View RSS Feed

Denise

Adjustment, 12 October 2009

Rate this Entry
4 Comments
by
Denise
, 10-13-2009 at 12:19 PM (601 Views)
Yesterday was my fourth major adjustment since having my braces put on in April. This time they increased my arch wire by a fraction of a millimeter, but went to a square wire that, like the last ones, are 'heat reactive', so eating/drinking anything cold does give me some sort of minor reprieve from the pain. This time, I don't have nearly the pain and sensitivity that I've experienced in the past.

What's new is that I now have a clear power chain, and they started me on elastics. I had my first premolar on my right side pulled back in April to make room for the adjustment of my crooked laterals, and for the adjustment of my jaw that was needed to correct my minor cross bite.

So now the only pain really is coming from the pressure the elastics are creating. I can really feel it on my lower jaw, and at the spot of my premolar extraction. Last night, about two hours after my appointment, it was very sensitive to touch, even swallowing hurt. But today it's feeling a bit stronger and I'm holding out hope that it doesn't get much worse as today progresses.

September 2009


October 2009

Updated 10-13-2009 at 12:25 PM by Denise

Categories
‎ Uncategorized

Comments

  1. silvermist's Avatar
    Your progress looks great Denise!

    Question: What type of braces are these? It looks metal but the brackets are different.
  2. Sunny's Avatar
    Great you have powerchains and elastics and you can feel both are working for you Denise! Good luck with more great progress!

    These brackets look like the GAC In-Ovations. They're one of the larger (footprint) ceramic brackets, due to having a metal door to hold the archwire.
  3. Denise's Avatar
    Whatever they are, they are huge and they are thicker in depth than metal brackets, which I didn't realize at the time I got them or I probably wouldn't have chosen them. The added bulkiness makes it very obvious that I have braces. But I have them now, and I'll just live with them until they come off in a year
  4. Sunny's Avatar
    Denise this is common with both ceramic and metal self ligating that have doors ... they have to be a little higher off the tooth than the non self ligating, due to having a door to close over the archwire. This door is more bulky than the small ligatures.

    As for the difference ... I've seen the brackets you have and if they were different, in height, the metal brackets would be forcing those teeth into the middle of your mouth, as the archwire would be forced that way. The reason why each brand has ceramic and metal brackets that have the same 'height' off the footprint, is so they can be mixed up, as most ortho's put the metal brackets on the side teeth, due to them being a little more expensive. The doors may stand out more, but the base up to the archwire has to be the same, or you couldn't mix brackets on the one arch.

    I found the brackets you have, did look more obvious than many of the ceramic brackets, because of the door. If you look at your photos, your brackets tone beautifully with your teeth, and with clear ligs over the archwire, you'd barely see them ... but the door is a different shade to your brackets, archwire and teeth - meaning it looks more obvious.

    The best part ... your teeth/bite is improving and I'm confident the next year will fly and you'll have this amazing bite and smile ... and be very grateful to your ortho and brackets!

    Good luck!