40 Year-old Brace Face

Slenderizing and Aqualizing

2008-05-22T12:47:00.008-04:00

I suck...I just can't seem to keep up with this blog.

A few quick updates:

I had my teeth "slenderized" at my last appointment 5 weeks ago. It sort of sucked. They said it wouldn't hurt... and it wan't excrutiating, however, with my super sensitive teeth I experienced a fair amount discomfort. They basically take this spinning disc-like wheel and run it in between your teeth to file a space for the teeth to move. Then, they take a double-sided, metal "Emery board" and run it between your teeth to buff the rough edges. After, you have to up your fluoride usage b/c any fluoride that has accumulated over the years is basically filed off.

The next day my bottom teeth were quite sore... NOT from the procedure, from the fact that they could move again and had obviously done so while I slept.

Then, last week, I woke up in the middle of the night to a sharp and loud cracking sound. I though I broke my tooth, but I had actually clenched my teeth together so tight while sleeping, that I broke the bracket off my bottom, left-middle tooth. The ortho couldn't see me for a few days... and it's amazing how much your teeth move in that time. It seemed like that tooth went back to where it started. Very scary...

It took all of 20 minutes to fix it. They did not take the wire off, but rather just loosened it, scraped the cement off my tooth (uncomfortable for me, b/c once again, my sensitive teeth didn't like it) and then glued a new bracket back on.

Everything would have been fine and good except, the bracket broke off again last weekend. I have no idea how... but I think it either happened at dinner (and I didn't notice) or I did it in my sleep again and it didn't wake me. In either case, I am going today to have it fixed yet again. And yet again, that tooth is back to it's crazy crookedness. I hope this doesn't become a problem...

The ortho "gave me" (for $50) this thing called an Aqualizer that I can wear to bed to prevent the teeth clenching. It's sort of weird, but I guess I need to start wearing it every night.

PS - I'll get some pictures posted soon... my teeth are looking good!

A quick update...

2008-04-16T17:42:00.003-04:00

My bottom teeth are SO loose. It's pretty gross. I've got this awful habit of clenching my teeth while I sleep, so I often wake up to very sore bottom teeth. On top of that, I've become obsessed with lightly clenching my teeth together voluntarily... to feel them move! I have issues...

The Invisalign trays are plugging along. I'm SO annoyed because we are on vacation this week -- in Florida, and I forgot to switch to Tray 4 before we left (as scheduled)! ::sigh:: There goes another week added on to treatment. I'm such a jackass...

Dogs get "hot spots" from too much licking...

2008-04-07T17:12:00.004-04:00

People with traditional braces get "raw spots" from where the wire or bracket cuts into your cheek and/or the inside of your lips (after repeated exposure).

I have a raw spot right now... inside my bottom lip. At first, I thought it was the actual bracket cutting into my lip. But no, it's the wire in between two brackets. It sucks! I just put a little tab of dental wax on it and it definitely helps.

It's weird, b/c at night while you sleep, I guess a sort of vacuum occurs in your mouth and causes your lips to be drawn in to your teeth. So I often wake in the morning to find my braces almost embedded into my bottom lip. Over time, this one little spot has gotten a deeper and deeper indentation (from the wire) until it's finally broken the skin.

I love dental wax... don't know what I would do without it.

Tray #3

2008-04-01T09:19:00.002-04:00

So, today is my first "offical day" of chaging my top Invisalign tray -- on my own. I was supposed to do it last night, but totally forgot. This coming from someone who was DYING during the first two weeks... knowing that I had to wait until week six until I was able to switch to Tray 2!

In any case, I remembered this morning and swapped out Tray 2 for 3. It was very tight when I first put it in, but feels better already. My only complaint is that I have a 'sore spot' now on the upper right molar area. I guess that's the area being 'worked on' with this tray.

