I've been in a lot of pain... I have a habit to bite down my teeth together during sleeping. It has caused me so much pain when I just got my braces last week.
I woke up several time, dealing with the pain.. I went to the toilet to spit.. also checking if I was actually bleeding. I don't know if I subconsciously swallow the blood or not, because it did taste so bloody, but whenever I spit it out it was just clear liquid. Earlier today I leaned over to see the site where the bicuspid was removed from.. It was still dark red, but it wasn't bleeding..
I had to force myself to eat. I bought a chunky crab and corn soup at the grocery store yesterday. I had a hard time chewing on the crab meat, so I just sipped the soup with the corn. It tasted good. I ate half bowl then put it back at the fridge.
I was awake at 10am then went back to sleep 30 minutes later.. kept waking up every hour because of the pain.. I finally woke up at 2:45pm.. I would have gone back to sleep but I know if I woke up, the pain would subside.
Alright, I think I'm gonna go clean up then run to the grocery store to buy some ice cream and stuff.. to soothe my sore gum.. and all.. I'll probably buy a lot of cereal and milk, I'll eat that instead of anything else that leaves aftertaste in my mouth. Cereals & chocolate milk FTW!
New braces can be irritating to the mouth. Irritation of lips and cheeks from braces rubbing tends to occur when the braces are first placed. A small amount of non-medicinal relief orthodontic wax makes an excellent buffer between metal and mouth.
To apply the wax
To apply the wax
- pinch off a small piece and roll it into a ball smaller than the size of a pea
- dry the area the wax is to be placed with a tissue or by smiling and taking a deep breath
- press the wax onto the brace where the irritation is occurring ensuring the top and bottom of the brace are covered.
Today I finally got my braces on.. but just for the lower teeth.. As I've said before the upper teeth braces will be put on 6 months from now.
My appointment was at 11am. I paid the down payment in check, filled the consent form, then was called in. I sat and one of the assistant explained to me about food to avoid, how to brush and floss with braces on. Then she handed me a care kit containing the brush, floss, wax that I can use to wrap any brackets/wires that cause discomfort later on, etc.
After that, she put the cheek retractor and a suction device in.. and also the tongue retractor/saliva ejector. I have a very small mouth, it kinda hurt and I gagged a little when the devices were being pushed into my mouth.. The wall inside my mouth also hurt because it's sensitive. I kinda tasted blood a little..
It was also confusing when she told me to open my mouth wide and then close it.. but the hardest one when she told me to open wide but to relax the mouth without using the muscle, kinda really tricky. She had to apply the cement/glue and then when it was dry, the orthodontist came over to put on the bracket. The way he did it was the bracket was already in a tray that was made custom using the mold of my mouth. So he just pressed the tray against my teeth which were already prepped with the glue/cement. He pressed the left side for 5 minutes, then another 5 minutes for the other side. After that, the assistant had to clean up the cement/glue that were scattered on my teeth outside the brackets using a drilling handpiece. This took 7 minutes. After that she asked me to rinse my mouth using water then a mouthwash. I felt a weird sensation when I was swishing the mouthwash. I could also feel the new feeling when the brackets pressed against my inner lips. It was interesting.. and also weird.
When I returned to my seat, she put the wire inside the brackets. We waited for a few minutes while the orthodontist was finishing with another patient.. then he had to check the work of the assistant.. and "predicted" the progress my teeth would make. I would have an extraction next week, so that tooth isn't bracketed or wired. He told the assistant the plan/step he wanted to take because there was a little more complication than he planned.. and he told her to re-wire. I'm scheduled to come back for the next appointment on October 4th.
Ever since the braces were put on, I didn't feel any significant pain. Sure it feels weird.. and there's discomfort whenever I move my mouth around and all. But there has been no stabbing pain or anything. Refer to the pics below for clearer "description".
if you can see the right side of my mouth, the bracket came out and sat on my lip.. well, when I close my mouth, that is the bracket that poking my inner lip and causing pretty much the only discomfort I've been experiencing.
See that tooth that doesn't have bracket? That's the one that's gonna be extracted next week.
This side of my mouth pretty much seems ok and doesn't cause any discomfort/pain
Here's a video of a girl getting braces. It's pretty much the same of what I went through, but I don't remember the blue light part.
Although I don't feel pain and anything, I decided to have the soup still. The assistant said that although I wouldn't feel any pain during lunch, but at night I'd start feeling sore. So to avoid double discomfort/pain, I'm sticking with soup.. (although I have to admit, I couldn't stray away from a chocolate bar earlier..)
