21 Months and Nearing the End!

It's been a l.o.n.g time since I updated this blog with my progress photos and since the end is in sight I figured I'd better do it now.

In October I got my first set of powerchains, on my lowers and I got to cease with the rubberband on the right side.  But I still wear one rubberband on the left in the famous triangular configuration.  Still, I only have to wear the rubberband at night, while I sleep, so it isn't too terrible.

In December I began what my Orthodontist calls the "Fab Four" appointments. I was thrilled to hear that!  But not so thrilled with the work.  Ouch.  Lots of tweaking going on by removing and replacing brackets and hand bent "bends" in my arch wire.

I also got those 2 little "loops" off my Lateral Incisors, I hated those things because my lips would always get caught on them anytime I was talking or smiling.  They're gone, gone, gone thank the good Lord!

Tomorrow I got for my second "Fab Four" appointment where I was told by my Ortho that he will be sanding between some teeth in order to create gaps that he will then close with powerchains in order to get rid of the pesky "balck triangles".  You can see one or two of those triangles in the side shots below.  NOT looking forward to that appointment for sure.  But that's okay, it puts me that much closer to the end of my orthodontic journey.

So here is the long awaited progress photos, I am 21 months and 1 day in...just a few more months to go!  Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ( I think you can still enlarge the photos by clicking on them, I think...)

Wow right?  I'm thrilled with how things look!  My bottom centerline is almost totally corrected, it just needs to move a teeny-tiny bit more to the right and it'll be dead on.

I can't wait until all my teeth are "shaped" when my braces come off, that will really make a huge difference in how straight they really look.

Here's the left side shot, you can clearly see the "black triangle" that I was referring to:

And here's a shot of the right side:

I am totally in love with my teeth!!!  I'm going to love them even more when I get my 3 missing teeth replaced with crowns and implants.  Yee Haw!!!

I'll update again after my appointment tomorrow to let y'all know how it went and yes, I'll post photos.  :)

Have a great day!!!

I haven't forgotten about this blog folks and I'll be updating it within the next few days, it's been 18 months!!!  

So as soon as the clouds from Hurricane Sandy allow for the sun to peak through, I'll be taking some progress photos and posting them here.

I think y'all will be impressed, I sure am.

One Year, One Week and Four Days Later...

So, it turns out that (religiously) blogging about life in braces is n.o.t possible.  I mean really, how much is there to discuss, it’s the same thing day after day after day.  But I gave a shot initially and then things started to slow down in the ole mouth and I was left with…”what can be said that hasn’t been said already?”

So it’s been 6 months since my last update and photos, so let’s get down to it shall we?

My teeth are looking Gee-O-O-Dee, as in good and I am diggin’ it!  They look so straight it’s almost unbelievable how quickly they’ve transformed in only 1 year.  I would have never guessed the difference in a million long ones.

I’ve definitely still got some issues, like gaps and my bite and my lower midline is wackadoodle, but we’ll get there...no doubt.

Oh, and now that I see a neat row of straight teeth, I am sooooo looking forward to my ortho filing all my rough little edges so that they’re perfectly even.  Can I get a Yee-Haw or a Woo-Hoo?  I really can’t wait for that!

I’ve still been a good girl, I haven’t ate anything on the “no-no” list and I’ve got to tell you…life without Russell Stover Chocolate Covered Caramels is...well it’s pretty dang sad!  My mouth is watering as I type this.  Ugh!

I’m still wearing rubber bands at night and my ortho has even added another little thinga-ma-jobber to two of my brackets to stretch those rubber bands to maximum puller-ness.  If one ever pops it’s gonna hurt and I do mean h.u.r.t.

No cavities either!  Another yee-haw for Audrey!  My cleaning regimen, however long and dreadful it is, is paying off!  (I do miss regular bleaching though and can’t wait for that either!)

And can you believe that in an entire year I never, ever, ever had a bracket come off?  Oh yeah!  Audrey is a #1 ortho patient and deserves a reward!  Dr. Wonderful did have to remove and reposition four brackets, but that wasn’t my fault (or his), just one of those things that inevitably has to happen to get those chompers just right.

Might I say, that having an Orthodontist with an excellent reputation is so important, I can‘t say enough nice things about the work he‘s doing to make my smile beautimous…I’m so grateful for all the staff at the office, they’re good at what they do and take care of ya.  Love them all!

Ok, enough chatter right?  Here’s the latest and greatest progress photos (remember you can make them larger by clicking on them):

WOW right?  I'm in love with my smile :)  Here's another purdy view of it:

And this photo will give you a good idea of what I'm talking about when I say that the midline on my lowers is wackadoodle:

So that's it, that's my big 1 year milestone.  Isn't it amazing?  I still keep looking at the photos in disbelief.  Now I'm ready to have it all finished so I can get to replacing my missing teeth.  That will be a total thrill because I c.a.n.n.o.t tell you how much I miss them!

My mouth is gonna look great when we're all finished with it, I only wish I had done this sooner.  If you're thinking of getting braces and you're young...do-it-now; and if you're older...it's-never-too-late!

I won't be waiting another 6 months to post a new entry because I kinda want to really track the closing of the gaps and the midline correction and the best way to do that is photos.  So give me a few weeks and I'll update.

Until next time folks, take care of yourself and each other :)