Holy smokes! so exciting! week ten :)

 week one

week ten!!!!!

Movement!

After taking these pictures I can definitely see the movement! Woo Hoo!

week three (right after extractions)

Week eight (or so?)

week three (poor picture quality but you get the idea :)

week eight

2nd adjustment, headaches, and Gishy goo...Oh My!

So I had my second adjustment on Wednesday. I chose light pink ligatures this time. My Ortho was disappointed that my teeth hadn't moved very much in six weeks so he decided to put on a thicker wire. I had a 16 gauge wire last time and now I have an 18 gauge wire. At first I didn't really notice a difference but I'm having a lot of soreness now. Soreness means movement though so I guess I'm happy about it. They also put the ligatures on my bottom teeth in a figure eight formation. I definitely am feeling more pressure in that area so it must be working. I have been having severe tension headaches the last couple of days. I just realized that is most likely from the adjustment. Excedrin works really well for that.

My Ortho also recommended I try Gishy Goo. He gave me a sample so I could try it first since you have to order it online. Its really amazing stuff. Its epoxy based so it adheres to the brackets and stays there until you peel it off. It takes some getting use to to put on but it works wonders. It comes in lots of colors but the sample they gave me was white. It did make my teeth look yellowish so when I order it Ill probably get a color. The only drawback is that it is way more noticeable than the wax. I typically need it on the ends of my braces, where the wire sticks out and catches my cheek, so its not really a problem.
  http://www.gishygoo.com/Pages/default.aspx

Adjustment tomorrow!

I feel like there hasn't been a lot of noticeable movement in the last couple of weeks. Tomorrow I have an adjustment. Im hoping to see some big results. My family hasn't even seen my braces yet so I'm hoping that my teeth will look way different when we see them in a couple weeks. We are going camping on the beach in San Diego! So excited. I will post pictures after my adjustment tomorrow. I think I will go with light pink ligatures this time, The girl that did my last adjustment recommended them.  

Starting to see a difference!

Week four

week one

I changed the setting on my webcam to mirror image so that it would be easier to take pictures. Obviously the pictures are opposites now. I'm so excited to see the differences in these pictures in such a short time. My two front teeth are almost all the way uncrossed now. Its what always bothered me the most so I'm most excited to see the difference four short weeks have made!

To say I'm obsessed with my teeth and braces is an understatement. I love seeing my teeth move and change! I cant wait for my next tightening. When I was at the Orthodontist last time they said by four to five months my teeth would be straight for the most part and I would just need some fine tuning. Yee Haw! I still have large gaps where my extractions were. I'm anxious to see those close up.

First adjustment

I called my ortho yesterday to tell them I had my extractions done and my wires were now loose. They had me come in for an early adjustment! Yay! I was so happy to get rid of the black and purple bands. They made my teeth look rotten. I changed them to pink and I love them. The adjustment was more painful then I thought it would be. It felt like my teeth were going to fall out. My extraction wounds are still really bruised and tender so Im sure that had a lot to do with the pain. They put a thicker wire in and I am really feeling the soreness this morning. I love the soreness feeling because it means there will be some movement happening. I asked how long it would be until my teeth started to be straight and I was surprised to hear that around four months into treatment my teeth with me mostly straight and just need some "fine tuning"! yay! That is so exciting!

I'm trying to learn how to smile. I have spent 20 years trying to hide my teeth. I have no idea how to smile and not look a little weird. I still catch myself covering my mouth. Its going to be a really hard habit to break.
Here are some pictures this morning after my first adjustment. I have had my braces for almost three weeks. Not the best pictures but they will do since the kids are still asleep and I get some time to myself!

a little more normal

I thought I would post a picture of me looking a bit more normal and a little less like a blow fish :)  Im starting to get used to having braces. In fact Im starting to like them.