Check up on the impressions.
I sat down on the chair as usual and Mr S looked at the impressions taken at my last appointment, he showed me how they fit together quite nicely apart from small gaps between my top and bottom molars.
He said he can sort that out after the operation.
I was a bit stunned when he said this as it seems I am finally ready for my operation. I must say I am starting to feel nervous and excited now.
Mr S had a look at my teeth, gave them a quick clean to remove some plaque and changed my 7 elastic ligatures which had gone a emerald colour again.
Mr S also took some photos of my face.
Facing him I had a normal shot with my mouth closed. Then one with my lips slightly open and one with me smiling showing teeth (which I never do).
Another with me facing towards the corner so he has my face at an angle on the photo.
And he took one more with my face facing to the right.
He then sent me for an X-ray and said my next appointment will be a joint clinic with the surgeon Mr O and Mr S. Eek!
I went and sat outside to wait for my X-ray and removed my earrings in anticipation.
For the X-ray I had to sit on a chair and a machine was behind my head.
It had ear plugs which go into my ears (presumably to hold my head steady)
I was told to look ahead and hold my teeth together but keep my lips relaxed.
I had my teeth and lips closed and the X-ray lady wasn't sure if my lips were supposed to be open or not, so she left me and went and asked.
Mr S's nurse came back with her and told me to just close my teeth and keep my lips relaxed as closing my lips may change the position of my jaw.
I eventually managed to keep my lips in the relaxed position which for me means they do stay open slightly. It feels weird though as I guess I'm used to closing my lips all the time.
I had the X-ray taken and then waited to make sure it came out okay.
After waiting for about 10 mins I was told I can go.
I'll see the X-ray at my next appointment with the surgeon and Mr S.
I've recently had my braces removed (May 2009) and now have an Essix retainer for my bottom jaw (to wear at night) and an Hawley retainer for my top jaw with false tooth attached (to wear during the day).
Starting in Aug/Sept 2004 I had Damon type 2 brackets, then In-ovation brackets (replaced March and May 2006) and seven In-ovation brackets without clips (with elastic ligatures).
Total time in braces = 4 years and 8 months!
NB: All treatment is through the NHS apart from implant work done by Mr Ziff which is private.
Starting in Aug/Sept 2004 I had Damon type 2 brackets, then In-ovation brackets (replaced March and May 2006) and seven In-ovation brackets without clips (with elastic ligatures).
Total time in braces = 4 years and 8 months!
NB: All treatment is through the NHS apart from implant work done by Mr Ziff which is private.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Impressions... same old, same old
Impressions time again!
Mr S and his dental nurse were talking about which size tray to use.
I interrupted saying "last time you used the small trays but had to redo them with the big trays as they were too small".
Mr S thanked me and said "At least someone remembers". Lol.
Well I didn't exactly want to go through 5 trays again, did I?!
Anyway so the top and bottom impressions were done using the big trays in the usual way without removing my wires first. (You know the procedure by now, putty stuff is put in your mouth on a U shaped plastic tray which sits on the teeth. you then bite down hard on it and when it has hardened, it is then eased it off the teeth).
Bottom impression almost got messed up like the last time.
He asked me to adjust the opening of my mouth then remembered as I did it that it messes up the mold so asked me to close again.
My 7 silver elastic ligs were changed again, (they'd become discoloured and gone a weird emerald colour), the powerchain put in at the last appointment was removed and I got to clean the putty bits on my face using a dampened cloth and mirror handed to me by the nurse.
I also asked Mr S to have a look at my top wire as it was sticking into my gum right at the back on the left, painful!
He cut and filed it down for me, much better!
Next app we get to see the new changes if any.
Mr S and his dental nurse were talking about which size tray to use.
I interrupted saying "last time you used the small trays but had to redo them with the big trays as they were too small".
Mr S thanked me and said "At least someone remembers". Lol.
Well I didn't exactly want to go through 5 trays again, did I?!
Anyway so the top and bottom impressions were done using the big trays in the usual way without removing my wires first. (You know the procedure by now, putty stuff is put in your mouth on a U shaped plastic tray which sits on the teeth. you then bite down hard on it and when it has hardened, it is then eased it off the teeth).
Bottom impression almost got messed up like the last time.
He asked me to adjust the opening of my mouth then remembered as I did it that it messes up the mold so asked me to close again.
My 7 silver elastic ligs were changed again, (they'd become discoloured and gone a weird emerald colour), the powerchain put in at the last appointment was removed and I got to clean the putty bits on my face using a dampened cloth and mirror handed to me by the nurse.
I also asked Mr S to have a look at my top wire as it was sticking into my gum right at the back on the left, painful!
He cut and filed it down for me, much better!
Next app we get to see the new changes if any.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Silly gaps!
Mr S told me my gaps are closing up and I'm gradually getting closer to being ready for the operation now.
