No, this is not some kind of manly electric tool that you find at Home Depot. It's the latest addition to Project Mouthway. (Though "Make it Work" is certainly appropriate here, I think some alteration to Tim Gunn's tagline is in order: "Make it Hurt!")
We are officially at the 5 month mark, and I was downright agitated as I was walking to the orthodontist's office. I was unhappy with the spaces on either side of my upper front teeth. One of my back teeth was moving behind the other and I was chewing on it when I ate. Things seemed to be getting worse, not better. I had questions and I was afraid that they wouldn't be answered because he had been so testy last month, and it made me feel really insecure. (Well, that and the inept technician that had me in tears and forced me to come back three times in a week.)
Today, all signs of that awful technician were gone, and my doctor was downright giddy when he saw the progress of the tooth movement. (How happy I am when he's happy!) As an offhand remark, I asked him if the front teeth had turned enough so that we could start to close up the spaces on the side and he said sure. So as an afterthought, he put on a very light power chain across my top four front teeth. It looks like a spider's web, an elegant filament across my teeth, but man that thing is strong. The teeth hurt at LOT, but strangely I'm happy about that. (And quite frankly, I'm finally used to this routine--get them tightened, hurt like hell, can't eat for 3-5 days, and then it normalizes.) I can already feel them moving and call me crazy but I think it looks different than it did yesterday morning when he put the chain on. I can only imagine what happens in a month!
Hmm. Coincidence that I'm going Home Depot for the first time ever today?? Maybe more fun power tools are in my future!
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Hi BG!
ReplyDeleteLast time around, my ortho put a bit of wire between two teeth in an effort to rotate a stubborn incisor. That one ached! Now we've switched to a spring, of all things.
Strange the many ways they can move our teeth around! I have some gaps too, and it's weird, but I keep thinking about the end result, and I relax.
Keep your eye on the finish line, BG!
Eddie
Hey Eddie! Did you get your lowers yet? Or is that next week? The spring sounds painful--I hope you're not aching too much. I'm trying to keep my eye on the finish line but it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay over there. How long are you supposed to wear yours?
ReplyDeleteHi BG,
ReplyDeleteI have a little under 2 years to go, unless the Ortho decides I'm making faster progress. It sounds like such a long time!
YES! I got the lowers on and damn is it uncomfortable - they poke and catch my lower lip. Actually, I think they're attached at a funny angle. The technician left the overhead lamp on and pointed at my face, and by the time the ortho came to look at my teeth, the brackets were fully cured. He removed two that looked crooked to him and re-glued them. But I think the rest aren't on all that great. I've lost two brackets already!
The spring only raised the discomfort for a couple of days. I think I'll go look in a mirror and see if I can tell a difference.
But, this is all just part of the process. They'll reattach the ones that came off and everything will resume its steady pace toward tooth-health and straight smile. :-D
As always, you inspire me BG!
Eddie