Been away for a while...

A little yellow forgive me I love coffee!

3/20/2013  

This is 14 months with my braces... It has been challenging. To be honest my first few months were the easiest and I had thought it would have been me hardest. I remember being so stoked and excited for what my teeth would look like later on... Which I still am but the excitement died down after having them so long. I had adjusted well and now they don't bother me as bad as they did a few months ago but I have my moments. I was just scrolling through all the photos I have taken over the years and looking at this one really shows how different my teeth are. Looking back they weren't as bad as I felt they were but my mouth was smaller. The image above shows how much they have spread out and I have yet to get the Rubber bands and final wire I get this coming visit, on Monday morning. I am excited for that because it will be my final stage of braces and I can have my mouth back! 

Okay soooo.... I finally got my first sore! it was on my tongue and it hurt way to much. took about 13 months before receiving one but I did :( and I pray I do not get another ever again. Made eating suck! and anything and everything that touched it killed! mainly the wire that had caused it in the first place. 

I only have had one bad thing happen to me from the dentist and process of braces and that was when they added the final bracket that gets placed on the back tooth towards the end of the cycle for the final thick wire....well about a month ago they put that on to get my mouth used to it and adjusted for my next visit... well!!!! the bracket had a hook on it that I told them was to close to my cheek.... He told me I would be okay.. but little did he know within just one evening it managed to dig a whole inside my mouth on my check and caused me to swell terribly and I went to the dentist right away the next day and my regular dentist was pretty angry with the ortho... He cut the hook gave me antibiotics and within a week I was healed... However, I still am afraid now when I go of what might happen but that should fade. Other then that I have had a good experience. 

Common phases I go through weekly:

1. " Ughhh I want them off!'

2."it takes to long to eat "ALL" the food including what is stuck between the wires!'

3."My teeth will be so pretty soon!"

4. " I look kind of cute in these"

5. Counting down the days tell they are off, Today it is "194" days and they are gone. OCTOBER!

Advantages to them:

1. You subconsciously take better care of your teeth

2. You are taking care of your sinus as well

3. A more confident Smile

4. Straight teeth

5. You stay away from hard damaging candy

Disadvantages:

1. Sores

2. Food gets stuck

3. Braces on photos ( Which to be honest I get complimented)

4. Cant feel your teeth with your tongue. 

5. Kissing can be hard when you are afraid of someone hitting them

6. Soccer is terrifying for me with these braces! I fear a ball hitting my mouth and cutting me up to much. 

Overall I am still so pleased I got them! They have been a blessing and I am very excited for October for when they are final. 

This is fresh taken 5 minutes ago. I am still on the same wire they have had me on for about 3 months. I believe it is a 14 or 16. I can't remember. This is my first time doing colored on bottom. I have noticed that my teeth are now gapping... But I believe it is because, on the top and bottom I have to gaps where they pulled teeth that have to be filled. As far as straightness goes... they have changed so much. Nothing over laps anymore and they feel good. I still have about 10 more months to go so I have no idea how much more this smile will change.

So far I haven't had major cuts and zero blisters. I have however had a few swollen tongues from irritation of the wire in back. Makes it hard to talk.... I find myself repeating myself more when that happens. Nothing a little wax never cured. I haven't broken a bracket or anything yet. But they do hold me back. I am afraid of soccer and trampolines with these bad boys on. I have this fear of doing a face plant and breaking them.... or a ball hitting me so hard in the mouth it cuts me really bad. 

I have no clue what else I can say besides I need to clean my braces now after this photo. Hope you guys are having a fantastic summer... sorry for taking so long just been really busy with work and family and the BF. I will try to update every month like I started.

5-17-12

 Close up of my teeth as of 5-17-12...I don't see anymore progress with the top ones at all. The bottom ones have changed as far as the overlapping on the middle teeth. They changed to me a 16'' wire on the bottom after my second visit with them on. The top took 3 months before they put me on a 16". The top will eventually get filed once the process is almost done. I go back on the 4th of June for my 5th visit.

This is more of a smile photo a farther distance... as you can tell the bottom still need work and the top idk what else they can do? I don't even know there plans for them. My dentist isn't the best communicator out there. He told me 12-15 months so I am really hoping he lives up to that date.

