Top Spring Removed and Thicker Wire on Lower Inspire Ice Brace

Look at the difference after less than four weeks! There you go! Yesterday, I had my little top spring removed which was making a space for my canine tooth, and my orthodontist was so pleased with my progress that I've moved up to a thicker wire on my bottom teeth. They felt a little achey yesterday, and it's painful to eat again, but I know it won't last long. I have to keep reminding myself that my teeth look certainly more straight than crooked, and I must smile and show them. I'm so glad that I had the Incognito brace on the top, because it's almost impossible to see it, except on the canine tooth which is still sticking out a little at the moment. None of my friends have made any comment yet. I wonder who'll be the first? I bought some new season Cox's apples today. I don't know how I'm going to eat them. I think that I might bake them!

Bottom spring off today!

Today, my bottom spring was taken off and the middle tooth attached to the wire! Hooray! Since the spring had expanded, the skin inside my bottom lip used to get stuck in it especially during the night. I'm so pleased. Also, my visit to the orthodontist wasn't so uncomfortable as last time. He said it was because my teeth had begun to move more and it was getting easier to adjust them. Well, it's now nearly five hours since my visit and I can feel pressure on my front teeth. Nothing too bad, but they feel a bit itchy around the sockets, if you can imagine what I mean. I feel so much happier than I did last month. He took some photos too for his gallery of my treatment, and said he could see a real difference.
I've had the bottom brace on since May 22nd, that's over three months and the top on since July 1st, so that's two. Hopefully the bottom one can be off before the end of July 2011 - about eleven more months and the top one in about a year or so, if all goes well.
He said that my teeth should be in line in about six months and then the rest of the time would be to stablise them with progressively thicker wires.

I can't wait for that gorgeous smile!

PS I had some Thorntons chocolates today, and couldn't bite them - too painful - so I cut them into four pieces. Lovely, and they lasted much longer too!

Progress with my front teeth!

I've just compared some photos of my front teeth since July 1st when I had the Incognito brace fitted and - I can see that both teeth are already straighter! Of course the left one is still sticking out more than the other, but things are happening! This has made me feel much better, because sometimes I can't wait for it to all be over, and on the other hand, I'm scared about having them taken off!
The food I most enjoy at the moment is a banana sandwich and a fruity yoghurt from Sainsbury's. This is because I can take a big bite of the sandwich and chew it without worrying. There are so many foods that I can't wait to eat again, like crunchy Cox's apples - I'll have to wait until next year to take that big bite. Going to an Harvester today, I did enjoy meatballs with linguine, but I didn't try the grilled gammon incase it was a bit tough. All in all though, I manage quite well, although we have some interesting meals as my husband's on a gluten-free diet at the moment!
I have been watching Rose's progress on YouTube with her Incognito braces. She always cheers me up as she's a few weeks ahead of me, and tells me what to expect next. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpDTSB5qHmk&NR=1

Friday July 30th - 52 weeks to the wedding!

Yesterday, I had my Incognito brace adjusted for the first time. It had been painful having the Inspire Ice one done last time when the Incognito was fitted, so I was a little apprehensive. Well, it felt as if my front teeth were being repositioned by force, which of course they were! I didn't like it and it made me worry what it will be like when they are finally taken off. I feel as if my teeth will just snap off, so I'm not really looking forward to it at all. In comparison, the adjustment of the Inspire Ice bracket was quick and easy this time, even though two tools were used one to loosen and the other to tighten. I've been reading about people's experiences having their braces off on the internet. They say that mostly they just pop off. Well, I hope that they do! It also says that the polishing off of the cement is the worst. Perhaps they haven't had as many fillings as me! But also they say that their teeth feel very sensitive. I'm really not looking forward to it at all. Actually, I feel the worst that I have since I was wondering whether to go ahead and have braces, but I've got them now, so I've just got to go through with it. It's like being pregnant and knowing at the end that somehow you will give birth to the baby, even if you are afraid.
The other thing is that I've been having mouth ulcers because of the rubbing of the braces. The silicon wax was good and the Bonjela to some extent, but when I went to the chemist to get some Adcortisol in Orabase, they said that it had been discontinued!!! What was I to do? Another chemist suggested Iglu with two dots making a smile. It is as good as Orabase and I'm very glad.
Only 52 weeks to the wedding and at this time, 20.39, I hope that I will have had the bottom brace off and my top teeth will be nearly ready, oh, and that I have a beautiful smile!

New Incognito brace on my top teeth!!!

Today I had my new Incognito brace fitted on my top teeth. It was quite scary having my bottom Inspire Ice brace tightened for the first time, but that was nothing to having the new one fitted! First I had my mouth held open with a wide contraption which also held my tongue still to prevent it licking the glue. Then my teeth were 'blasted' to give a 'key' for the glue, washed with water and dried with air. The Incognito 'squares' were then stuck on all at once in a double layer of rubbery stuff. When this was pulled off, I thought my teeth or at least a crown or a filling were going to come away too. Then the squares were joined with the wire. All the time my orthodontist was very careful and thorough, but I did keep having to remind myself just why I was having this done. When he had finished, it all felt fine. But I have got to have this on for at least a year. Phew! What will it feel like to have it removed??? Watch this space!

I cleaned my teeth after dinner of cheese omelette, yoghurt and a banana, but I couldn't get the little brushes behind the new brace. I'll have to ask tomorrow.

Quavers!

As you know, people wearing braces can't eat crisps because they are so hard they might break off a bracket from your tooth. I've found that Quavers are wonderful because they taste like cheesy crisps, but they melt in your mouth, so they are better than nothing at all.

Braces on for three weeks!!

I've had my brace on for three weeks, and most of the time I forget all about it. I'm becoming very ingenious about eating e.g. I grated some cucumber to go in a tuna sandwich, and sometimes when I've had something particularly fiddly to cut up as a main course e.g. a meat pie (!), I have an easy yoghurt or a banana for pudding. I saw a very good description of how braces work on the web. It's interesting that the temperature of your mouth actually activates the metal of the brace to return to its original place. So not too much ice cream then.

http://www.archwired.com/how_braces_work.htm

It's now less than 3 weeks until I get my upper incognito brace, and I'm looking forward to getting started. I can't wait to get those straight teeth!

The other thing is that in the past three weeks, I've lost 3lbs! I needed to really after gaining that amount on holiday, but I better not get any thinner. I can see where the idea of wiring your jaws together for weight loss came from! Now where did I put that chocolate? It's gorgeous melted on your tongue. It makes it last longer. Yum!