"Small" status update less than two weeks before my next appointment.
I've reached the stage where stuff gets worse before it can get better. The good changes are that the gaps behind my canines are pretty much completely gone. Food didn't get stuck in there since over a month compared to pretty much every meal before starting the treatment. My wisdom teeth are also noticeably moving inwards.
However, my lower central incisors are being intruded by the labial bow sitting on an inclined plane from grinding. They are already about 1mm lower than my lateral ones. With the top incisors being pushed forward by the springs without the labial bow being activated yet, it feels like I'm having a slight anterior open bite. Biting off pieces of bread or pizza is neigh impossible. It's more like tearing than properly biting. Due to the posterior bite plane and because my canines are being pushed forward, when chewing only my canines are touching. Eating feels very weird and foreign. I hope that it'll improve soon.
Another thing I'm noticing is that gaps are starting to open up between teeth wherever holding clasps are. Before starting treatment, I always had trouble getting floss between my teeth, usually ripping it several times in the process. Now, I can get between my teeth way more easily with only little resistance. I guess that could somehow be counted as an improvement?! There is one gap, however, between my two lower right premolars, which is becoming larger than I'd like. It's where the ortho tightened the holding clasp significantly more than the other ones, which is applying pressure between those two teeth. I hope that once I tell her about it, she'll reduce the tightness and the gap will close on its own again.
My jaw joints have stopped hurting except sometimes when I wake up. The right one is still popping every now and again while eating though. On the one hand, the cracking is not really that pleasant, on the other hand, it might mean that the bite plane will be modified to be thicker, which I'll thoroughly enjoy
I realized that my lateral jaw movement is slightly restricted by the wisdom teeth springs. With my braces in I can't move my jaws sideways as far as without them. It's improved since the wisdom teeth started moving inwards, but still somewhat reduced.
Currently, I'm wearing the braces pretty much full-time. I'm only taking them out to eat and during work meetings (still working from home). I leave them in when going shopping (where I'm wearing a mask anyway), but also when meeting with friends or going to the park. I'm getting in 20+ hours wear time per day. Whenever I'm in public, I'm actively and subconsciously trying to hide the braces. It's weird how such a small thing like braces can affect personality and self-esteem that much. I notice a significant difference between my personality with braces and without having the braces in.
Speaking is at a point where it most likely won't improve much anymore. A friend of mine commented that it's become really good and isn't too noticeable anymore. Myself, I still hear and notice a strong difference. With the next appointment I'm expecting speaking to become different again, requiring me to practice for a week or so before being used to the new changes. Especially if the bite plane will be made thicker.
Embracer said:
it would be very interesting to see close up photos of your braces on your teeth.
foobar said:
Maybe in a year or so once I've reached the "fuck it I'll just wear them full-time" moment (even though that moment may never come).
