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.

Progress almost a month in it

 This is a close up on how they look .The gap is closing a little but the tooth is still slanted up I hope that gets fixed soon. I get the remaining bracket put on this coming Wednesday. Maybe that will help as well. So far I don't feel as if a lot has changed but than again it has only been 3 weeks.

Here is a farther view. My smile has improved already and its only been 3 weeks. So I am very very pleased with this haha. So far a great decision and I do not regret it. But another positive note is the fact that I have yet to get any sores in my mouth at all so that makes me feel great. Also my boy friend says I look like a cute nerd so it is awesome :). For anyone thinking about getting them but feels the first few months aren't that fun I advice to just take the plunge because I was that person and now I am so happy that I took the chance and did it:).

1-18-2012

This is an image of me 9 days into the treatment. I feel like it should be already a few weeks. Maybe that is because I have read other blogs people have posted and they are already done so I read there past entries so theirs seem like it went buy in a few minutes. None the less I don't look to terrible with my braces right? I do feel young in them. I don't look 22 in this photo. I look more like 18 at the most. My teeth have finally stop hurting. I can eat semi normal now. Last night I had pizza but I had to cut it up. I don't think I will eat that stuff anymore. I got pizza stuck in my teeth and it was embarrassing. Despite the fact that I don't think my Boy friend cared since he has been with me in forever I just didn't like having it in there felt unnatural. I find myself always filling my cheeks with air so I can feel semi normal without the braces touching my top lip. But other than that I feel sorta used to them now. I haven't noticed much of a difference yet in my teeth. My friend says she has but I have yet to see. I can't wait to see what my smile will look like soon. Hoping its a fast process. Pray with me please on that one :).

The first day and night!

Good Morning,

Well to start this off I have a few teeth that hurt really bad already. I didn't realize how crucid my teeth were tell they went on and my mouth stuck out a little. They say once your teeth are straight the braces shouldn't stick out your lips. But than again they say they only stick out in your imagination. Well about the process on how they were put on;

Well first they took out my spacers then took moldings with that weird pink stuff they stink in your mouth tell it hardens and then they take it out. Well she was lame and left some in my mouth as I am laying down and it taste bitter and nasty. She did that on the top and bottom. Then she took some hard wax and made me bite on it, OUCH since my mouth was still sore when biting because of the spacers. Then she out the lip pullers (what I call them) and spread my lips out so she can see all my teeth. Wasn't so painful tell the pressed on it. Then they cleaned my teeth and put glue on them I am assuming and then placed the ceramic brackets on it. Then she scrapped off my teeth, I assume to get the extra glue off. Then they took a light and put it on every tooth. It was that blue hot light that hurts if it hits your skin, well yeah that was what it was. The ceramic brackets had die on them. I had to go brush my teeth before they put the wire and bands on so I didn't have random dark colors on my clear brackets. Took a little while but it came off. Then she put the wire on. It was easy and then the bands. Those sorta hurt me but nothing unbearable. Then I left and I felt discomfort right away. Mainly on the left side. The pain got a little worse as the night went on. I slept great tho. Then I woke up and the pain is still here. Only on two teeth tho? Makes me think but then again I have no idea how braces work so I can not judge.

Brushing and flossing;

I feel like I cheat this process. I use a sonic toothbrush and  waterpik for flossing. It is very easy. I just brush at an angle for 3 minutes than I rinse. With the Waterpik I just add the water and the power pushes it through the brackets and my gums and makes it easy. I still have my floss for when I go out and such but at home I think I got it easier than most. :)

Eating;
I haven't had much meals since I have had them on. I eat apple sauce and pudding, or tangerine bites. This morning I had oatmeal. But on the bright note of braces and the ceramic ones I am determined to use it as an excuse to loose weight. No Italian food since it will stain the brackets. No candy so I don't break them. No coffee or soda to stain them as well. All natural foods is what I will look towards. Take this time to get the body I have always dreamed of :). So not only will I work on my smile I will work on my overall health and appreance. It is going to be one awesome process.

Top Braces came on today! 01/09/2012

 Here are what they look like when I smile in a photo :)

 Here are what the close up looks like :)

And here it is right before I went in the chair! :)

Ill update tomorrow on how I feel about them, but so far no pain just a little strange. I didn't enjoy them taking the molds from my mouth or my photo a thousand times. But strangely I do enjoy what I feel with them on. I feel a little pressure but way better than the spacers I had on the week prior. They only did the top to have them move a little so I can have the bottom put on shortly. So here it goes the start of my beautiful to come smile :). Excited.

SPACERS!!

