Sunday, December 11, 2011 0 comments

Coil Spring

Note: if there's a name of tooth that you're not familiar of, please refer to the picture at the bottom of this entry.

On my left side of the mouth, I don't have a third molar and first molar of my lower teeth anymore. The only tooth left is the second molar (from the molars family), I still have my premolar too. However the gap between the second molar and the premolar is so far apart that the second molar is tipped. During my visit for my tooth cleaning, my hygienist took an x-ray of my mouth because she needed the most recent x-ray she could use as a reference, and the result showed that my second molar had been uprighted significantly.. which came to me as a surprise because I wasn't aware that my orthodontist had been doing treatment on that area, because I had never felt any movement or pain in that area... — that is, until my last visit to my orthodontist.

He told the assistant to put a coil spring between my second molar and premolar. When I run my tongue over it, I can feel its texture is similar like of a body of a screw. It took about the first two weeks after the visit that my second molar ached really bad. Specially when I accidentally bit my teeth together and my upper molar would bump against the lower second molar, I instantly had to shut my eyes close while waiting until the pain subsided. Also on the second day, I couldn't bite on potato chips and a lot of stuff. I had to go back eating soft food that didn't require biting and chewing. It felt like I was back to the first few weeks of having braces on. :) I was also awaken during my sleep at night whenever I accidentally bit my teeth together. Other than that, after the first 2 weeks, everything is back to normal again. I can bite and chew again.

If this is the same spring coil that the orthodontist meant to put on me because I had a problem wearing rubber band 24/7, then the pain isn't worth the 'forgetting to wear it'. Although, probably the progress will be much faster wearing a coil spring than rubber band. The thing that confuses me is that when I look it up on the internet, people are referring coil spring as a tool device to create more gap instead of closing it. So after all, maybe this is not the same spring that the orthodontist referred as a substitute for the rubber band.


sorry the flash light was a bit too bright, but at least
it shows clearly how the coil spring looks



picture courtesy of: navsaridental.
Saturday, December 10, 2011 0 comments

December Update

Note: for the rest of this entry, if there's a name of tooth that you're not familiar of, please refer to the picture at the bottom of this entry.


I'm still wearing the rubber band! Ta-Da!

I went in for an adjustment on Nov 30th. I had been wearing the rubber band almost 24/7 everyday, except when I'm brushing my teeth or when I'm having my meals. But even sometimes I will keep my rubber band on when I'm eating. On Thanksgiving, though, after I brushed my teeth in the morning, I forgot to put the rubber band on until pretty late at night (around 8pm). I was worried that I would get into trouble because of it. There was another day that I forgot to put the rubber band on, specially on Sundays.. So when I went in for the adjustment, I was very sure that they would tell me, "I'm sorry, we gave it a try but it's better for you to wear the spring instead." When I was waiting on the chair for my turn, there were 3 other people and they were also asked if they had been wearing their rubber band religiously. And I was glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who had disciplinary problem of putting the rubber band back on!

I couldn't feel the progress of the gap closing. I didn't feel that it was moving at all, to be honest. I would slide my tongue in between the two teeth just to check if the gap is getting smaller and hoping there would be one day soon that my tongue would not fit into the gap anymore. I honestly feel the gap is still the same like the last time I slid it there. :(

Hopefully my orthodontist didn't tell me that the rubber band was working only because when he asked me how the rubber band, and I told him I had been wearing it all the time. I hope it's been working! I put together one picture for comparison (September vs December). In deed, the gap has been closing pretty quickly. But I still feel the progress is very, very, very slow.


can you see that the gap is closing?

Last but not least, here's the picture of my whole mouth that I took today. As you can see in the other pictures, I chose the white pearl again for the chains instead of festive colors that corresponds with the holiday season. I just want to go low so my braces won't stand out in the holiday pictures. Haha.






picture courtesy of: navsaridental.
 
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