Broken Bracket Again

I have now been in braces for nearly 10 months! The elastics have been going very well. It took a few weeks but I eventually got used to putting the elastic in and could do it first time, most of the time. It started to feel normal eating with it in, even though it would occasionally come off and I managed to put it back in a few times without a mirror. I still found sometimes that I would lose two or three as I tried to get the bottom bracket hooked or would take one out and lose it but on the whole, I've been wearing an elastic full time.

I had my fourth adjustment in November and the ortho was pleased with my progress but I didn't blog as there was little to report. I had some new elastic ligatures put on and picked up a few more bags of elastics to keep wearing until my next appointment. There was no need to change either of the wires but the ortho bent the upper wire slightly to reshape one tooth. My fifth adjustment was supposed to be 23rd December but I misplaced the card with the time on it and stupidly did not leave my number when I left a message on the practice answerphone. As another patient shares my name, it was too late when they realised it was me so the appointment has been moved to this Wednesday 8th January.

Luckily, moving the appointment has worked out well because just this week, the bracket which my elastic attaches to, on the lower left-hand side has detached from the tooth. It may be to do with me putting elastics on all the time or it may be the filling on the side of the tooth which is now visible again. Either way, it has made wearing elastics a lot trickier. It is still possible to use the hook but the positioning is a bit off so I am mostly going without. Otherwise things are moving quite nicely and the gaps in my lower teeth are beginning to close. I am looking forward to getting a new bracket and some new ligatures as the current ones are a bit stained.

Update: I had my fifth adjustment today 8th January and the bracket and hook have been replaced so I can wear my elastic again. I also got new ligatures. It may be some time before my next adjustment. My ortho wants to see me before the Easter holidays due to Easter being late this year but there is no reading week in the second semester so it may have to wait.

Three Week Update: Fixed At Last!

On Wednesday 3rd April, three weeks to the day since I got my braces, I had my second broken bracket replaced. Originally, I had hoped to go the week before but I had to reschedule my appointment when I knew I would be unable to make it from work. Fortunately, soon after my last post, the broken bracket came off, so I didn't have to go around wearing a lump of wax over it anymore. And unlike with the first lost bracket, it fell away gently, without breaking my wire. This meant I enjoyed a few days of relative 'freedom' and comfort in that tooth, looking like this:

The procedure was much the same as before, the old glue was scrubbed away and a new bracket applied. This time the bracket had broken off because the wire was put under too much pressure last time, when it was pushed into the bracket. That tooth is set far behind the two teeth on either side and my front tooth partially overlaps it at an odd angle, so the pressure at that point is high. The repair was done by the same orthodontist as before, a colleague of my own, as he was with another patient. He did come to see how I was getting on though. The wire was not pushed in so far this time so it didn't feel heavy after and it has lasted. I don't expect to need another repair before my first adjustment on 14th May. Finally, I am fully braced with no missing or broken parts:

Things are going quite well and the braces themselves are comfortable on the whole. I am used to them under my lips, although finding I need plenty of lip balm. I sometimes catch the inside of my cheeks on the clips at each side and have developed some tough parts on my gums. Luckily, except when I catch them, I don't find these painful and haven't had any ulcers yet. The pain is back now though, especially in the tooth with the newly reapplied bracket, which had stopped hurting altogether while free of the pressure of the wire. The overlap between it and the neighbouring tooth is particularly sensitive. My bite is still a bit odd and I sometimes catch it with my lower teeth, so I am back on painkillers every few hours for now.

Eating is mostly ok, depending on my pain, but some foods are quite messy to clean up after, particularly bread and oranges, as the stringy part gets stuck in the clips. I am managing to keep everything clean, but brushing 3-4 times a day, including at work is tedious and fiddly. A colleague who has had braces for a while very kindly bought me some interdental brushes with a nice large handle the other day, which has helped. As for whether my teeth are moving, I believe there have been changes but they are very subtle. My orthodontist said they definitely were but I have a harder time seeing it. I think my bottom teeth are maybe ever so slightly less crowded.

In another funny coincidence, I went for a haircut tonight and while she was shampooing my hair, my hairdresser asked when I had got my braces. We ended up spending most of the appointment talking about them, as she had her braces off a couple of years ago. She even used the same orthodontic practice as me, although under the care of a different orthodontist. We talked retainers and pain and cleaning and brackets and about how popular orthodontics for adults has become, even fashionable. A couple more photos of my teeth and the newly repaired bracket:

As Good As New...Not!

Yesterday I went to have the broken bracket and wire replaced. My orthodontist has another practice at a different clinic and he was running late, so I saw one of his colleagues instead. My appointment was 5.10pm. I arrived promptly and I was heading home again by 5.20pm. I spent all of five minutes in the chair after I'd explained the problem, which was this:

The orthodontist quickly cleaned my tooth to remove all the old glue. That was mildly unpleasant because of the strong vibrations and horrible noise. He glued the new bracket on easily and securely and reattached the same wire I had on, which had also come adrift from the neighbouring bracket and the clip on my second to last tooth. When the wire was clipped into the bracket, I felt pressure and the upper right side of my jaw felt very heavy, but not dissimilar to just after they were fitted, except at one side only and this wore off quickly.

I asked about the pain in my lower teeth (nothing unusual apparently) and my glue lumps, which have already worn very smooth, which I am glad about. Luckily, they do not need to be replaced. I also picked up some extra cases of wax as I am using a lot. I came home and as you can see, everything is now fine on the right hand side. The wire is fully attached and secure and the new bracket has stayed in place. But one bracket is clearly missing in these photos because I didn't have time to take any before another bracket came unglued.

