My BraceFace Journey Begins!

There are two main reasons I decided to start this blog...

1. So I can track my journey. :)
2. I became so obsesed with the whole thing wondering what the end result will look like that reading other peoples blogs really helped me and I only really found two that had a similar case to mine.  So... Maybe this might help someone else.

Why get braces?
I have quite a large overjet and was told by the dentist when I was younger that I would need braces but at that age all I was concerned about was that people might take the mickey out of me and that they would look horrible so the dentist hooked me up with a head gear!

Here I am at 34 remembering the dentists words "you'll regret not having them when you're older".

I've noticed my teeth feeling uncomfortable lately and its almost as if it they are moving outwards from each other... this can only get worse especially since I grind my teeth in my sleep.  Also, I hate having to worry about what my smile might look like in pics if a pic is taken from the wrong angle.

So here I am... a little more responsible and wiser and taking the leap to fix something that's always been bugging me!

This is sooooo unflattering, but here are a couple of my pics of my before smile. 

Seperators

Just a small update since ive now had my braces on for just over a month.

Every day has been like a new story in my mouth!  Sometimes I forget my braces are even there.  My bite changes from day to day... when I first had them fitted I found it quite frustrating that I couldnt get my back teeth to touch... last week only the left side could bite and I had a wobbly tooth, today everything feels normal!

One concern Ive had is that Ive been grinding my teeth in my sleep and its sometimes so loud I wake myself up, I thought Id broken my teeth on one of the nights.

My face also seems to have changed... at first I thought my face looked a bit haggered and sad... others have said my cheek bones are more prominent or that I look like Ive lost weight it made me really paranoid at first but im getting used to the subtle changes, my profile seems a little bit flatter and softer and (even though ita probably down to the braces) my lips look fuller which I dont mind at all!!! :)

I popped in to the ortho this morning to get seperators put in either side of the tooth where the bracket popped off where my ortho will fit a band in when she changes my wire. 

One thing I am looking forward to is the extraction gaps starting to close up!

Popped Bracket

Just popped in to see my ortho... she checked out the missing bracket and said that because of the filling on that tooth the bracket won't stick. 

She trimmed the wire down to my next bracket and booked me in to see her one week before my adjustment so she can put a seperator on it which is a bit like a metal ring around my tooth.

Apparently the braces are still working so its all good. :)

One Week Down!

So I've finally caught up with myself and have been in these badboys for 1 week... only 51+ more to go.... :-/

Its gotten easier everyday.... the least painful time is in the morning... and the most painful is the afternoon... not so much my teeth but my mouth after a full days talking and the brackets rubbing the insides of my mouth :( also... im consciously trying to find a comfortable way to hold my mouth closed as the back teeth dont meet and the bottom front teeth hit the back of my top front teeth (which are super sensitive at the mo) when I try to bite down on my back teeth.  Good job to anyone who has been able to make sense of what I just said! 

I also dont see them aa bulky as I did on the first day.

Reactions
Reactions have been quite cool and positive... ive been told they look cool, and quite a few people have told me that theyve also thought about getting braces. Some people didn't notuce them at first  and others thought that I just had a retainer.  Theyve actually turned into a bit of a talking point, which I don't mind as it's all been positive.

Popped a Bracket
By night 5 I managed to pop the metal bracket off from my back tooth at the top while flossing. Got told off in a dad-like way by the bf for not taking proper care of them... but it wasn't my fault... dad!

I called the ortho the next the morning  and they squeezed me in to get the bracket put back on... on my way now will update if anything exciting happens - feels like im going for the fitting all over again!

Braces Day!!

18th October 2013

Three days after the extractions and its Brace Day.

Im quite relieved that they are going on, at least it shows reason for me having gaps in my smile rather than just looking like they are there because of bad oral hygiene!