My bottom teeth are doing okay. I am never completely pain free... unless I am not eating. Eating, chewing, biting, etc. are all still a challenge. My bottom teeth are a little lose and therefore, don't do well with foods that exert pressure (which most do). Breads really suck b/c they either get stuck everywhere (in the brackets) if they are too soft or, are impossible to tear through and chew if they have any sort of crust.

Things like apples, celery and anything else 'crunchy' are still a challenge as well.

All that said though -- my bottom teeth have really shifted quite a bit. There are some significant improvements in areas that were pretty out of sorts before. I still have one specific area that appears to need significant movement... but I honestly need to look at the original pictures to do a comparrison. My guess is that these teeth have shifted... just not as much as the others.

First Maintenance Visit

2008-03-24T13:31:00.005-04:00

Sorry that it took me a few days (okay, over a week) to post an update re: my first real maintenance visit. I went in last Tuesday.

First of all, I had to wait OVER AN HOUR before I was brought into the room. I guess since my Ortho is only at my dentist's office twice a month, they sometimes get behind trying to jam everyone in. Very annoying... I hope this doesn't become a reoccurring problem.

When I finally got started, the first thing the technician did was to glue my two attachments onto my top teeth. The only real discomfort with this process is having to wear the clear plastic mouth expander they put in your cheeks to keep your teeth exposed. You wear this while they are putting your braces on as well. It kind of sucks. It feels like your bottom lip is going to split open. Then, when she was taking it out, she kind of pinched the inside of my top lip, which made my eyes tear uncontrollably. Aside from that, a painless procedure.

Basically, first they clean your teeth, then they dry them very well and apply a liquid to them -- which I am assuming is some type of acid -- to roughen the surface of the tooth a bit. Then they take an [existing] copy of your aligner and apply the adhesive/attachment material into the spaces in the aligner where the attachments fit. They put the aligner on you and it sits for several minutes curing (setting). The only slight discomfort with this (for me) was that the aligner was very tight. I got used to it after a few minutes, but she struggled getting it to snap on my teeth.

After, she rinsed my teeth off and put my normal aligner back in. I am now on aligner #2!!! Woo Hoo! And from here on out, I will change my aligner every two weeks. I am already done with the first week, so I'm already halfway to aligner #3!

Once it was in my mouth, I asked if I could practice taking it out... as I had heard horror stories of removing the aligner right after the attachments are place. I was able to [fairly] easily get it out. Keep in mind though, I only have two attachments... some people have as many as ten! I can see how removing the aligner -- when you have multiple attachments -- could be quite the challenge. Make sure you practice before you leave the office!

Once that step was done, it was on to the traditional braces on my bottom teeth. This is where things started to suck a bit. First, she removed the existing band and wires. Then, she placed either end of the wire in the back-most brackets on either side. Once the wire is anchored, they go bracket by bracket, using either bands or wires to fasten the wire on.

Previously I had all bands. Since things were moving along nicely, she used steel wire ties on the teeth that need the most adjusting (for either misalignment or rotation). As she tightened the wire around the bracket -- on the teeth that are the most painful as is -- it hurt quite a bit. A lot in fact. I thought for sure I would be in excruciating pain that night but I was actually okay. It was the tightening of the wires that hurt the most.

The appointment took about an hour in total and my next appointment is in 6 weeks. At this next appointment they will do something called "slenderizing" on the bottom teeth. This procedure helps to shave down the edges of the teeth -- where there is overcrowding -- providing room for the teeth to shift into place. Sounds a little scary, but I was told it is not painful (famous last words coming from someone in the dental industry). I asked if they could do some 'slenderizing' in other places too... like my butt, thighs and legs. Unfortunately they can not...

I'm a Jackass

2008-03-17T12:52:00.011-04:00

Well, good thing I have an Ortho appointment tomorrow... because I think I lost my Invisalign tray today! I went to Starbucks to get coffee and a bite to eat. After, I ran next door to the Hallmark store and, wanting to eat my food, took out my aligner and put it in my jacket pocket.