Wait a minute, haven't I heard this all before? I've been told on separate occasions first by Miss M (and then by Mr S when he took over) my operation should have been in 2006 and 2007, now it's in 2008. Hmm...
Anyway, today I had my wires changed on the top teeth and the usual ligs changed to replace the ones which have turned emerald.
I also had a powerchain put near the back of my mouth to close up some gaps (photo below).
Mr S almost forgot the powerchain, he'd put the chair up and had to put it down again!
He said next time I'll have some more molds/impressions done.
I said "Again?" and he said "Yes, they are needed to look at the new positions"
Meh! It hasn't been that long since I had them last done. Oh well..
Photos taken 31st Dec:
Bite (click image to see close-up)
Open bite (click image to see close-up)
Top (click image to see close-up)
Bottom (click image to see close-up)
Left (click image to see close-up)
Right (click image to see close-up)
Left top back (click image to see close-up)
Right top back (shows discoloured powerchain - click image to see close-up)
Wait a minute, haven't I heard this all before? I've been told on separate occasions first by Miss M (and then by Mr S when he took over) my operation should have been in 2006 and 2007, now it's in 2008. Hmm...
Anyway, today I had my wires changed on the top teeth and the usual ligs changed to replace the ones which have turned emerald.
I also had a powerchain put near the back of my mouth to close up some gaps (photo below).
Mr S almost forgot the powerchain, he'd put the chair up and had to put it down again!
He said next time I'll have some more molds/impressions done.
I said "Again?" and he said "Yes, they are needed to look at the new positions"
Meh! It hasn't been that long since I had them last done. Oh well..
Photos taken 31st Dec:
Bite (click image to see close-up)
Open bite (click image to see close-up)
Top (click image to see close-up)
Bottom (click image to see close-up)
Left (click image to see close-up)
Right (click image to see close-up)
Left top back (click image to see close-up)
Right top back (shows discoloured powerchain - click image to see close-up)
Friday, October 05, 2007
New set-up!
My new mold/ impression from my last appointment was brought out and I was able to see how much my teeth have changed since I first started my brace treatment.
There's a big difference!
Unfortunately I have a few top back teeth out of line that need tweaking before the operation.
Mr S told me the operation is now likely to be in the first half of next year (anytime up to June).
It keeps getting pushed back and back!
This is disappointing as I wanted the operation to be over and done with :o(
In this appointment, Mr S removed my top wire and then removed the back second molar rings on my top teeth and also the first molar ring on the top left.
He then replaced these with new tighter rings and put a new wire on my top teeth.
He also used a thinner wire to band and secure in my false tooth and to help my teeth that are out of line to move quicker into line with the rest of the teeth.
I didn't realise till after I'd left that he had criss-crossed this thinner wire along the top front teeth. It looks quite cool actually!
He also replaced my silver elastic ligatures, (apart from the top one, which is now banded up with the thin wire) and put an extra lig on my bottom central incisor which still has an in-ovation bracket.
(The ligs had turned emerald again).
NB: Photos
Bite with criss cross on top teeth (click image to see close-up)
Top
Bottom
Close up of my false tooth to show how it sits on top of my gum
There's a big difference!
Unfortunately I have a few top back teeth out of line that need tweaking before the operation.
Mr S told me the operation is now likely to be in the first half of next year (anytime up to June).
It keeps getting pushed back and back!
This is disappointing as I wanted the operation to be over and done with :o(
In this appointment, Mr S removed my top wire and then removed the back second molar rings on my top teeth and also the first molar ring on the top left.
He then replaced these with new tighter rings and put a new wire on my top teeth.
He also used a thinner wire to band and secure in my false tooth and to help my teeth that are out of line to move quicker into line with the rest of the teeth.
I didn't realise till after I'd left that he had criss-crossed this thinner wire along the top front teeth. It looks quite cool actually!
He also replaced my silver elastic ligatures, (apart from the top one, which is now banded up with the thin wire) and put an extra lig on my bottom central incisor which still has an in-ovation bracket.
(The ligs had turned emerald again).
NB: Photos
Bite with criss cross on top teeth (click image to see close-up)
Top
Bottom
Close up of my false tooth to show how it sits on top of my gum
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The joy of molds/ impressions
I was scared about getting these impressions done as it's the first time I had molds/impressions done since having my braces on.
Mr S didn't bother removing my wires, (I thought he might do from what I'd heard from others who have had impressions done with braces on).
First he did my top jaw impressions with a small tray.
(You know the procedure by now, putty stuff is put in your mouth on a U shaped plastic tray which sits on the teeth. you then bite down hard on it and when it has hardened, it is then eased it off the teeth).
Then he repeated the process for my bottom jaw with a small tray.
He then said the small tray wasn't big enough, so repeated the top and bottom jaws with a bigger tray.
Then he did the top jaw again with the bigger sized tray as the other mold/impression wasn't quite right.
Mr S then set about removing bits of putty stuck in my braces and cleaned my mouth out with the water jet and sucker.
