Week 45

I really didn't mean to leave it this long to update, but I really wanted to publish with pictures and I didn't have access to a decent camera until now.

First of all, as I don't seem unable to post comments on my own Blog (!), shout out to Laura Daly - thanks for commenting, hope you're enjoying the Blog, and that your spring coils are not giving you too much grief. I really do appreciate all readers of this Blog, hope it's helpful and if I can answer any questions, please just ask!

All the stuff that happened last check up: They changed the wires, top and bottom. I also have a white wire threaded around 8 brackets on the lower set of teeth. No power chains this time. Even though I'm not using those metal loops that serve as hooks for elastic bands right now, they didn't remove them. Maybe next time they'll tell me to wear elastics around them again. I also have 'button' hooks on the other (tongue) side of some teeth. This is because some lower teeth are slightly 'tipped' over, not standing up straight. And I've been given a new elastic formation to wear to correct this. They felt horrible at first and were constantly scraping my tongue, but now it's a lot better. I still hope they take them out next time though, if not everything.


Excitingly, they also made impressions for a retainer. Before the appointment, I was doing some research on retainers. The main types are an Essix retainer, a Hawley retainer and a bonded retainer. An Essix is like an invisalign tray, a Hawley is like those traditional braces you get with a piece of plastic that fits in the roof of your mouth and wires, and a bonded retainer is a metal wire stuck to the back of your front teeth that stops them moving away from each other.

My personal preference was for an Essix retainer, but I was told that I would be given a bonded retainer. My initial thought was that it would be very bad for the tip of your tongue, always hitting something that wasn't your teeth. But I'm coming around to the idea, because it looks very fine and thin. The girl doing my impressions for the retainer had them and she said she noticed no discomfort. If they're really a problem I can get them removed, so I'm not too worried.

When I left the orthodontist after the check up, I have to admit I was pretty dismayed. I didn't think it was possible for them to put more stuff in my mouth, and yet here I was with more hooks! And they ached quite a bit at first, I was pretty miserable that evening coming back home. I also swing between being sympathetic towards my orthodontist (it's not like they can 'magic' the teeth into place) and annoyed at them (they gave me a time frame which I took in good faith - they're the experts after all). But they are looking good, and I know my orthodontist just wants it as perfect as possible.