Top braces and ring brackets go on...

Today I had my top brace put on.

It was done the same way as my bottom brace last week and I also had the spacers removed and then replaced with metal ring brackets around the teeth.

The rings are very tight fitting and it got me worried as to how they'd come back off.

I now have to eat soft food as my jaws will hurt tomorrow. I can't eat anything hard as it might break my braces.

Miss M also gave me a list of items I need to get for looking after my braces.

I need to get a fluoride mouthwash and some interdental brushes to clean between the brackets. She recommended Colgate Fluorigard Daily Dental Rinse and TePe Interdental brush fine in size 0.7mm.

She also gave me some wax for when the brackets rub against my gums and showed me how to clean my brackets with an interdental brush on a mold/ impression model she had which has braces attached.

Bottom braces go on...

Today I had my bottom brace put on by Miss M.
I have another appointment next week for my top brace.

She had all the brackets ready for my bottom teeth and glued them all into place one by one and dried the glue with a heater thing, then clicked the wire into place.
I have one tooth (bottom central incisor) not attached to the wire as its too far forward at the moment. When it is more in line with the other teeth it'll be put on the wire.

Miss M also placed small blue elastics called spacers between my two molars on each side of the face (top and bottom jaws).
These hurt as they were forced in.
They are to make space the back brackets which are metal rings that go around the whole tooth.

I have been fitted with Damon type 2 brackets which are self-ligating braces.
Find out more about them here.

Dentist - teeth extraction

Today I had an appointment with my dentist to have my teeth taken out.

I was very nervous as I hate needles and knew I had to be injected to numb the area before the teeth are removed.

My dentist removed my two top pre-molars (I'll spare you the details!) and asked if I wanted to keep them. I refused so he got rid of them.

I came home with a numb top lip so I couldn't even eat or drink properly. Pretty annoying!

I took painkillers as my gum had already started to hurt when I got home.

Wisdom teeth removal waiting game

Today I had my appointment at the Maxillofacial department at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

I had x-rays taken and they told me that I need to have my two bottom wisdom teeth removed.

They filled in a referral form and I'm placed on a waiting list!

My teeth will be removed in day surgery meaning I go into hospital in the morning and go home the same day to recover.

Operation consent

I have just turned 21 and I'm nervous about having braces when I go back to university for my final year.

I have photos of my face and teeth taken for the before photos.
I had to smile with my teeth which I have never done!

I am then given the official consent form.
Both my orthodontists are present and Mr S goes through the form with me outlining the risks etc for my major operation and braces treatment.

I am told my actual surgery will take place at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

I have now been referred to the Maxillofacial Clinic at the Leicester Royal Infirmary concerning my wisdom teeth.

Dentist - filling...

Today I had an appointment with my dentist to have the filling Miss M requested.

It turned out when I was there my dentist told me I needed to have an injection so he could reach that area of my mouth more easily.

It was better I didn't know I needed an injection beforehand as I get very nervous of injections and have never had one in my mouth before.

My dentist injected my gum so it was numb and then filled around my tooth.

There was nothing wrong with the actual tooth; it just had a little chip off the edge of which meant it wasn't properly rounded for the bracket when I get braces.

My mouth was still sore when I got home.

Hello Miss M

Today I met Miss M who will do my brace work.

I was a bit nervous as I am used to my old orthodontist and feel weird having a new person looking at my teeth.

She seems nice enough.

I have new molds and x-rays taken and I'm given a new appointment for my proper consent for the whole treatment.

Miss M told me I need a filling for one of my back molars. It needs to be properly shaped before the braces are put on.

I now have a wisdom tooth appearing on my bottom jaw for which there is not enough room so it has to be taken out.
It is also impacted (meaning it is growing in the wrong direction and into my back molar tooth).

I am told both my bottom wisdom teeth will need to be removed. One of which hasn't started to appear yet.
This is to make more room for my bottom teeth to spread out.

I also need to have two upper teeth removed by my dentist.
This will either be my canine teeth or my pre-molars (Miss M said my dentist will decide).
This is to make more room on my upper jaw for my implant. (She's decided I'll have an implant and not a bridge)

Four teeth out to make room for one new!