My appointment was at 11am. I paid the down payment in check, filled the consent form, then was called in. I sat and one of the assistant explained to me about food to avoid, how to brush and floss with braces on. Then she handed me a care kit containing the brush, floss, wax that I can use to wrap any brackets/wires that cause discomfort later on, etc.
After that, she put the cheek retractor and a suction device in.. and also the tongue retractor/saliva ejector. I have a very small mouth, it kinda hurt and I gagged a little when the devices were being pushed into my mouth.. The wall inside my mouth also hurt because it's sensitive. I kinda tasted blood a little..
It was also confusing when she told me to open my mouth wide and then close it.. but the hardest one when she told me to open wide but to relax the mouth without using the muscle, kinda really tricky. She had to apply the cement/glue and then when it was dry, the orthodontist came over to put on the bracket. The way he did it was the bracket was already in a tray that was made custom using the mold of my mouth. So he just pressed the tray against my teeth which were already prepped with the glue/cement. He pressed the left side for 5 minutes, then another 5 minutes for the other side. After that, the assistant had to clean up the cement/glue that were scattered on my teeth outside the brackets using a drilling handpiece. This took 7 minutes. After that she asked me to rinse my mouth using water then a mouthwash. I felt a weird sensation when I was swishing the mouthwash. I could also feel the new feeling when the brackets pressed against my inner lips. It was interesting.. and also weird.
When I returned to my seat, she put the wire inside the brackets. We waited for a few minutes while the orthodontist was finishing with another patient.. then he had to check the work of the assistant.. and "predicted" the progress my teeth would make. I would have an extraction next week, so that tooth isn't bracketed or wired. He told the assistant the plan/step he wanted to take because there was a little more complication than he planned.. and he told her to re-wire. I'm scheduled to come back for the next appointment on October 4th.
In summary, here's the process:
- The placement of the braces and the bonding procedure as used today generally follows these steps:
- The teeth are polished with a non-flavored paste (this is similar to a dental polish after a cleaning).
- A cheek retractor (shown below) is placed to provide a dry field and make it easier to visualize the teeth.
- The teeth are lightly air-dried, and the conditioner is placed onto the front surfaces of the teeth for about 30 seconds.
- The conditioner is rinsed and the teeth are again dried using suction and air.
- A primer is painted onto the teeth.
- The bonding cement is placed onto the back sides of the braces, which are then placed onto the teeth.
- The brackets are placed in a very precise position onto the teeth, and excess bonding cement is removed.
- If the bonding cement is light sensitive, a bright blue light is used to "cure" the glue. Some bonding agents do not require a light since they have a chemical cure.
- The cheek retractor is removed and the wires are placed
Ever since the braces were put on, I didn't feel any significant pain. Sure it feels weird.. and there's discomfort whenever I move my mouth around and all. But there has been no stabbing pain or anything. Refer to the pics below for clearer "description".
if you can see the right side of my mouth, the bracket came out and sat on my lip.. well, when I close my mouth, that is the bracket that poking my inner lip and causing pretty much the only discomfort I've been experiencing.
See that tooth that doesn't have bracket? That's the one that's gonna be extracted next week.
This side of my mouth pretty much seems ok and doesn't cause any discomfort/pain
Here's a video of a girl getting braces. It's pretty much the same of what I went through, but I don't remember the blue light part.
Although I don't feel pain and anything, I decided to have the soup still. The assistant said that although I wouldn't feel any pain during lunch, but at night I'd start feeling sore. So to avoid double discomfort/pain, I'm sticking with soup.. (although I have to admit, I couldn't stray away from a chocolate bar earlier..)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Getting Started
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Ortho visit to discuss about treatment and payment
Today I went to the orthodontist.. As I promised, I took some photos of the results and everything that I had gone through in order to get started with getting braces. The orthodontist explained to me that he would have to take one tooth out from my lower jaw because there was crowding, and he still said I would eventually need to get the implant to straighten out the only wisdom tooth left at my bottom left jaw. He said that my treatment will be more than 2 years, but he's expecting it to be 24-27 months. He would put the lower braces first for the first few months so I can get used to it before putting the top part on. It's pretty funny because I thought that my upper teeth are the ones that are problematic and need treatment more than the lower teeth. He said that he will use spring to correct my bite. For the upper part, although there's crowding too, he said he might be able to push them to the back. It's difficult, but it can work. I really hope so!