 This experience was different. I went in and there was no pain. A little pressure at first but then no pain. Later that night OUCH! Now my mouth hurts. I took Motrin last night before bed to make it better than I woke up around 4:30 am and it was hurting me. The pain isn't so painful where you want to pull your teeth out, but it is annoying where you want to take the spacers out.  I have until Monday and they will be gone and my braces will be on.... I am so mixed on how I feel. I am scared mainly because there the ceramic kinds and you have to be more gentle and I am worried I will look like a little girl. But than again I am so excited because I will have such a beautiful smile after... something I have been longing for. 5 more days and then no more bare teeth. :))

The date is set!

I went a week ago to the dentist to get all my work done before getting the braces on! But he went on vacation for the rest of the year the Monday after my Cavities got filled. So I go Jan 9th and get the ceramic on top and metal on bottom! So I start 2012 off with them. And I hope I end 2012 with getting them off :). That would be amazing. But I go a week before to get my spacers on... But from what I hear OUCH! But nothing can be worse then getting all your work done in a 2 hour visit. My mouth hurt up until yesterday and it still was even sore from that. :(. But The journey begins in about 3 weeks I am so excited and nervous. Wish me luck.

21/06/2011

  This is a picture of my teeth after the deep cleaning I had yesterday. What a difference. They still are ugly crucid tho! But soon will be fixed as well. :)

Yesterday I went in for a deep cleaning of all my gums and teeth. They do this before you get your braces on because once you get them on they wont be able to do that. It wasn't a painful process but it was irritating having some one sticking there fingers all through my entire mouth. But that could just be me some of my friends said they love the deep cleaning? I am still sore in the back of my mouth where my wisdom are. She said that is the most tender part of your gums since it is still fresh( as in it has only been around a tooth for a few years or less). Hurts to bite down.

  I also paid all my work in full yesterday. Grand total of Ceramic braces and the cleaning and to fill a few cavities was 3172.00. Felt nice to pay them all at once. Even tho I still have a card to pay off in the mean time just feels nice to not have to worry about a bill every time I enter the dentist. Also I heard when you pay them they tend to not prolong the process. Still estimating 12 months. 18 if things don't go as planned but he says 12 months to get them perfect as they can get. Which makes me happy. I have two more visits then I will have them on. I can have them on as early as December 20th, but I think I want to get them right after Christmas... That way I am not sore and shy around Christmas time. Also I wont have that awkward swollen smile in the holiday photos. Then my next year gift to myself will be to have them off :).

 I have to say I was really really nervous and shy about doing all this but suddenly I have become anxious and excited. I can not wait for this. The funniest part besides them getting off will be watching them change over the next 12 months. If you are deciding to get them or still unsure I say you do. I bet if you didn't, in a year or so you will wish you did. Time fly's faster than we think. Why not just sacrifice a little time for a long term worth it smile :).

I will write back Thursday after my second visit. By then I should have my Ortho appointment booked. :) TTFN

Before Braces

I know gross! Mouth Wide open and teeth yellowish and such.. But I had to take a before. Cant lie with teeth right. Well this is the before. I hope the after is so much more than this!.

Dec. 2nd 2011

I do not have my braces on yet. But I am only a few weeks away from them being put on. I have my next appointment on Monday for my last cleaning and then that following Wednesday they will fill my cavities and I will be then set. I have to say the months I have put into considering braces have been exciting and very scary. Everyone I talk to about them all say they love them. I ask the typical question on wether or not I will still be attractive? I know we all think that before getting them. But the big reason why I asked was because I am 22 which is to me older than normal on getting braces. Usually they are on during high school, not college.
  I didn't get the chance to have them when I was younger and now that I work and get the benefits I told myself it was about time I do get them.

A little about my teeth. They aren't as bad as a lot of mouths when firth getting braces. I have pretty straight top teeth or so I think but my bottom are pretty crucial. My dentist says I will have them on for 12-18 months. To me that sounds like forever! But I know in a year I will look back and wish I did them. The reason I know this is because I already do that now. I asked for the ceramic ones but my dentist says I can only have those on the top but on the bottom I have to have traditional. Just so I don't ruin my top teeth by hitting them he stated. Most people who get ceramic all over usually are getting braces for the second time he stated. I am  hoping that it doesn't change how I look. You know the fear of your lips sticking out or food stuck in them. But then I think to myself why am I so concern about how I look with them when I am obviously getting them because I already don't like my teeth. :) A little humor on laughing at the insecurity behind it.

So I will either have them on right before or after Christmas. I am thinking right after? That way in my family photos I can do a before and after effect :), and what way to kick the new year off with a little change. Well I will post my before photo of me smiling before braces :) and then one right after I get them on. :) Be back shortly.