New Posts

@radian -- I'll even amplify a little more: even when people notice, 95% of them simply don't care. It becomes a conversational blip, if that. "Oh, hey, you got braces," and then onto whatever they want to say (usually about themselves).

What about your job prevents you from getting braces? I do understand professional considerations in some positions. My wife had professional concerns, and didn't get her braces until she "retired."

If this is something you want, why go halfway?

If anyone is in doubt, go for it!!! There is pain but I even like that. I'm not a major masochist, I just like feeling the force and pressure of the braces on my teeth.

Like MikeB has been saying, most people don't notice. And if they are the kind of people who notice then they will notice clear.

I told my Facebook friends and family that the force needed for my problems was more than Invisalign or clear brackets could handle.

I hope this helps.

I'm making a gallery to hold my photos later.

Great new ! So brave to get the metal brackets !

I want to do it. I visited several orthodontists but I could not take the decision yet, partly because of my job.

Latest vid is up on YouTube, same channel as above.

@bradhov - That's sad news about missing your wife's removal appointment. I missed Carrie's first adjustment, but I'm not going to miss another. She prefers it when I go with her, anyway.

UPDATE:

Carrie had her third adjustment yesterday afternoon. I took a half day off work. We had lunch (Mexican food) and a couple of drinks, and headed to the ortho practice. We waited about ten minutes and then they took us in.

The orthodontist saw Carrie immediately. Results:

- She got a slightly heavier upper archwire. No change to the bottom, except re-tying with new ligs.

- She's continuing with the upper power chain.

- They did not have lavender ligs/chains, so she went with light blue. We both think it looks good.

- She had a couple of ligs in "figure 8" configuration previously, but those are now gone in favor of standard configuration.

- The hated bite stoppers remain in place.

- No elastics yet.

- The ortho will do x-rays at her next appointment and is likely to move some brackets. She may get the bite stoppers out at that time.

- Next appointment is October 12th.

Naturally she immediately felt pressure on her upper arch, because of the stronger wire and the power chain, but it's nothing she can't handle. We went to happy hour after the appointment, where she had some wine but no food.

In all, it was a pretty normal adjustment. I got some good video which I will post on YouTube once I get it cleaned up.

Congrats - did you get upper and lower both or just upper?
Look forward to seeing the pictures

Awesome - thanks again to you for posting and Carrie being okay with pictures being posted!
My wife just got hers off yesterday and was bummed I couldn't break free from work to see them get taken off

Oh and just FYI, I got Carrie's videos sorted out and uploaded to YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRKtdhbQm9CJV_5RAacgh0g

If the link fails, just search "Mike FXB braces."

MikeB said:

Congrats on making it happen!

Wow, eight weeks to your next adjustment? Seems like a long time. Carrie only goes six weeks between adjustments.

Click to expand...

I was surprised about that too. I don't know if it wok always be that long in between.

Congrats on making it happen!

Wow, eight weeks to your next adjustment? Seems like a long time. Carrie only goes six weeks between adjustments.

They are on!
It took just over an hour. I took a farewell video of my naked teeth and went into the office.

I brushed and used the bathroom to put some protection on in case my excitement spilled out.

The assistant removed spacers on each molar testing band sizes for each before repeating the process. Then she removed each band to glue it in place. Next was the etching on each tooth. After that the head orthodontist came in to position the brackets. She admitted to being a perfectionist. (I hope so!)

After she left the assistant cured the glue with the blue light gun.

Then came the archwires and my choice this first time silver ligatures.

I got the brushing instructions and the foods talk and scheduled my next appointment 8 weeks from now on Oct. 10th.

Pictures and vids are on Instagram. Tin_man_80

This afternoon will be Carrie's third adjustment. She'll *probably* go for lavender ligs. To be answered today:

Will the hateful bite stoppers finally come out?

Will she continue with the upper power chain?

Will she get elastics to start working on her bite correction?

I'll be taking the usual video at the appointment, of course.

On a side note, she'd quit wearing the Comfort Covers for a couple of months, but the inside of her mouth was still getting a bit irritated. She's back to wearing the Covers when sleeping. I ordered her three sets so she has spares, and wrote a note on my bathroom mirror (dry erase marker) to remind her to put them in before bed.

MikeB said:

Best of luck! I'm sure it'll go perfectly smoothly.

Definitely record some videos, if for no other reason than your own review when it's all over.

Click to expand...

Best of luck tomorrow. Hope it goes well and you can get some pictures and videos

Best of luck! I'm sure it'll go perfectly smoothly.

Definitely record some videos, if for no other reason than your own review when it's all over.

Tomorrow is the day! They don't allow video recording but I'll try and snap a few selfies of the process I may even do before and after videos if there is any interest. Wish me luck.

Appointment is tomorrow afternoon. She's pretty much settled on lavender. Look for pics on Flickr!

Just dropped like 15 pics into the Flickr album of Carrie's little side jaunt to Boston. Some cute pics.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeinreallife/albums/72157680716009024

I deleted the videos on Flickr. I only just now realized Flickr limits vids to 3 minutes! I'm setting up an unlisted YouTube channel to host Carrie's progress videos. I'll post a link here when the channel is up and running.

I had to replace my own spacer last night. It had come loose after eating some Chinese food. I could feel, and when I got home, see the center hole as it hung down between my molars.  I decided to take it out and try to replace it as today is my busiest day of the week.

I removed it with tweezers. Next I put two pieces of thread through opposite sides to stretch it enough to make it fit again. It worked well enough but I noticed that it was worn down at one point of the loop. It will be interesting to see if it lasts another week.

It felt so good to have it out for a few minutes.

the spacers I had on my tongue appliance hurt but not too bad - only had 4 of them put in.  like you, I've waited a while to get braces and looking forward to starting as soon as I get the okay to get my appliance removed.