The ortho told me to get my tooth extracted 2 weeks prior our next appointment OR after I got my braces on, I have to get it extracted within 2 weeks. Other than that, I have a bad news. The cost of the braces will be $8600 for me. I will have to pay $2100ish at my next visit, then I will have to pay $268 every month. It's very expensive! :( But I've been hearing stuff from people who get their braces off about how amazing it feels now that their bites have been corrected and their teeth are straight. And although a lot of people have been complaining about how expensive it is, some other people break down the fees into labor, materials, etc.. and it turns out that it's about right. Still I think that the first down payment is the toughest for me, the $268 monthly payment is more reasonable for me. Sigh.. I really hope at the end this all will be worth it. I read the consent form that if down the road I will have to transfer out or not able to finish my treatment, I will be charged with labor fee and all starting from $100 to $800. I really hope I won't have to go back to my home country before that.
The ortho told me to get my tooth extracted 2 weeks prior our next appointment OR after I got my braces on, I have to get it extracted within 2 weeks. Other than that, I have a bad news. The cost of the braces will be $8600 for me. I will have to pay $2100ish at my next visit, then I will have to pay $268 every month. It's very expensive! :( But I've been hearing stuff from people who get their braces off about how amazing it feels now that their bites have been corrected and their teeth are straight. And although a lot of people have been complaining about how expensive it is, some other people break down the fees into labor, materials, etc.. and it turns out that it's about right. Still I think that the first down payment is the toughest for me, the $268 monthly payment is more reasonable for me. Sigh.. I really hope at the end this all will be worth it. I read the consent form that if down the road I will have to transfer out or not able to finish my treatment, I will be charged with labor fee and all starting from $100 to $800. I really hope I won't have to go back to my home country before that.
So here you go:
the impression
close up view of my mouth
the wax paper that I bit on
and there's a sketch of my face and head,
below that sketch paper there's the original x-ray of my head.
On an unrelated note, For some reason I find the sketch intriguing. The last time I had a real artist did a sketch of me was when I was still a little girl.
Today I went to the radiology to get x-ray and close-up view shots of my teeth, my head and all. The machines were interesting and also the techniques used for the shooting were fun. She had to use mirror and a stretcher (that I would have to hold on to while she was taking pictures of the inside of my mouth. It's been so long since the last time I went into a radiology, I just didn't remember the "radiation" that caused by the machines could make you feel sick and gave you headache. I felt very dizzy as soon as I entered different rooms for getting different types of x-rays.
All and all, the nurse was very kind although I arrived 20 minutes late. I'm scheduled to have an appointment for 29 July to discuss about the treatment and the finance. I'm really getting the clear braces. Many people try to encourage me getting the invisalign, but I know that if I can take it off, I will. I have a disciplinary problem. :)
Ok til next time. I'll make sure to take some shoots of anything from my next visit to the orthodontist.
All and all, the nurse was very kind although I arrived 20 minutes late. I'm scheduled to have an appointment for 29 July to discuss about the treatment and the finance. I'm really getting the clear braces. Many people try to encourage me getting the invisalign, but I know that if I can take it off, I will. I have a disciplinary problem. :)
Ok til next time. I'll make sure to take some shoots of anything from my next visit to the orthodontist.
Impression:
a mold or imprint of the teeth and gums, which is subsequently filled with dental plaster or acrylic so that an accurate replica of the teeth and gums is produced. The purpose is o record the contours of the teeth and gums. It is typically dispensed into a tray as a vicsous gel, and inserted into the patient's mouth for a few moments. It flows around and between the teeth, and then sets into a rubbery consistency. The impression can then be poured with a slurry of laboratory grade dental plaster, which hardens into the shape of the teeth.
I just got back from the ortho. Now I can type this entry in the appropriate term. Yesterday I called it a teeth model.. while the assistant told me today, "I'm going to do an impression of you." which I laughed at because I thought she was kidding. But turns out, that's what it's called: Dental Impression.
It's made of alginate, which I heard is the same materials used for making casts for legs and hands. It's sticky but smells good. The tray was very wide for my mouth. It was a little difficult for it to pass through my mouth, but once it's inside, it fitted okay. It took about 1 minute or so for the material to set and harden. She had to repeat four times. I think each time focused on one particular side of the mouth. Bottom right, bottom left, top left, top right = 4 times. After each set, I was told to rinse my mouth and clean up before the next set. It didn't hurt at all, and it felt nice because it was kind of cold, but I did notice a little discomfort when the tray was being pushed hard and the hardened material press the gum pretty hard.
What's next?
I'm scheduled to get complete x-ray at a radiology near my house on July 7th.
Then I'll have to go back to the orthodontist with options, and to discuss more about the payments.
Tomorrow I'll be going to my orthodontist again. I'm gonna get the model of the inside of my mouth. The appointment would be at 12:30pm. I have no idea what is going to happen and how long it's going to take. I asked my sister what she went through before she got her braces years ago. She said, the process of getting the model mouth would take around 2 minutes each (2 minutes for lower teeth and 2 minutes for the top).