(My poor sensitive teeth suffered whilst he was doing this).
The nurse then handed me a dampened cloth and mirror to clean up the putty bits on my face.
This took about an hour in total.
I had a head rush when I got back up again after lying down for so long!
Ah well, I'm glad that's all over!
NB: Mr S also changed my 7 silver elastic ligs which had become discoloured and gone a weird emerald colour.
Mr S didn't bother removing my wires, (I thought he might do from what I'd heard from others who have had impressions done with braces on).
First he did my top jaw impressions with a small tray.
(You know the procedure by now, putty stuff is put in your mouth on a U shaped plastic tray which sits on the teeth. you then bite down hard on it and when it has hardened, it is then eased it off the teeth).
Then he repeated the process for my bottom jaw with a small tray.
He then said the small tray wasn't big enough, so repeated the top and bottom jaws with a bigger tray.
Then he did the top jaw again with the bigger sized tray as the other mold/impression wasn't quite right.
Mr S then set about removing bits of putty stuck in my braces and cleaned my mouth out with the water jet and sucker.
(My poor sensitive teeth suffered whilst he was doing this).
The nurse then handed me a dampened cloth and mirror to clean up the putty bits on my face.
This took about an hour in total.
I had a head rush when I got back up again after lying down for so long!
Ah well, I'm glad that's all over!
NB: Mr S also changed my 7 silver elastic ligs which had become discoloured and gone a weird emerald colour.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Ouch.....
In my appointment today, Mr S went a bit drastic and pulled 6 of the doors/ clips off on some of my bottom brackets and 1 of my top brackets.
This was a pretty painful process. He used a pliers type tool on the clips and had to rock them from side to side to free them from the bracket.
This caused pressure on my teeth and hurt a bit.
In using this method, one of my central incisor bottom brackets came off accidentally. He replaced this one with a normal In-ovation bracket.
During this process, I involuntarily let out a small squeak which made Mr S ask "Are you okay poppet? I heard a squeak".
That made me grin as I didn't mean for it to happen!
The doors/ clips removed were replaced with silver elastic ligatures! (ligs for short)
I'll have to ask if I can get coloured ligs now, hehe.
Hmm... the possibilities!
He decided to remove them as he was having so much difficulty with opening them to do a simple wire change.
He says he will eventually change all of my brackets so I'll have no self-ligating brackets left.
He then changed my wires and filed down my false tooth so it looks more natural next to my other top central incisor.
He said at my next appointment, I'll be having mold/impressions done and if they look okay and need no tweaking, my next appointment will be a joint clinic with Mr S and Mr O (the surgeon).
NB: Photos
Banding
Bite
Top
Bottom
Bottom2
This was a pretty painful process. He used a pliers type tool on the clips and had to rock them from side to side to free them from the bracket.
This caused pressure on my teeth and hurt a bit.
In using this method, one of my central incisor bottom brackets came off accidentally. He replaced this one with a normal In-ovation bracket.
During this process, I involuntarily let out a small squeak which made Mr S ask "Are you okay poppet? I heard a squeak".
That made me grin as I didn't mean for it to happen!
The doors/ clips removed were replaced with silver elastic ligatures! (ligs for short)
I'll have to ask if I can get coloured ligs now, hehe.
Hmm... the possibilities!
He decided to remove them as he was having so much difficulty with opening them to do a simple wire change.
He says he will eventually change all of my brackets so I'll have no self-ligating brackets left.
He then changed my wires and filed down my false tooth so it looks more natural next to my other top central incisor.
He said at my next appointment, I'll be having mold/impressions done and if they look okay and need no tweaking, my next appointment will be a joint clinic with Mr S and Mr O (the surgeon).
NB: Photos
Banding
Bite
Top
Bottom
Bottom2
Monday, May 21, 2007
Hygienist appointment
My appointment today was with the hygienist.
I'm now 24 years old.
I was nervous as it would be someone new and I'm used to my normal orthodontist dealing with my teeth.
It turned out to be fine and was nothing to worry about.
The hygienist was very nice and kind, she spent a lot of time cleaning up my plaque build up with a scale and polish (with the metal tools, water spray and air sucker). She even asked if I was okay while she was cleaning me up.
Since it was such a thorough clean up, I had to rinse my mouth a few times to get rid of the blood in my mouth.
After it was complete, my teeth looked and felt great! YAY!
Now let's see how long they stay all clean...
I'm now 24 years old.
I was nervous as it would be someone new and I'm used to my normal orthodontist dealing with my teeth.
It turned out to be fine and was nothing to worry about.
The hygienist was very nice and kind, she spent a lot of time cleaning up my plaque build up with a scale and polish (with the metal tools, water spray and air sucker). She even asked if I was okay while she was cleaning me up.
Since it was such a thorough clean up, I had to rinse my mouth a few times to get rid of the blood in my mouth.
After it was complete, my teeth looked and felt great! YAY!
Now let's see how long they stay all clean...
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