Three hours later (!) I remembered that my aligner wasn't in... so I reached into my pocket and it was empty! I cannot for the life of me remember if I took it out of my pocket after I ate, or if that was the last place I had it. In any case, I cannot find it.

I decided to put on my next tray, since I'm only one day away from the Ortho visit. This is the first aligner change for me... and boy is this 2nd aligner TIGHT! I cannot imagine how it will be tomorrow after I get my attachments on.

On a side note... some before (top) and after 6 weeks (bottom) pictures:

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Not too shabby!

Ow

2008-03-12T18:58:00.004-04:00

Weirdly enough, I think my bottom teeth shifted during sleep last night... and got MORE crooked! I know this only because I spent a fair amount of time staring at my teeth yesterday trying to figure out if they had moved at all. They definitely looked a little straighter.

I woke this morning to a few very sore teeth. Upon closer inspection, I am convinced there was a type of "shift" last night -- putting pressure on the teeth in pain and causing a few other teeth to appear more crooked.

WTF?

I'm guessing this is normal, especially when your teeth are crowded. The constant pressure moves the teeth and they have to go SOME where... so if there's no where to go, they are going to slip into places where they fit.

We'll see what the ortho says on Tuesday. Today was a sucky day for eating though.

Teeth Cleaning

2008-03-11T10:14:00.005-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted... mostly because I haven't had much to write about. The Invisalign tray is doing fine and the ceramic braces are about the same. My bottom teeth still cannot bite into anything too hard, so my food consumption is still limited to items that have a softer, less chewy, texture.

I did however, have my first teeth cleaning appointment since BB (before braces). It went fairly well, except I had a fair amount of plaque and tartar buildup. So, I purchased an ultrasonic toothbrush to help with this problem.

I hate it.

If you think the vibrations that happen during the final phase of a teeth cleaning -- when they brush/polish your teeth -- is bad, then you have never used an ultrasonic toothbrush. It definitely will take awhile to get used to this! Think... nails on a chalkboard, but feeling it... not hearing it.

In any case, my teeth are nice and clean as is my Invisalign tray (which the dental hygienist cleaned for me).

My next appointment (a biggie) is next Tuesday. I get the attachments placed on my top teeth and I'm wondering if my wire will be changed on my bottom teeth? Which, by the way, is STILL popping out every so often.

On a positive note, I have finally been able to eat salad for the last few days. That will all be over after next week's appointment though.

::sigh::

Invisalign Trays & Peanut Butter DO NOT Mix!

2008-03-04T17:17:00.005-05:00

I made the [dumb] mistake of licking a bunch of peanut butter off a spoon before taking my Invisalign tray out. NOT a good thing. My food addiction and hunger clouded my judgement and boy what a mistake that was. Let's just say peanut butter is very greasy and doesn't wash off easily. Especially the organic, natural kind, that tends to be a bit oilier than it's more processed competitors.

I have a feeling I'll be tasting peanut butter for a while...

On a side note... wire is back intact thanks to a very small set of needle nose pliers I use when making jewelry.

Day 18

2008-03-04T10:56:00.002-05:00

That damn wire came out of my back bracket again!!!! And I'm without pliers...

This is SO annoying.

Day 17

2008-03-03T13:49:00.002-05:00

Things are still going. No new news to report. Bottom teeth are still sore... and the wire that I've had problems with has popped out several more times.

I fell asleep on the couch last night after dinner and had my top aligner out for FIVE HOURS! Note to self... brush teeth and put aligner in AS SOON AS YOU ARE DONE EATING!!!!

End of Week 2

2008-02-28T09:10:00.003-05:00

Things are going. This morning was the first time that I felt like my front bottom teeth weren't overly painful. Don't get me wrong, I still cannot bite into things comfortably and they are a little sore, but things are much better. That being said, a tooth that previously was quiet is now causing me pain. Also on the bottom (so in traditional braces), it's one that is tilted in and turned in the wrong direction... so perhaps the arch wire is finally begin to move it?

