid with braces-wearing: the Waterpik Ultra dental water jet. In my braces research, I discovered that they were often recommended to be as-if-not-more-so effective as flossing. And oh, so much less hassle. So I asked my ortho and they cautiously said it would be good to have ("we'd rather you floss, but if you are guaranteed to use this every day and floss when you can...yeah"). I mentioned it offhand to DH, who was surprisingly enthusiastic. They had them at Wal-mart last night. I was just pricing, but he wanted to get it, and then on his own impetus set it up that very night. What can I say? He's a guy, and this qualifies as "gadget." But hey, we'll both use it, and it should improve our overall dental health.

Now, after this long-winded post, I probably won't say much more until I get go in for impressions in a month or so.

Consult

Re-posted from my personal blog. Original entry 8/30/07:

I went for a consult at the orthodontist's today. This after 14 years of avoiding braces, but also of struggling to keep stuff out from between my teeth, and feeling slightly embarassed of every picture in which I am smiling broadly.

The orthodontist himself, Dr. Ferguson, and Jeannine my "treatment coordinator" were both extremely nice. I really felt comfortable with them.

And Dr. Ferguson said I was a "perfect" candidate for the new Damon system which is all that I was hoping for in braces (with the exception of invisibility, but let's be realistic): less pain, faster treatment, fewer visits, less obtrusive brackets, etc. Oh - and I can still chew gum, if I'm careful. I was on board.

They told me to expect 18-20 months of treatment, a retainer for a year after that, and then wearing the retainer one night a week for the rest of my life. I can handle that.

But the price tag - ouch! $5300...and all out of pocket. At least they have a payment plan.

I'm still thinking about the whole deal. At this point, I'm leaning towards doing it. But not starting until January, when I can set up a payment deduction from my Health Savings Account at work. I'd start sooner, but on top of our other expenses, and with Christmas coming up...

God help me, I'm a little excited at the prospect. Talk to me after I've had them a month or so, though.