Should I have an Inspire Ice Brace fitted to finish off my perfect smile?

Yesterday, my orthodontist took some pictures of my teeth. It's two months since I had my Incognito brace off, and he asked me if I was pleased with the result because it had been a longer and more painful process than I had expected. I tried to be positive, but he could tell that I wasn't 100% sure.
The problem was that although the brace was made by a computerised system in Germany, and should have given me that perfect smile (and did to a certain extent if you look at the photos for last year) extra little adjustments had to be made because my right canine tooth would not line up with the others. This meant that the new wires were difficult to fit, and my teeth began to pull over to my right.
Last year, they were fairly even across the bottom edge, but now they go up and down a bit, and still that right canine does not match the left one.
He said that an Inspire Ice brace on the front few teeth for only about three months was all that would be needed to finish things off. He did suggest it before, but I wasn't sure then; I'd had enough of braces and adjustments altogether!
My teeth don't look too bad in this photo, and he did say that most people wouldn't notice that they are not perfect. In fact, I did read somewhere that an orthodontist always made sure that his patients' teeth were slightly imperfect to make them look more natural!
So I don't know. The decision is up to me. I'm due to go back in December for a check up so I have got some time to decide.
Whatever I do decide, one thing is sure and that is that they are so much better than they were in the first place!

Clear Retainer for Top Teeth and Cleaning Routine for Fixed Retainers

I had just a quick visit to my orthodontist today to make sure that my top clear retainer fitted, the one on the pink box. It just needed a little trimming as it was hard to get off and on but then it was fine.
They provided me with the Retainer Brite to use 2 to 3 times a week, and I've put together a little kit to show you what I use to keep my lovely straight teeth and their hidden fixed retainers clean.
Firstly my Oral-B toothbrush. I've been using this brand since my dentist used to sell them to me for 2/6 (12½p)!
Secondly Oral-B toothpaste. I like this new one which really polishes my teeth clean.
Thirdly TePe Interdental brushes. These have been so useful to clean around my Incognito and Inspire Ice braces and now I use the finest pink one to clean in between the teeth with fixed braces.
I have another check-up in about six weeks when some photographs will be taken, and that's it. I think that I only have to go back once a year to make sure that everything is ok.   

Incognito Brace Off Today!! Fixed Retainer Fitted. Impressions taken for Clear Retainer.

At last my Incognito brace was taken off today! I was quite nervous because of the large gold brackets behind my teeth. How were they ever going to come off painlessly? Well, it wasn't so bad. My orthodontist polished away some of the metal which curved over my back teeth, and then with a special tool eased each one off. It was actually less painful than removing the  Inspire Ice last year, apart from the left front tooth which really hurt. He had to come back to that one at the end and the nurse put a kindly hand on my shoulder. I really needed it! The whole process took as long as Nina Simone took to sing about her new dawn, her new day and her new life, which was rather apt for me too!

  Afterwards, he polished my teeth to remove all the glue and prepared them for the fixed wire retainer that would go behind my front teeth to keep them in place. Then he carefully attached it making sure that my teeth were lined up correctly. And it was done! However, before I left, he made impressions of my top teeth and bottom teeth for the clear retainers which I will pick up next week. I've had one on the bottom for a year now and there's no problem wearing it every night, so I expect that I need a new one. It will be a bit funny having one on the top as well, a bit like false teeth!

This is the photo, taken in November 2009 on a trip to New York. I was shocked how dreadful my teeth looked, and it made me decide to have my teeth straightened.

This is what they looked like after the bottom Inspire Ice brace was fitted, showing my top teeth in all their glory, and look how wiggly the bottom wire was!

Here is the Incognito brace after it was fitted. My teeth were really higgledy-piggledy. 

Here are my top teeth today with the fixed wire retainer in a lovely even curve. Fabulous!

So here I am, with my dream smile at last!

I'll let you know how I get on with my retainers next week, and I also have to go for a check up in 6 weeks' time to make sure my fixed metal retainer is doing its job.

I'm having my Incognito Brace off next week!

Hooray! I'm having my Incognito brace off next week, a year after my Inspire Ice from my bottom teeth.
At my visit today, my orthodontist said that he was pleased with the way my right canine had moved into match the left. He also cleaned out the tiny gap between my left front tooth and the next one which he will ease together with the wire retainer.
Of course, I do know what it feels like to have a brace removed - a sharp little pain as it comes off each tooth and lots of polishing off of the glue, but I'm ready for it now. The appointment is for an hour and I'm going to take some Ibuprofen! I'll let you know how I get on!

Incognito Braces - Nudging Canine Tooth Into Place. Plus Photo of Elastics and Power Chains on Brace.

Yesterday at my appointment with my orthodontist, he nudged my right canine tooth into line so it would match the one on the left. It was a bit painful, but now it does look better.
I can feel the tension on my tooth at the moment, which means that the brace is doing its work.

By using a mirror, you can see all the elastics and power chains tightening up my teeth and pulling them into shape.