The bracket circle in red, where it has slid along the wire to on top of a neighbouring tooth, should be on the tooth circled in green, the tooth besides my two front teeth, so this time the loose bracket is more noticeable and in the way, although very few people are aware of it. It's irritating for my tongue so I am going back on Tuesday. This time it is not a glue issue. That tooth is set quite far behind the two beside it and the wire, bent inwards into the bracket seems to have been under too much pressure. It bounced back out of the clip on the bracket, taking the bracket off in the process.

Until then, I am often to be found sporting a very attractive lump of wax on my front teeth as above. I am not sure what can be done but more glue or maybe a stronger wire. I hope that losing brackets won't be a constant issue for me, although I fear it might be. Other than that, eating gets easier every day although cleaning is tedious and the braces themselves feel comfortable now. Tooth pain comes and goes in different areas. Right now, my lower teeth feel fine but the tooth with the missing bracket is hurting quite a bit. It does not help that this tooth also catches on my lower teeth when I bite. Roll on Tuesday...

This Is Not Supposed To Happen

That is the end of my upper wire which, when I cleaned my teeth earlier, flicked right out of my mouth and poked into my cheek. Am I possibly my orthodontist's worst patient? This is only day 3. The night that the braces were fitted, before I had even tried to eat or clean my teeth, there was a faint clicking noise and one bracket on the upper right began to wobble.

A whole day of eating and cleaning later, it was totally unglued and sliding along the wire but seemed to be clipped on securely enough to prevent it becoming detached. I left a message to book an appointment to fix it, as my first adjustment is not for 9 weeks and tried to keep the loose bracket firmly stuck down with wax, not easy since ceramic brackets are quite large and it was an awkward shape to cover.

Finally yesterday, I managed to bite it at the wrong angle while I was eating (ow) and it pinged off, taking the wire with it. The orthodontist took my message and I've got an appointment for this Wednesday so I am not going to try and get one any sooner. The bracket on the neighbouring tooth is still secure but the wire has detached from it and the end of the wire has come out of the clip on my second to last tooth.

Until I go to my appointment, I have tucked the wire back in and am holding it there with wax, which has covered the sharp end. It looks and feels fine although my teeth are not obviously under the pressure that they should be. Eating is not getting any easier, although I am getting used to how unpleasant it feels.

I managed to floss successfully for the first time with my threader floss, which has a hard end. I haven't had negative comments about cleaning my teeth at work, just a few chats about different people's time in braces and everyone has been so kind. I have been told my teeth have moved already (I don't think so) and even that I suit braces!

The braces themselves are feeling ok. I am used to the sensation of wire under my lips now and even the hard glue lumps, although they are still unpleasant. But the pain is kicking in and in a word, OW! My upper teeth are fine but my lower teeth, although less uneven are very crowded and really aching from the pressure of the wire.

Last night was the worst, it was so constant and all-consuming. I couldn't think of anything else! It is still coming and going so I need painkillers every few hours. It is worst in the two teeth where the circle is above, as they seem to have a little 'bead' inserted between them to keep them apart. I'll ask my orthodontist at my appointment. It looks like I'll also be needing more wax. I found out when my orthodontist called back that he had struggled to glue this bracket and noted the problem in my file so my call was expected.

Braced!

Finally, the braces are on! It is proving very difficult to get a decent photo with my camera still missing. These are too blurry but they are the only ones I have. The fitting this afternoon took an hour and was pretty painless and uneventful, although the cleaning was uncomfortable because my teeth were really scrubbed and buffed! Having the brackets glued on did not hurt at all. In fact, I had not slept well so I nearly dozed off!

I managed not to really taste the glue, just a bit of bitterness in the corners of my mouth, not on my tongue. It didn't feel like I had braces on until the wire was put in and my teeth suddenly felt really heavy, but this soon wore off. It is very odd feeling the wire under my lips but not uncomfortable. The worst part is the two lumps of glue on my very back upper teeth to stop me biting the lower brackets. It's uncomfortable to bite on and I keep biting my cheeks when I speak.

 

Here are the awful blue glue lumps on my back teeth, It is not clear from these photos but the very back tooth on each side, top and bottom, are not braced. My orthodontist thought it would be easier because my mouth is very small but will brace them later if necessary. Instead of molar bands to hold the wires in place, I just have clips on the second to last teeth, which are not clear like the rest of my brackets, although you can't really see them anyway.

I am going to make an appointment to go back soon as the bracket in the circled area below appears to have become totally unglued already and is sliding around on the wire, which is holding it in place. It is a very small tooth and the rest are all fine so I think maybe the glue just didn't set properly on that one. It started to wobble before I had even tried to eat anything or clean my teeth after coming home but eating today and cleaning several times finished it off. I left a message for my orthodontist and will try and get an appointment this week. My first official adjustment is not for 9 weeks!

When the fitting was over, I was given a dental kit similar to the one I made, which has become my travel kit for work. I have not tried to floss yet, still too sore but all of the brushes are proving useful and I am going through a heck of a lot of wax, so it is a good job the orthodontist gave me some more cases. I had, being naive, only bought one. Mainly, I find the wax helpful on the sides where my cheeks are catching and wax is currently keeping the loose bracket still because otherwise it rattles and irritates my tongue. The only item I am not happy with is the 'lip bumper' which seems virtually impossible to put on. It's a shame, because the rubber is very comfortable for my lips.

There has not been too much pain so far, the worst discomfort is coming from the glue lumps and the feeling of the wires under my lips. It is just so weird and it feels like my lips are sticking out. Speaking is fine. One of my biggest fears was a lisp but that hasn't happened. I do have to be careful about catching the inside of my cheeks when I talk. Eating is different and not comfortable at all. My mouth feels like it's already full before I put any food in and I can't chew at all, plus it all goes straight to those glue lumps! And they are very fiddly to clean! Here are a few more pictures.