Whelp... here we go again. This past Tues was a busy day. I got banded on my lowers once again, had my lower right incisor extracted, and starting this whole process all over again. Outside of one of my molars proving to be troublesome in terms of getting a band to fit right, the banding was pretty quick and painless. The brackets my new ortho uses is totally different from my last orthodontist. The last ones were self litigating American Standard. I don't know what these ones are yet, but they feel sharper/rougher and they don't self litigate, so I have the classic little rubber bands that go around each bracket. I got them in silver, so it's really not any different looking than when I had the self litigating ones. These brackets overall look MUCH better than my last set, mostly because this ortho used the least amount of cement as possible. I can now see the difference how extremely sloppy the last banding was. What a ridiculous amount of cement was on my teeth. I just didn't know what I didn't know then. About an hour later, I was out the door to go get my grub on before getting the incisor yanked.
That bracketless lower incisor is about to go meet it's maker
I normally don't eat before going to any mouth doc, but I treated myself to a super yummy Indian buffet in the hour I had between leaving the orthodontists office and going to my surgeons office. I was a bit nervous about the tooth extraction, as I've always been put out for my other ones (lower back molar and my 4 wisdoms). I got in the chair and immediately got some gas. I felt bad, but I kept asking the chick to turn it up. Finally she's like, "it won't go up any further than this." I felt nothing.....zip, zero, zilch. Granted, my only experience with laughing gas is doing it recreationally in high school at a few concerts, and all I know is that I wasn't even feeling the hint of floating/goofy that this stuff gives you. It was a waste of 60 bucks honestly. BUT, I didn't need it anyway. Doc numbed me up REALLY good. I usually need 2-3 needles as I tend to have a high tolerance for the novicane. I told him that before hand, so whatever he gave me, he got me good right on the first shot. And it took effect really fast. I am not sure if all extractions go like this, but this was so gentle that I didn't even know the tooth was out. I didn't feel him tug, no pressure applied to me anywhere, and no audible sounds. Not sure if my surgeon has some magic hands or that is just how this particular extraction goes. All in all, I think I was in and out of the office in 20 minutes, with the tooth out in just a few seconds. I really feel silly now for being put out for the last molar extraction!!
I head right back over to my orthodontists office. They fit the arch wire in and send me on my way. As for the arch wire, it's also different than what my last ortho used. I think they put the lightest wire they have in for the first one. I asked how soon before they start closing the huge hole that is now in the front of my grill, and they said not until I get 2 wires up. My next wire change is in 5 weeks. Bbbboooo.... this is going to be a long ride with the grand canyon right smack in the front lower teeth. I am not liking this wire. They have it pulled through the back brackets and looped in a little "J" on the ends so it doesn't bend through the brackets. I've had that before with the lighter wires, but the way they have these looped are much more uncomfortable than anything I've had before, so I would say the back brackets is where most of my discomfort is right now where it and the looped wire is tearing up my cheeks and needing wax. Otherwise, the extraction site remained pretty painless (only took 2 advil and barely needed that), and I just had the slightest hint of tooth soreness in my bicuspids from the braces. Overall, nothing too bad. My husband said I am still tough as nails ;)
I head right back over to my orthodontists office. They fit the arch wire in and send me on my way. As for the arch wire, it's also different than what my last ortho used. I think they put the lightest wire they have in for the first one. I asked how soon before they start closing the huge hole that is now in the front of my grill, and they said not until I get 2 wires up. My next wire change is in 5 weeks. Bbbboooo.... this is going to be a long ride with the grand canyon right smack in the front lower teeth. I am not liking this wire. They have it pulled through the back brackets and looped in a little "J" on the ends so it doesn't bend through the brackets. I've had that before with the lighter wires, but the way they have these looped are much more uncomfortable than anything I've had before, so I would say the back brackets is where most of my discomfort is right now where it and the looped wire is tearing up my cheeks and needing wax. Otherwise, the extraction site remained pretty painless (only took 2 advil and barely needed that), and I just had the slightest hint of tooth soreness in my bicuspids from the braces. Overall, nothing too bad. My husband said I am still tough as nails ;)
Just after lower extraction and braces back on
So, here we go again. The gap will be slow to close, and I'll just keep chugging along until everything is sorted out and I'm surgery ready again by the end of this year.
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