On the Invisalign front, the trays continue to get more mucked up. I used denture cleaner on them this morning for the first time and that helped a bit, but they still need to soak or something. I'm kind of bummed out to think how I would normally be switching to aligner number 2 tonight, but instead need to wait another 3 weeks b/c of the Ortho's schedule. Overall, the trays are not impeding my day-to-day activities... other than the fact that I am snacking less. I was hoping this would help me lose weight... but alas, I'm so starving by dinner time that I chow down. I need to come up with a solution.

Moola...

2008-02-25T17:52:00.002-05:00

I know someone is bound to ask so... total package: $5K (all inclusive)

Days 10 & 11

2008-02-25T17:19:00.004-05:00

Every day, my bottom teeth are getting less and less sore. I've easily discovered that the areas that need the most corrections have the most pain. Which is why my bottom center teeth have been bothering me so much.

I was able to eat some potato chips over the weekend... but it wasn't a pleasant ordeal. Thick tortilla chips proved to be just too difficult. Last night, I actually had my Invisalign aligner out for 2 hours. We had friends over and were picking at food the entire time. I did not notice any ill effects (at least not yet!) from leaving it out. It's funny... I feel weird when it's out and want to put it back in.

I also tried to eat a fried egg roll over the weekend, and could only manage eating the middle parts where the wrapper was thinner. I had no idea just how difficult it would be to eat so many different foods.

I have been happily drinking my white wine and my Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Lattes (must be iced -- so you are drinking through straw) while leaving my aligners in. I do miss chewing gum -- a big no no with ANY type of braces.

I am still not 100% used to having all these contraptions in my mouth; though I must say, I am finding the Invisalign much easier than I originally anticipated. Some initial concerns were that I would forget to put the aligner back in after eating, or that it would be difficult to remove. I have not experienced this at all. I do expect things to change dramatically once I get my attachments -- but I figure I will adjust to those as well though.

It's the traditional braces that are killing me the most. You cannot really "take a bite" out of anything with your front teeth... for fear and risk of ripping the brackets off. All fruit (like apples, pears, etc) must be cut first... but even these are still a little too hard for me to chew (b/c of soreness). Finger foods need to either fit whole in your mouth or you must cut and/or break them apart before eating. And... after almost two weeks, I am still really needing soft food in order to really enjoy the meal.

I have no idea how often the wires get changed, but it worries me that it will take upwards of two weeks to enjoy eating again (after each change). It definitely sucks. Another little issue I have is that I had a slight overbite before the brackets were applied to my bottom teeth. So, now that brackets are on, my teeth don't close all the way (b/c my upper teeth hit the brackets). This poses a small problem in that now my molars don't meet... which makes chewing firm foods even THAT much more fun!!!

Don't get my wrong... I am not regretting anything b/c I know the end-product will make me very happy. My point is that it definitely takes some time to get used to these things, so prepare yourself for that before you begin. :)

Day 9

2008-02-23T07:56:00.003-05:00

My bottom teeth still hurt while brushing, especially those in the front... as they are the most crooked and hence, have the most pressure being applied to them by the wire.

On a gross note, even with consistent cleaning, the Invisalign trays start to get mucked up with a white film. If I brush hard enough, I can usually get it off. However, this morning was the first time I could not remove the film with vigorous brushing and soaking in Listerine. I guess it's time to start soaking in the Polident.

Trays are only worn for two weeks, so typically I would only have 6 days left. However, since this is my first tray, and my trays start off with attachments in them (unlike most folks, whose second tray is the first tray with attachments), AND my next appointment isn't until March 18th (due to the Ortho's schedule), I will be wearing THIS try until then... for a total of like 4 1/2 weeks! HOW dirty will they be by then???