Okay now to talk about the process so far. My last month before this one sucked because the wire came out of the side lower left. so I lost some progress on a few teeth and I didn't have time to go see them so I went about 2 weeks with a misplaced wire. But the last check up they shortened it and made it where it won't come out so easily. I have had 6 visits in the last 4 months. The first 3 were all for my top. then the last 2 were for my bottom. They started me on a 14" on both....took them 3 months to put a 16 on top and only took one month for them to put a 16 on bottom. I think my least favorite part of all this is when they put them on and shine that light on there to make them stay in place... makes my mouth taste gross and takes forever for them to do every tooth.
    I was chatting with the lady who i call the assistants and she was telling me how after a certain point of moving then they place the stainless steel one in your mouth. That is the one that is supposed to make them stay in place. I have no idea how long that is supposed to be on for but I am hoping and praying that they start really focusing on my date promised and start moving this process along faster.... My 23 birthday is coming up in 2 weeks and I am already anticipating my 24th with them off. Not that I don't love my braces because at times i really do, I am just ready to eat what I want and not worry about staining or getting stuck... and I am ready for that flawless smile I have paid a lot of money for.

   Maybe it is just my mood today, but its one of those days you wish everything is perfect and since it isn't your just not in a happy mood? Lame, I know. Also its Friday I should be in the best mood ever! But I am not. Anyways if you have an specific questions about my braces journey just leave me a comment and I will respond A.S.A.P :)


Thanks,

Tiffany

Bottom Metal on Today :)

 From a distance normal smile

A close up....


This process is hurting me already and I just got them  on at 9 this morning. :( I tried to eat a ham sandwich and it sucked! Haha.
The process was the same as the top just smaller since they are metal. They couldn't do the ceramic on the bottom because my teeth are to little they said. I like them tho.. They don't look that bad. I have the front tooth on bottom and it is sticking out more noticeable then when they were off so I am more anxious for that to go back into place. I also got the pearl color on the bottom. I am not bold enough to get the colors. They told me my teeth are doing great on top... Soon they will switch to the other type of wire once they are more level and they are close.... So cross your fingers that I am still set for Jan. to get them off. I can't wait. I want to see how my smile looks once they are done.

Round two of spacers

Ummmm Painful! It is truly a painful process having these. I got them yesterday because this coming Monday the bottom braces are coming on. I woke up 3 times last night from my top tooth lightly hitting the bottom one where the spacer is. OUCH. I am currently living off of Motrin to make the pain less painful. My lunch break is in about an hour so we will see what it will be like to eat a soft sandwich. I am praying not as bad as the last time I got my wire changed...but eating a banana today was hard for me. Honestly every time I go to the dentist I get all happy because it means I am that much closer to having my teeth back and straight. I love having braces because it is changing my teeth....But I am also looking forward to a different smile that I don't have to worry much about having food stuck in them.

Well here is my teeth from a distance... A huge difference.. Ignore the crucide smile... I was born with it and I didn't want to have to correct it this time.

3/8/2012

 3-8-2012 It is now Thursday but I just had got my wire changed on Monday. They were at a 14" now they went up to a 16". to be honest I am not that pleased :(. My dentist doesn't seem that into my teeth right now, He did however tell me tat my teeth are looking nice but he hasn't really given me any other information and it is bothering me. I am scheduled to get the bottom on april 9th and then after that I am just going to tell him that I feel like I am not getting any where and I need more information. Considering the fact I already had paid in full I deserve to be treated special in the sense that I have already paid for my mouth to get done and I would appreciate it if they saw that. I am going on my 3rd month and I feel like idk maybe I am just not in the best of mood today.. But my pictures from the first day tell today don't seem that much different :(. Idk ill talk to him my next appointment and hopefully it will get better.

Here is what my smile from a distance looked like right after they changed my wire :)

2/8/12

 Awkward smile but my lips hurt and I don't feel like faking my smile right now because I am not a happy girl. 

Monday they put the missing bracket on. It hurt kind of bad after I left. Today it still hurts but I keep running my tongue over it and I feel it going into place. Like my top teeth already are going straight and it feel so awesome to know this :). They have yet to put the metal bottoms on yet :( I don't know why they are prolonging this process. But I hope they do it soon. But the last bracket was added and it feels complete finally. My next appointment is March 5th so I hope they tell me progress at that time it would be cool to know stuff.