I meant to post here a little sooner, but life's been busy this week. I did get braces on this past Monday! Metal Damon on top from first bicuspid to first bicuspid, no colored ligatures.
At the ortho's office, they first took another kind of x-ray (I think maybe a profile view; they took a panoramic at the consultation), and then used an iTero scanner to make a 3D model of my teeth, instead of taking an impression (though they still do that for fitting banded appliances, so I'll have to do that for the lower lingual holding arch when it's time to get the Carriere appliance). The woman who did the x-ray and scan was young and asked if I'd be getting colors on my braces (based on an earlier question she asked, I think she thought I was younger than I am, though it had come up that I had young kids). I told her probably not, but maybe at a future appointment. She said she wishes she had braces again so she could get different colors! The scan probably took about as long as taking impressions would have, but I guess then it's all done, and they don't have to create molds from the impressions. She briefly showed me the finished scan, but I didn't really get to look at it much.
After that, went and paid (in full to get a slight discount, but ouch!), and then was taken back to the clinic area where the exam chairs are for patients during appointments. I had to wait for a bit for the ortho to be done with the other exams he had before me (assistant polished my teeth, then we waited a bit, then she used the etch I think, then she did something and used the UV light, then we waited more with my mouth open and lip spreader in). When I first sat down, there was a woman in the exam chair next to me who was probably in her 50's. I think she was the only other patient I noticed who looked older than a teenager. It'll be interesting to see how often I see other adult patients.
Finally the ortho came over to place the brackets. When told/shown that I had chosen metal (over clear), he made a comment about how he likes the metal brackets and am glad I made that choice. Probably similar view to Ortho B about the metal Damon brackets being newer and better than the clear Damon brackets, but just doesn't push that or try to sell it to patients who might otherwise want clear. He placed the brackets by hand and by eye, told the assistant what wire to start with, and then went on to the next patient.
Got the lip spreader out before the assistant placed the wire. The brackets feel really weird when brand new to your mouth, with the doors open! The assistant trimmed the wire to match the length to just what brackets I have and put it into the brackets. She then went over a few things and gave me the "goodie bag" they give every new patient. I then went to the front desk and scheduled out 8 weeks for my next appointment.
While walking out to my car, it felt like my left lateral incisor had already moved forward a tiny bit (just like 5-10 minutes after the wire was placed). Got in the car and got to look at them for the first time. It's weird seeing myself in braces again, 23 years after getting them removed the first time. The brackets are so small that it makes my teeth look even bigger than they are, and the Damon brackets are definitely pokey-er than what I remember from having traditional brackets (though maybe what I remember is from after I had adjusted to having braces, and/or when I had powerchains that made the braces feel a lot smoother). Damon brackets with the wire, so far, feel a like what traditional brackets felt like with the wire removed (at my ortho as a kid, sometimes they would take off the ligatures and wire and then let you go brush your teeth before putting the new wire and ligatures on).
Here is a photo from that first day right after I got home: https://www.flickr.com/gp/189082961@N04/y0618P
The colored dots are all basically off as of yesterday. I don’t know what the blue stuff on the center of the archwire is, but it’s gone, too.
Looking up stuff on Ormco's website (the company that makes Damon braces) and looking carefully at my braces, I think I have Damon Ultima brackets on the four incisors, and Damon Q brackets on the canines and first bicuspids (those will be removed when the Carriere is placed). Ultima is their new bracket/system that, I think, has only been for sale for just under a year. That basically lines up with how Ortho B had told me that the metal brackets have been updated a couple times since the clear ones were, and how the metal work a lot better, in his opinion.
I'll write up more soon (maybe today, maybe in the next few days) about how these first few days have gone. Still definitely just getting used to them.
At the ortho's office, they first took another kind of x-ray (I think maybe a profile view; they took a panoramic at the consultation), and then used an iTero scanner to make a 3D model of my teeth, instead of taking an impression (though they still do that for fitting banded appliances, so I'll have to do that for the lower lingual holding arch when it's time to get the Carriere appliance). The woman who did the x-ray and scan was young and asked if I'd be getting colors on my braces (based on an earlier question she asked, I think she thought I was younger than I am, though it had come up that I had young kids). I told her probably not, but maybe at a future appointment. She said she wishes she had braces again so she could get different colors! The scan probably took about as long as taking impressions would have, but I guess then it's all done, and they don't have to create molds from the impressions. She briefly showed me the finished scan, but I didn't really get to look at it much.
After that, went and paid (in full to get a slight discount, but ouch!), and then was taken back to the clinic area where the exam chairs are for patients during appointments. I had to wait for a bit for the ortho to be done with the other exams he had before me (assistant polished my teeth, then we waited a bit, then she used the etch I think, then she did something and used the UV light, then we waited more with my mouth open and lip spreader in). When I first sat down, there was a woman in the exam chair next to me who was probably in her 50's. I think she was the only other patient I noticed who looked older than a teenager. It'll be interesting to see how often I see other adult patients.
Finally the ortho came over to place the brackets. When told/shown that I had chosen metal (over clear), he made a comment about how he likes the metal brackets and am glad I made that choice. Probably similar view to Ortho B about the metal Damon brackets being newer and better than the clear Damon brackets, but just doesn't push that or try to sell it to patients who might otherwise want clear. He placed the brackets by hand and by eye, told the assistant what wire to start with, and then went on to the next patient.
Got the lip spreader out before the assistant placed the wire. The brackets feel really weird when brand new to your mouth, with the doors open! The assistant trimmed the wire to match the length to just what brackets I have and put it into the brackets. She then went over a few things and gave me the "goodie bag" they give every new patient. I then went to the front desk and scheduled out 8 weeks for my next appointment.
While walking out to my car, it felt like my left lateral incisor had already moved forward a tiny bit (just like 5-10 minutes after the wire was placed). Got in the car and got to look at them for the first time. It's weird seeing myself in braces again, 23 years after getting them removed the first time. The brackets are so small that it makes my teeth look even bigger than they are, and the Damon brackets are definitely pokey-er than what I remember from having traditional brackets (though maybe what I remember is from after I had adjusted to having braces, and/or when I had powerchains that made the braces feel a lot smoother). Damon brackets with the wire, so far, feel a like what traditional brackets felt like with the wire removed (at my ortho as a kid, sometimes they would take off the ligatures and wire and then let you go brush your teeth before putting the new wire and ligatures on).
Here is a photo from that first day right after I got home: https://www.flickr.com/gp/189082961@N04/y0618P
The colored dots are all basically off as of yesterday. I don’t know what the blue stuff on the center of the archwire is, but it’s gone, too.
Looking up stuff on Ormco's website (the company that makes Damon braces) and looking carefully at my braces, I think I have Damon Ultima brackets on the four incisors, and Damon Q brackets on the canines and first bicuspids (those will be removed when the Carriere is placed). Ultima is their new bracket/system that, I think, has only been for sale for just under a year. That basically lines up with how Ortho B had told me that the metal brackets have been updated a couple times since the clear ones were, and how the metal work a lot better, in his opinion.
I'll write up more soon (maybe today, maybe in the next few days) about how these first few days have gone. Still definitely just getting used to them.