Addendum to Day 8

2008-02-22T18:08:00.002-05:00

I wanted to also mention that today the first day that I can feel a change in my top teeth. When I take my Invisalign tray out, by teeth feel weird. It's hard to explain... I am hyper aware of them and they sort of have this weird "twang" thing going on. Strange feeling...

Whitening and Invisalign

2008-02-22T13:06:00.003-05:00

I forgot to mention that I am also whitening my top teeth with the Invisalign trays. If you do not get "attachments" (small, tooth-colored buttons that are glued onto your teeth) put on right away, you can whiten first. I started yesterday.

My trays are setup so that I will require three attachments at first. All three are on my right side... one on the tooth before the canine and one on each of the two molars that follow the canine. So, my bottom teeth will stay yellow (until the braces are removed), but at least I will be able to see the 'before' and 'after' results of the whitening!

I get my attachments on my next appointment -- March 18th.

Here is an example of a ClinCheck video that shows the teeth straightening through the process and also where the attachments will be used to help the aligners grip onto and move the teeth more efficiently. This is not my ClinCheck. When and if I get it, I will definitely post it.

The truth? You can't handle the truth!

2008-02-22T12:13:00.005-05:00

And neither can I. How can these Frankenstein-esque, frighteningly crooked, teeth be mine??? I'm scary...

End of Week 1

2008-02-22T11:18:00.009-05:00

Today marks the one week anniversary of my braces. Only 103 weeks to go. Kill me now.

Here is a recap of this week:

Day 1: Braces were put on around noon time. This process is not too bad. It is hard to have your mouth pried open for that long... it is rough on the lips. The actual placement of the brackets and the application of the initial wire is quite painless. The teeth themselves experience no pain right away... just very awkward. By 8pm, soreness started to set in on the bottom teeth, which is where the traditional (ceramic) braces are. Top teeth (with Invisalign -- see below) felt fine.

Day 2: Bottom teeth VERY sore. Cannot eat anything unless it is very soft. Top teeth still feel fine, maybe just a little "tight". Hard to ignore pain in bottom teeth... pretty severe.

Day 3: Bottom teeth continue to be sore. The wire on the bottom left has started to irritate my cheek. It is sticking out and is quite painful. I go to CVS and buy every orthodontic product known to man... including, dental wax, which you can use to cover your brackets and/or wires to prevent them from shredding your cheeks. This helps tremendously.

Day 4: While eating -- what I thought was -- a soft chocolate chip cookie, the wire that has been bothering me gets pulled out of the back tooth. I am missing my second to last molar on that side, so the wire is 100% exposed to the pressure of food while eating. The husband fixes it with pliers... as he had braces as a kid and knows how to do this. Bottom teeth still VERY sore. Eating is a huge issue. I cannot chew or bite anything. I was however, able to eat sushi (well, inside-out maki) and for dinner. Ahhh.... flavor....

Day 5: I call the Ortho office because of the exposed wire. By now I have accidentally swallowed at least 5 pieces of wax that were covering the offending wire. I go in at 5pm (toting along my 3-year old) and the Ortho decides to replace the entire wire and enforce the area (with a spring-like structure) where the wire is exposed (missing tooth area). This time, changing the wire is quite unpleasant. My teeth are still very sore, so removing the wire causes pain and pressing the wire back into place also causes pain. I got to CVS and finally fill the prescription for Tylenol with Codeine that the Ortho gave my on Day 1.

Day 6: Pain in bottom teeth is finally starting to subside. I still cannot bite into anything directly, chew anything firm or even moderately firm, and chewing in general causes pain. I do not have on-going pain when I am not eating though... this is a big step! After dinner, while trying to sneak in a Cadbury Egg (I know... what was I thinking? But they are my FAVORITE!), my damn wire came out again... YES, the that has been enforced with a thick-assed spring. Will I never be able to chew on my left side again??? What the F? I assume the task of reinserting it this time... after all, if this is going to happened regularly, I better know how to do it! I have success and things are back to normal. The question is... do I call the Ortho again or wait until my next appointment? Which isn't until March 18th!!! I'm going to play the waiting game and see what happens.