I'll post again tomorrow!
For now I'll leave you with one of several photos I took of my hideous crooked teeth. In the other pics, you can see clearer of how bad my teeth are, but in the other photos you can also see the staining and my saliva, it's gross. So I'll just show one.
I'll post again tomorrow!
For now I'll leave you with one of several photos I took of my hideous crooked teeth. In the other pics, you can see clearer of how bad my teeth are, but in the other photos you can also see the staining and my saliva, it's gross. So I'll just show one.
| Procedure | Cost |
| Surgical placement of implant | $1,565 |
| Abutment for implant | $605 (mean) |
| Prefabricated | $549 |
| Custom | $660 |
| Crown, porcelain fused to metal (PFM), high-noble metal | $1,119 |
| Total | $3,289 |
*Costs based per single dental implant.
*All fee data courtesy of the American Dental Association.
Source: dentalimplantscost.org/
Traditional Metal BracesTraditional metal braces are the most common type of braces and are more comfortable today than ever before. Made of high-grade stainless steel, metal braces straighten your teeth using metal brackets and archwires. With metal braces, you have the option of adding colored elastics (rubber bands) for a more unique and colorful smile.
Ceramic BracesCeramic braces are made of clear materials and are therefore less visible on your teeth than metal braces. For this reason, ceramic braces are used mainly on older teenagers and adult patients who have cosmetic concerns. While they are visually less prominent, they do require more attention to oral hygiene as ceramic braces are larger and are more brittle than their metal counterparts. For these reasons, ceramic braces tend to be used more on upper front teeth than on lower teeth.
Invisalign®Invisalign uses a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners to straighten your teeth. No one can tell you are wearing Invisalign because it's clear! Not only do aligners appear invisible, they are also removable so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment. Plus, brushing and flossing are less of a hassle. The aligners are comfortable and have no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. Watch the video about Invisalign in our office! Learn more about Invisalign on our website by visiting www.invisalign.com.
Unlike clear orthodontic appliances, lingual braces are completely invisible because they are attached to the back of the teeth.Each bracket is 100% customized for the best results. There is minimal discomfort and speech interference. No one will know that you are wearing braces! Read more about lingual braces on www.hiddenbraces.com.
Source: theorthobee.com
Unfortunately my ortho doesn't offer the lingual braces.
I'm getting braces!
I've been putting this off for such a long, long time. My parents don't really have the best set of teeth. So did my sisters. Because we were raised by my mother alone, it was pretty hard for her to afford all of us to get the braces. I came from a country where you can't really make payments for braces. You have to pay in full then everytime you come in for tightening, you have to pay a different fee. Back in my country, the cost of braces isn't as expensive as it is in USA.
For some reasons my mom felt that my sisters' teeth were worse than mine, so they got their braces first. It cost about $1,000ish per person, and they had to pay $10ish per visit. Unfortunately, my sisters' orthodontist wasn't really that great. She was good, but she treated patients differently. If you came in bringing snacks and foods (or whatever else) for her, she'd be very friendly and nice. It's silly, but some people love to get bribed.
Anywho, after years and years of putting it off.. I finally decided it's really time for me to get braces. I have now earned money myself.. and although I don't really have that much, but I have enough. So after a year of my complete dental visit to my dentist, I finally said that I wanted to get braces and he immediately referred me to an orthodontist in the same dental building where he works. I got the referral paper from my dentist's assistant, and I immediately walked to the orthodontist to make an appointment.
And I came in this morning for initial exam. I had to make silly faces and was tested in every angle possible. I had to bite a stick so my orthodontist could see if there was anything wrong with my bite. After all the basic exam, he explained to me that I have an asymmetric bite. He showed me using a teeth model that he had how my bite was. He explained to me that he would have to apply a rubber-band when I get my braces later on to fix my bite, and he also said he would probably need to extract the one and only wisdom tooth I have left at the left bottom of my mouth. He didn't explain why, but he also said he would put an implant there. An implant would cost another $4,000; plus I don't really want to get an implant. My mom already warned me not to ever get an implant. So I'd probably need to talk to him if there's a way around that.
After the exam, I was given the cost estimation which would be around $6800-$8400 for ceramic braces that I had my eyes on (subtract $400 for traditional metal braces). Invisalign would cost a little more than that. The down payment would be around $2400-$3800, after that I will have to pay monthly installment in $300.
This cost is far more expensive than what I predicted. I'm still considering on whether I should get it or not. My friends and family are telling me that it's a lot of money and if it's not bothering me, maybe I can push it back for another year or so. But that little voice in my head knows that if I postpone it again, it will never happen.
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