Hello! I've been M.I.A for a while now, haven't I? I guess sometimes life happens, right? I hope everyone has been doing well! I've been good. I'm sure I've got tons of updates for you but I'll try to condense them to the more important ones. :)
Updates
- I don't think I mentioned that I got power chains. Doesn't that sound like some kind of monster truck lingo? POW-ER CHAINSSS!!! LOL They're basically just honeycomb shaped rubber bands that connect your teeth. I started getting gaps/spaces in my teeth as my braces moved them and the power chains prevent gaps while my teeth continue to move. Power chains are strong so they're also being used to close the gaps where I had my teeth extracted. Supposedly they provide great/fast results, but I guess we shall see. They don't hurt at all or make my teeth ache. The one bad thing is that they stain though. I've had mine for about 3 weeks and I need to brush them GOOD to get the sparkly and clean. the only photo I have of them was taken right after I drank coffee (yes I should have drank through a straw - lesson learned) and they look dingy and gross. But my electric tooth brush gets them pretty clean! I have an appointment next week and I can't wait to get them changed. Now I know to avoid staining foods or to brush my teeth immediately after i eat/drink.
Picture Above: Blue Power chains (mine are clear)
Picture above: Photo of my teeth as they are now. See how stained my power chains are? Embarrassing, but i still wanted to show you.
- You may have already noticed my update #2 in the photo above! My ortho put a spring on the lower right side (screen left) of my teeth, see it in the picture above? The spring is pushing two teeth apart to make room to finally bring that back one that I hate up front! I actually had a spring put on in May, but my teeth didn't move far enough apart to attach the archwire to that straggling back tooth so he put another spring in earlier this month. I admit that I was pretty bummed that my teeth didn't move as fast my ortho expected. I hope he can put the archwire on at my next appointment next week!
- This is more of a bitching type update . . . one of my brackets broke off...AGAIN. It's not the same one as last time, it's the upper left one. It's not the typical ring shaped bracket that goes around your tooth. My ortho was "trying" new ones out on me that he glued to the side of my teeth. this is the 2nd one that has broken off so I don't think they're working all that well. I was unimpressed with my ortho's office when I called to tell them too. I had a good 1 1/2 cm of wire sticking out in the back of my mouth when the bracket broke and it was poking and scarping me. I called to see if i could go in and the lady told me to clip the wire myself with NAIL CLIPPERS! Is that normal? Has anyone else ever been advised to do that? Luckily I found wire cutters and used that instead, but i have to wonder WTF am I paying for if I am treating myself? not cool & I plan to talk to my ortho about it when I go in next week.
- I also experienced a yucky little issue when I was at my appointment. The ortho opened one of the brackets on my tooth to change my archwire. The bracket on that tooth opens like a door on hinges. When he snapped it closed on the archwire he also snapped it on my lip and CAUGHT a part of my lip IN the bracket. It hurt and I couldn't talk. First he tried to pull it, but i could that that would cut me so I put my hand up and uttered "whatever you just did, undo it!" and he did and released my tooth noting "that's never happened before'. Needless to say, he isn't my favorite person right now. . .
The part circled in yellow is where he caught my lip;
So those are my updates. I am hoping to have a much better appointment next week and hopefully get that back tooth on board with the rest of my teeth!
XOXO
