Week 170 - Adjustment 23

My ortho is happy that my upper right gap, over the impacted canine is continuing to close.

He's not so happy that my bite is still open and appears to be catching on a back molar, right side.

Powerchains were removed and both archwires removed and more bends put in on the right side.

New purple powerchains and I'm to continue with the same elastic configeration - Size 3/16".

• Left side - a triangle, from upper canine to lower canine and lower premolar
• Right side - a triangle from upper first molar to lower canine and lower premolar

My ortho brought up the subject of retainers ... wow ... does this mean he can see a light at the end of the tunnel for me ... I'm excited, but I'm still not prepared to ask about time frames. Anyway he said that the cost of my 'plates' has been covered in my original payment, but that he'd also recommend I get upper and lower fixed retainers. He uses a gold wire and they cost $250.00 each. He said in general the fixed retainers do hold the teeth in place more definitely, although you have to be careful with them, as it means never eating very chewy lollies. He said my oral hygiene is excellent and that he'd never recommend a fixed retainer to anyone who didn't have very good oral hygiene.

My right side has a few aches, but in general this was a much easier adjustment than my last one. Here's to my gap being closed when I have more chair time in February 2009 ... it sure is strange typing that!

Three Years - 3 August 2008

When my treatment started, I had no idea it would be lasting this long ... and longer ... Probably a good thing, as I may not have started treatment had I been aware of this!

Three year summary ...

Front

Left Side and Right Side

Upper Arch and Lower Arch

Patience ... Patience ... Patience ...

Dentist and Hygienist Appointments

Had another round of appointments with my dentist and hygienist and received an A1 report from both.

My hygienist calls me her model patient ... and it does feel good, as it makes the extra effort I make during my night cleaning worth while!

My July Bite ...

How I prefer to bite ...


How I'm supposted to bite ...


And the bite that makes my upper jaw look like it's in class I ...

Week 150 - Adjustment 21 - Photos

June 2008 - 34 Months

How I prefer to bite ...


How I should bite ...

Left Side ...

Right Side ...


Left Side - Class I bite ...


Right Side - Class III bite ...

Week 150 - Adjustment 21 - continued

Uppers
Two brackets moved
Ligs changed to purple

Lowers
Two brackets moved. Ouch ... removing the bonding off the lower left second molar was nasty!

New powerchain. I was able to have my favourite grape coloured one, as my ortho won't use the heavy duty boring grey, due to two new brackets needing time to secure there bonding.

Movement ... not much.

My bite ... still slightly open. Class I on the left (how much do I love hearing that!), Class III on the right ... damn impacted canine gap!

Elastics 3/16" - continue wearing on the right side only - 23 hours a day! Change once a day.

We're still trying to work miracles! :-)

Week 150 - Adjustment 21

I am soooooooo over the gap over my impacted canine!

The damn gap is holding up my progress ... and has been holding up my progress for over two years ... such a long time to be waiting for a gap to close.

I feel sorry for my ortho, as he keeps saying he's sorry that he can't do any more until the gap closes ... and I know this is correct ... but I need progress ... I need things to happen so I really can accept that my treatment will be over before I turn 100!

Adjustment 21

I have an adjustment this Thursday ... incredible, as I usually have three months or longer between appointments and this time it's not even a full four weeks!

I'm getting brackets moved on my top arch ... so here's to progress!

Week 147 - Adjustment 20

A quick adjustment. My orthodontist is concerned that my teeth aren't moving as they should be and wants my next appointment to be a longer one. He plans to change the placement of some brackets with the intention that this will help correct the necessary alignment.

Uppers - Ignored

Lowers - Strong grey powerchain replaced. Small gaps from the IPR (15 October 2007) still need to complete closing.

The hook on the lower left molar had come away from the base of the bracket. My ortho had no idea how this could happen. He removed the base of the bracket and cleaned the glue off my tooth ... no discomfort. He said he'd replace this at my longer appointment in June. Said it will be a good test to see how far the molar moves over the next three weeks. It's a second molar, that has moved into the place of an extracted first molar. I can tell it's already moved, but hopefully only a small amount. My orthodontist says the amount of movement a tooth like this gives, indicates what might happen when all brackets are removed and therefore indicates the type of retaining that may be needed.