Day 7: I'm getting used to all the "in and outs" (literally) of the Invisalign trays. They need to be removed everytime you eat, drink anything hot or that will stain them and brush your teeth. It adds up... I am probably brushing my teeth at least 5 times a day now. Bottom teeth are feeling better. No pain upon resting; however, I tried to eat a Triscuit last night and had to spit it out. WAY too hard. Hmmmm... how much longer, if ever, until I can eat crunchy foods? I miss the textures. Soup, soft pasta and ice cream only go so far.

Day 8 (Today): Teeth feel good. Invisalign tray is starting to get "mucked up". I need to get some denture cleaner (yes, gross) to soak them in. Bottom teeth still sore when eating, but doing much better. One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that every single thing you eat -- no matter how innocuous you may think it is -- will get stuck in your braces. It's disgusting and eating in public is quite the embarrassment. Not only do you have to REMOVE your trays... that drag about a gallon of spit along with them... you need to run to the ladies room right after you eat to brush your teeth, put the trays back in and lament at how much food was stuck in your braces and wonder how many people saw it!

Prepping for Braces

2008-02-20T15:03:00.005-05:00

Aside from the mental preparation, there are many things an Orthodontist must do prior to crazy-gluing brackets on your teeth and/or sending away for your Invisalign trays.

There are multiple x-rays and also digital photographs... so if you are shy or not overly psyched to accentuate your horribly crooked teeth in an up close shot... start prepping yourself now. The orthodontist will also visually inspect your face (straight on and profiles), jaw and mouth.

The worst part however, are the "impressions" that need to be taken in order to create the Invisalign trays. Even if you only need one set of Invisaligns, both upper and lower impressions need to be made in order to ensure the bite and placement of all teeth is taken into consideration.

Making impressions of your teeth involves pressing a tray filled with soft putty onto your teeth. After what seems like forever, the putty hardens and is removed from your mouth. The hardened putty (which is now a mold) is filled with a special type of plaster or plastic that creates a mold of your teeth. If the molds are not perfect, they will need to redo them as many times as necessary. In my case, just one time for my upper, but FOUR times for my lower.

Doesn't sound too bad... however, this "putty" is very thick and a LOT is used. So when the push the trays onto your teeth, there is a huge amount of overflow of the putty into your mouth, blocking your airway and making you feel like you are going to suffocate to death. Most teeth impressions only take 1 to 2 minutes for the putty to set. Not Invisalign... It takes up to FIVE minutes. This is a very long time for anyone to wait, especially when your mouth is filled with a substance that is choking you.

When the molds are complete, they are shipped off to Invisalign for analysis and ultimately, the creation of your trays. Depending on the severity of your teeth, you could have anywhere from 6 months to 2 years worth of trays (they are changed out approximately every two weeks).

Once the trays are complete, your orthodontist receives them, along with your "ClinCheck" -- a computer rendered animation that shows the progress your teeth will make over the course of the treatment. I have not had the opportunity to see mine yet... the Ortho said he would email me. A week later... no email yet.

Days 1 and 2

2008-02-16T19:43:00.007-05:00

Today is Saturday. I got braces yesterday... 2/15/08. I've "wanted" braces since 5th grade... or at least I thought so. I almost got braces about 8 years ago, but I just didn't have the funds at the time.

So, after a bunch of dental work and a recommendation (and secret longing) from my dentist, here I am... almost 40 with Invisalign braces on my top teeth and traditional (clear) braces on my bottom teeth.

The purpose of this blog is to document and chronical my experience, as an adult, through the braces process. I will be open, honest and downright blatent when it comes to describing this experience... the good and the bad... and hope to provide some information and feedback for people thinking about going through the same thing.

For now, I will say my teeth are sore and I feel like a have a Chevy truck attached to my bottom teeth... but I will provide a more detailed and informative post about this process thus far a little later this weekend!