I wonder sometimes how all the brackets will ever come off as they have a greater surface area than the  Inspire Ice squares. . .

However, I'm looking forward to being free of my braces all together, which should be in three weeks' time!

Incognito Brace - Sharp Wire and a Sharp Tweak

OnWednesday, the blob of glue that my orthodontist stuck over the sharp end of the wire of my Incognito brace came off, so I had to go back yesterday to have it stuck on again.

He wasn't there so I saw his colleague, who is actually his wife! 

She did the repair and that was fine, then we had a discussion about my teeth and how long it had taken to get them right.

She examined them and told me that everything is being done to get them straight as soon as possible which I knew.

She suggested that she put a tuck in the wire each side of the tooth in the photo to try to get it in the right position; it only hurt for a moment as she tweaked it.

Basically, they feel that if this latest round of adjustments doesn't work, then they will try a brace on the outside which should put everything right very quickly.

Quite honestly, I don't think I'd mind that for a short time if it would mean that I would get that perfect smile! 

Final Wire on Incognito Brace More Polishing or Reproximation

Today, I had the final wire fitted to my Incognito Brace, but before that, my orthodontist polished the tooth to the right hand side of my front teeth to try and close the gap that had opened up near my gum. At first he used a diamond strip to make room for the mechanical polisher. It didn't hurt like before, but  the vibrations filled my head!
He then fitted the new wire and some elastic chains to keep my teeth all in place. It was a bit painful as they were attached, but not too bad now as long as I don't bite on anything hard.
Only one more visit before the final one when my brace comes off.

Incognito Braces - I'll Soon Be Having Them Off (Or De-bonded!)

At yesterday's appointment, my orthodontist tried the firmest wire, but it still did not fit, so he's replaced the one I had and added some chain elastics to make it firmer. A little gap has opened up since last time between my right front tooth and the next one. He said that he could 'polish' it to make them fit more snuggly together, but I'm not sure because the mechanical polisher is a bit scary and noisy, although it doesn't hurt.
I've got just two more appointments before my Incognito Brace is removed, or de-bonded, at last. That will be almost a year to the day, since my Inspire Ice Brace was removed too.
When I made the appointment for the de-bonding, the receptionist drew a smiley face on my card. Yippee!

Incognito Braces - Extra Strong Elastics and Polishing or Reproximation

I am finally getting there! Today, my orthodontist said that he was pleased that my teeth were straightening up, and so was I!
He took off the wire and added some extra strong elastics to the brackets, and 'polished' between my front teeth so they fitted together better. He also 'polished' the lower edge to make them more even. Then he replaced the wire. Hopefully, this will do the trick. I do think that they look more in line.
It wasn't at all painful as I ate my dinner - chicken in white wine sauce and cheesecake and raspberries
-   but I can feel a gentle tension as the elastics get to work. It's quite a positive feeling, really.

It will be another three or four months until the brace can come off which will make it a year after the Inspire Ice, and a year since my daughter's wedding. He's not sure why it went wrong, but at least now, it's coming right!

Cadbury's Creme Eggs and Incognito Braces

At this time of year, the shops are full of Cadbury's Creme Eggs. I love them.
I love biting into them through the hard chocolate shell to the creamy yellow and white fondant inside. (How do they stop it mixing up?)
But that's not easy with a brace, is it? It's like apples,  you have to cut them up instead.So why not cut up a Creme Egg?
Next time your friends or family are unwrapping a yummy chocolate egg - join in and cut one up for yourself! It  will last much longer that way and you'll still be enjoying yours when they have finished.
Excuse me, I think I need one now!
 

Back to a softer Incognito wire to help get my teeth in an even row

March 2011

 Today, my orthodontist put a softer wire back on because my teeth are still not even. They still slope slightly to the right, do not make an even arc, and one tooth comes down longer than the other.

It's strange because the photo at the top was taken in March, 2011, and they appeared better then.

February 2012

He says that it is because the final brace is such a tight fit, it's difficult to attach to my teeth. 

                                                                                He's doing all he can to get them right, but it may still take a few months as we work up through the wires again.

Final Incognito Wire re-fitted. More polishing (reproximation) and power chains!

I've just had my final Incognito wire re-fitted. The first attempt in September was rather painful for me and my orthodontist as he tried to fix the wire, which didn't match up, to my teeth, but it wasn't so bad today, thank goodness!
He did some more polishing, or reproximation, with the diamond 'sandpaper' to help reshape my front teeth and hopefully get them to look more vertically aligned.  It really didn't hurt a bit, just a gentle pulling or dragging sensation. The motorised vibrating polisher, that he used before, was not as comfortable!
Finally he attached the power chain elastics to really get my teeth into shape and I'm going back in a month to see how they are getting on.
Hopefully, I will be able to have my Incognito brace off after Easter. Incidentally, I was just thinking today, that it's nearly six months since I had the  Inspire Ice brace removed, and I started wearing the clear retainer at night. How time flies!