I'm to continue wearing a class III elastic (3/16" elastics - red bag) on the right side - minimum of 23 hours a day, change once a day. Wear in a class III configuration - upper right first molar to lower canine. This is to continue closing the gap over my impacted upper right canine and help with my very crooked midlines. I have been wearing a class III elastic on the right since August 2006!

Next appointment - 19 June 2008.

Photos of progress ...

I've been meaning to post pics taken after my last adjustment and also for the past two months ... but life just got way to busy.

Here's some comparisons. It looks like the gap over my impacted canine is continuing to close ... slowly ... but closing ... and that's good.

April 2008

March 2008 ....... February 2008 ....... January 2008


My bite continues to feel real strange ... and I think this pic explains why. Remembering I had a class III bite until late last year ... now look ...

This is how it looked in January 2008 ...

My open bite has improved, which is great news ...
April 2008

March 2008 ....... February 2008 ....... August 2007

If you check out my April 2008 'front on' photo above, you'll see that there's still some gap left from the IPR work done on my lowers back in October 2007. The gaps are reducing ... just slowly.

I can't wait till all these gaps are gone on my upper and lower arches ... as I'm sure it will then be about correcting my bite and getting a date to get rid of these things! Bring it on!!!!!!!!!

Week 136 - Adjustment 19

12 March 2008

My orthodontist announced my left side is now Class I ... exciting! Unfortunately my right side is still Class III ... and the gap over my upper right impacted canine is still not closed, but it's gotten smaller!

Uppers

• To continue with class III elastic ( 3/16" elastics - red bag) on the right side - minimum of 23 hours a day, change once a day. Wear in a class III configuration - upper right first molar to lower canine.
• No ligs changed (last change was 15 October 2007)

Lowers

• Strong powerchain removed
• A new strong, 13 link, grey powerchain added across all lower teeth
• There's still a small gap either side of my lower right central incisor. All other gaps have closed since I had the IPR.

I'm frustrated that gaps have reappeared between my upper centrals, only small. Plus a noticeably sized gap between my upper left central and upper left lateral. I didn't mention these, as at this time it's all about the gap over my impacted canine closing, so my right hand side can become class I.

Next appointment in 10 Weeks - 21 May 2008.

Tomorrow

It's my 19th adjustment tomorrow and I'm excited, as I've not seen my ortho since December. Unfortunately the gap over my impacted canine has not yet closed ... but there has been progress. This gap is frustrating, as it's taking soooooo long to close!

After my ortho appointment, my hubby is taking me to the airport, as I'm flying to Sydney. My hubby will join me on Friday. We're visiting our kids, who both live there. It's exciting, as our daughter has bought her first home, a town house in Plumpton, one of Sydney's western suburbs. We're staying with our daughter, and will see both kids as much is possible during the stay.

Our daughter is participating in the World's Greatest Shave, on Thursday, a fundraiser for the Leukaemia Foundation.

Then on Sunday, we fly back to Adelaide ... hopefully refreshed for work on Monday!

Two and a half years - 3 February 2008

Front

Left Side and Right Side

Upper Arch and Lower Arch

Progress is harder to see and the gap where my impacted canine is, continues to close ... but so slowly. I'm really tired of this dragging out so long. I'd hoped my treatment would be over around the two year mark, but I suspect it might be more like three years.

Comparing the front view ... at two years and now, I can see that my open bite has closed by about halfway. I never realised this ... so taking photos is a great way to discover change!

I'm very grateful that my jaw pain is now rare. When I do get the pain, it's so much milder, which is truly wonderful.

Now I've got to be patient!

Gaps

The lower extraction gap ... a first molar ... appears to be almost totally closed. Even though it's been slow ... it's gone a load better than the closing of the gap over my upper right impacted canine. I can see a definite improvement ... but I'm nearly at 30 months and that gap is really starting to p1$s me off!

Lower left gap – extracted first molar

January 2008


July 2007


August 2005




Upper right gap – over impacted canine

January 2008


August 2005

Interproximal Reduction

It's 4 1/2 months since I had IPR (shaving) done between my lower front teeth. Here's the progress ...

