My Braces

Before front view

Front view of my teeth BEFORE braces.

January 2nd, 2009

New Braces!

Front view of my teeth WITH NEW BRACES!

January 3rd, 2009

Before lower teeth

Lower teeth view of my teeth BEFORE braces.

January 2nd, 2009

New Braces: lower teeth!

Lower teeth view of my teeth WITH NEW BRACES!

January 3rd, 2009

So I was told to come back in 6 weeks for an "adjustment". They will also add 4 more brackets to my lower teeth (see the 4 molars? Yea those!). So... I will keep you updated & new pictures will be up Feb 14th, 2009!!!

** Be sure to check out the BLOG! I update it with my progress (how my teeth feel, my mouth feels, adapting to braces, etc) **

6 weeks: front view

I've had my braces on for 6 weeks. Here's the front view. I got 4 more brackets added in my mouth (on my molars). They hurt the inside of my cheeks! I am using G.U.M wax again. OUCH! Hurts to bite down. You can notice some change in my teeth, particularly the bottom teeth. Slowly but surely, my front teeth (over-bite) will pull back in the coming months.

6 Weeks: bottom teeth

WOW! See a big difference already in 6 weeks! I am very pleased with the results in only 6 weeks. It also gives me hope that maybe I won't need to have my braces on for the full 16 months? Maybe I'll only need them on for 14 or 12 months?! Anythings possible... Although, I am in pain right now. The new brackets on my molars scraping on the inside of my cheeks :( UGH! All worth it in the end though. Just need to tough it out. These pictures motivate me!

9 weeks: bottom teeth update!

Ok some bad news. One of my bottom front brackets came off a few days ago and its making my bottom teeth crooked again :( . I get a replacement bracket put on this Friday and hopefully I'll be back on track! For some reason, the toot that lost the bracket gives me a great deal of pain when it's touched or moved. It almost feels like a loose tooth. It's amazing how ONE bracket can screw up (almost) the entire alignment or straightening of your teeth.
** Note to self: Lay off the chips and hard foods for a while! **

9 weeks: front view

Unfortunately, there's an obvious difference in this picture compared to the 6 week picture because of the missing bracket. I wanted to show you guys how much of an effect it can have if you don't go back to the Orthodontist if you lose a bracket or if one comes out! This shift happend in only 3-4 days. If I waited longer, the tooth could have probably have gotten more crooked. I recommend that if you have any problems in your mouth or with your braces, sensitivity etc, to call your Ortho right away (I do).

12 weeks: front view

I missed my appointment to replace that missing bracket lol. So I waited till my next appointment. I got 2 brackets replaced & new wires on the top & bottom. The 2 bottom front brackets were replaced. Amazingly, in about 10 hours the one crooked tooth pushed back inward a little! It's been 2 days and my upper & lower teeth are still in alot of pain since the new wires & brackets. Trust me though, pain = movement. Thats my theory at least lol. My ortho said that my top teeth are looking really good so I decided to add a pic of that.

** Next appointment May 1st **

12 weeks: bottom view

Check it out!!! My 2 lower canine teeth are movin' inward, nice! I am happy with the results of my lower teeth very much, even though I had a set back with the fallen off bracket. I am anxious to see the end result! :)

Scope out the top teeth view, straightening out! (below)

12 week: top view

Yea yea yea... "look at her fillings, lol" I know! But look at how nicely my top teeth are looking. From a frontal view when I smile in the mirror, I can't tell any difference. Maybe I could have if I took a 1st picture before I got my braces. I think my teeth are suppose to push inward in my mouth? I told my ortho I didn't like the "overbite" and so maybe thats what he was talking about when he said, "Your top teeth are looking good."

24 week: lower view

Well not much difference in change from last picture. If you look closely, I have a double wire (overlapped). They were really trying to get those bottom teeth to straighten up. Unusually, I didn't feel more pressure from having 2 wires, the pressure was the same. Maybe that's why there wasn't much difference. I'm not sure... Check out the top teeth view!

24 week: top view

Slowly but surely those top front teeth are moving inward nicely! I was a little self concious about the "over-bite" of my front teeth and when I get my braces off, I won't have that anymore! :)

24 week: front view

Oh boy.... I don't like this picture LOL... Thats all I can say

36 week: lower view

WOW! As I look back to the first photo of my bottom teeth I'm amazed. In 9 months my bottom teeth are straight. It's been a long road and I'm more than half way there. My ortho told me I needed braces for 16 months. On my last adjustment, they shaved in between my 4 lower front teeth, made them straighter and narrower. Then they added a new wire and silver power chain to my bottom brackets. This is to help those shaved teeth to move together,, to align with the center of my top front teeth. My top front teeth and lower middle teeth are off by a milimeter. Hopefully it works!

36 week: front view

I am happy with they way my front teeth are looking. I noticed that from the first pictures I took my 2 front teeth don't stick out as much as they used to. Hey! It must be working!!! :)

36 week: top view

I see a difference don't you? :)

40 week: bottom view

I went to see my ortho yesterday and my teeth are all straight! YAY!!!!!! It's been only 8 months that I've hav my braces. At the first visit, they told me I would need braces for 16 months. This is great. I bet if that one brcket hadn't come off, my teeth would have been straight a month earlier; but I am happy :). They took a panoramic x-ray to see the progess of my teeth and to see how much my teeth have shifted since the first x-rays. I didn't get to see the x-ray but my guess is that there is somewhat of a dramatic change. My ortho checked my bite, to see if my top and bottom teeth on the sides come down and settle at the same time. They slightly do not. So he decided to add rubberbands to each side. The rubber bands are used to move teeth forward or back in the mouth. This is helping the jaw and mid-point alignment of my top and bottom teeth.

40 week: front view

Rubberbands!!! I can only open my mouth about 3/4 of an inch. See blog for more details!!!!