Ortho Appointment--Still going...

So I had a quick ortho appointment this morning which I almost forgot about (thank goodness they make the courtesy call a day before!). Nothing earth shattering. But...I only have to wear the two 'box' shaped elastics at night!! Yay! I still have to wear the one diagonal elastic 24/7 but it's an improvement!! She said the box elastics did their thing so I just wear them to maintain it. Next month they will remove the heavy wire on my top braces (which have not been changed since the surgery) since we'll be past the 6 month mark of keeping the top braces intact while everything settled in, which the OS wanted. Then it will be tweaking time. My two front teeth are a bit in a 'V' shape which I believe is causing the twinges I get when drinking something too hot or cold--which have only been happening after they replace bands on the top brackets. So I think it's the pressure and metal flexing with the hot and cold that make the bottom edges really rub together and cause a jolt of a twinge up my tooth...of course this is my own speculation but, I told my Ortho this and she said that really may be the reason.

Next month they will replace the top wire with a thinner one which they will put some bends in to get the two front teeth out of the slight 'V' and more "||", then some more tweaking with leveling the teeth and then I can get these braces OFF!! I didn't want to push it by asking when she thought that could happen cuz I know these things depend on my teeth cooperating. But, I'm hoping by May they can be out. That would be awesome! But, again...I've got to wait and see.

I'm a bit scared when they come off...I am a coffee drinker so I know there are stains that I try to remove but just don't have the leverage to really remove it with the wires in the way. Oh well, worst comes to worst I'll try some OTC whiteners!!

New Year with New Look

Well it's finally 2008...finally the year the braces come off. I still don't know for sure when though. My ortho on my last visit in December (again sorry such a gap in posts, between finals, holidays and catching up on sleep I missed some posts!) they said they usually leave the braces in tact for about 6 months to let everything stabilize. So, they haven't really touched my top braces except to change the bands. The ortho did say that they still want to get rid of the 'black triangle' between my top two front teeth, which is a common thing when people get braces. So now I'm wondering if my 6 months are up at the end of this month, how much longer after that will I be in braces?? This is a question for my next visit. If I can get them off before I graduate in May I will be happy!

The elastics are doing their thing and helping things come together nicely. I must admit a few days here and there I just don't feel like fighting to eat a sandwich so I leave them out! whoops! But other than a few days I've been a diligent elastics wearer.

I also saw my OS for the first time since September. It was a quick 'howdy-do lemme check out your teeth' kinda visit. He said he really doesn't need to see me again until after my braces come off (unless I need to). So, my next appointment with him will be in May (he figures they should probably be off by then...I hope so too!!)

I've noticed something different in these cold cold winter months. Usually when you come inside to the warmth from the arctic outside, your nose will run a bit. Well, a few times it ran so fast I barely had time to catch it!!! I'm sure my sinuses are shaped a bit different now and I wonder if it makes my nose run faster! Just a weird observation!!

On another note, my husband who has been overseas since September if finally coming home soon!!!! I cannot wait, I've missed him so much. I thought when he left, it would be great if these braces came off before he came back, but no way now! Oh well, he's known me with them for 4 years now, what's another couple months!!