October 2007 - Day IPR was done


Close up of the shaving done on either side of my lower right lateral


November 2007


January 2008

Week 122 - Adjustment 18

6 December 2007

My orthodontist was pleased with my left side, as it's now getting close to having a class I molar relationship. Unfortunately my right side is still class III ... I wasn't pleased to hear that.

Uppers
* Wire tie put round left canine bracket
* To continue with class III elastic on the right side - minimum of 23 hours a day, change once a day
* No ligs changed

Lowers
* Strong powerchain removed
* Archwire removed
* Ends clipped on archwire, to prevent poking over the next three months
* Archwire replaced
* A new strong, 13 link, grey powerchain added across all lower teeth

My next appointment is in three months! My orthodontist is hoping the upper right impacted canine gap will be closed by then. Here's hoping it is ... as it's been a long wait ... around two years!

I'd hoped to get new upper ligs, so I could do my christmas colours of black and purple, but my orthodontist didn't want them changed. So have black for another three months ... plus the wire tie ... which will be okay! Had to get the boring grey powerchain again, as this is the only colour Con has in this strong chain. Here's hoping the gaps resulting from the IPR I had eight weeks ago, will be gone by my next appointment!

I enjoy my appointments and after discussing some general orthodontic stuff, it was holiday wishes and two more bags of 3/16" elastics (red bag) ... and I was gone!

Photos - 26 1/2 months - 15 October 2007

Front - 26 1/2 months ago

Front - biting the way my Ortho says I should

Left - there are bends in the archwire on either side of the first premolar

Right - there are bends in the archwire on either side of the first premolar

Lowers - after IPR and with boring strong great powerchain


NOTE ... when I hold my bite the way my Ortho wants me to ... uncomfortable due to only one tooth touching, but the side pics do make it look like I'm in class I. Kinda cool, coz I've never been class I before ... just wish it was class I when more teeth were touching ... but here's to that happening next!

At least now I have the feeling it will happen and I can see what it might look like ... the excitement is building.

Week 115 - Adjustment 17

15 October 2007

I had a busy adjustment, which was fun!

First Dr C removed the upper black ligs and archwire. He cleaned the bonding resin off my front left incisor ... and it was painfree ... which was great! He then bonded a new bracket on that tooth.

Next the purple powerchain came off the lowers and the archwire was pulled out ... but not removed. Dr C used a machine to do IPR between my front lower teeth. I couldn't feel anything, although there was a nasty smell a couple of times. Next the archwire was pressed back in and Dr C said I had to have a new tighter powerchain that he only has in grey ... boring ... but no choice about that one. I could feel the effort he put into getting the powerchain on ... so I was looking forward to seeing the how well it works.

Back to the uppers! A new archwire ... same size as the one I've had for the past 19+ months. Dr C put bends in the new one ... on either side of the first premolars. Wow ... I was feeling really excited ... so much new stuff ... He said these bends will start to help my bite come together. I chose black ligs again, as I like them on the ceramic brackets ... the three I have left!

Elastics ... I only need to wear one on the right side ... class III ... 23 1/2 hours a day, change daily. My left side is going to feel naked, as I've had elastics for 14 months on both sides.

Neither gaps are closed yet ... but they continue to get smaller ... just very slowly! My next appointment is in eight weeks.

Photos - Black Triangles - 5 September 2007

Week 109 - Adjustment 16

5 September 2007 - 25 Months

After nearly four months ... I finally had another adjustment ... it was good to see my ortho again!

My ortho is pleased (finally) with the progress of the two major gaps that are closing ... one over the impacted canine and the other over the old extraction site of a first molar.

He pulled the lower archwire forward and did some manual sanding between my lower front teeth. This is to reduce the 'black triangles'. I don't remember feeling anything ... we were chatting about hypnosis ... so it must have been good. In six weeks (cool a close appointment, finally) I'm to get IPR done by machine, but todays is to check on sensitivity. After the sanding I had a new 13 loop purple powerchain put on the lowers ... and all felt great.

The lower archwire ... left side ... was clipped and my ortho was impressed by the amount removed. This represents the closing of the old extraction gap.

• Uppers ... a wire tie was put on my upper left canine ... the rest left as is.
• Elastics ... continue the same as previous 13 months.

... and with that we said goodbye!