My other half dropped me off on his way to the gym and I was half an hour early for my appointment - talk about excited!  The dental nurse picked me up from reception so she could take some xrays then just a little while later I was on my way to the orthos room.  The dental nurse and I had this little jokey thing where I am fighting my way passed her to get my braces ... was funny at the time! :-/

Had a bit of a chit chat with the ortho and then she got me to sign all the bits... now she thinks my treatment may be 18 months... bit late to turn back now that Ive got holes in my gob!

My ortho took my moulds which meant filling my mouth with pink gunky stuff which was nice and cold :) and waiting for it to set I actually wouldn't mind looking at those  at some point.

Then we were all set... this was it... the first day of  the rest of my year+.

I had a plastic piece put in my mouth to hold my lips back and that was pretty uncomfortable but nothing unbearable... I'm pretty sure that didn't look too sexy!  They dried my mouth ready to glue the brackets on, the wire got fitted and the elastics (ligatures) put on.  The whole thing took half an hour, how quick!

The ortho passed me the mirror to have a look and to be honest initially my heart sank a little bit... just seeing these bulky brackets on my teeth.

She gave me a list of rules;

○ DON'T eat curry :(
○ DON'T eat tomato based sauces :(
○ DON'T drink coffee :(
○ DON'T drink carbonated drinks or eat chocolate, hard candy, chewing gum (not so bad since I dont really drink or eat any of that)
○ Eat soft food
○ Chew with your back teeth
○ Floss daily

The ligatures/elastics around the ceramics are prone to staining hence some of the restrictions... my ortho told me to save curry night until the day before my adjustments as she will change the elastics then as they tend to get stained anyway...  joys!

I can tell you that this far nothing was as painful as I imagined it would be.... I couldn't really bite down as my teeth don't meet which was  probably why I didn't feel any pain.  

The whole process was that quick that this little braceface was home before the bf. :)

And here's my grills...

Extraction Day

15th October 2013 was extraction day.

The dental nurse picked me up from reception to take me through and I said 'noooooo im not ready' my dentist was really excited that ive decided to go ahead with the braces.  I told her id been obsessing over the whole thing all weekend and she said ive just got to think about the end result and how happy I will be.

I agreed, we put on my MC Hammer glasses and back we went.... I actually felt the pierce of the needle when the numbing stuff went in and I think this was the worst of it.... you can ask for some numbimg gel before yhe injections if you dont think youll like the pain.  

As we waited for the numb to set in my dentist showed me before and after pics of one of her patients who had finished treatment that day... then they started the reclining of the chair... no turning back!

The whole thing took about 20 mins because my bottom tooth didnt want to leave, no pain though.

I cant tell you what I looked like after... my mouth was stuffed with cotton to stop the bleeding and help clots form in the extraction areas.  I walked home with a droopy numb mouth!  I bet my other half was pleased that there was a bit of peace and quiet for a few hours! ;) Bless him though, he'd been to the shop and bought me yoghurts. :)  Not sure if I appreciated him singing 'Holey Moley' - all in jest though. 

Chilled out on the sofa bed for the rest if the day. 

Heres some pics the day after.  

Extractions for Braces

Ok so being told that you need 4 healthy teeth extracted is a lot scary!

To me I thought this was unheard of but having 'googled' it it turns out its quite common.  My other half said he also had extractions for his braces when he was younger.

So... I read an article and watched a youtube clip about a dentist who insists that extractions will ruin your face.  He referenced twins who had dental treatment as children,  one had extractions the other didn't.  They are now comparing their facial structures as adults and consider the brother whonhad extractions as the less fortunate looking one.

I also came across a lady who has been blogging on youtube about her extractions (10 years ago) who feels her face changed because of it. 

This totally freaked me out as it probably would tons of others BUT what you have to take into consideration is that this was treatment that was done 10+ years ago when dentists were pulling out teeth will - nilly regardless of the proposed outcome.  Practise has probably changed since then and in some cases (typically where overjets are concerned) extractions are necessary to get the end results we require.  We all have different sized teeth and mouths and I guess we just have to put our faith in our orthos to do what they know best.

Dont get me wrong, I still question and wonder what changes will occur to my face as there obviously will be some change when my teeth move but I wont know until the end...