Since my 10th Appointment Getting a Temporary False Tooth Fitted blog post I have actually popped back for a mini appointment to get another false tooth fitted.  The other one was too white, so I went back two weeks later just for a 5 minute appointment to fit a new colour false tooth.  These are only temporary false teeth so not the real deal.  I’ve been told they are the size my false teeth will be, which is strange as the gap is a lot bigger.  They’ve made the gap bigger than it needs to be, so I guess they’ll make it smaller again soon?  Not sure of the exact reason for this, I might ask her at my next appointment.

I’ll not count my quickie appointment as an actual one as it was literally to swap over the false tooth and nothing else.

I’ve now had my 11^th appointment to tighten the wires and see what’s been happening.

A very, very rare photo of me showing my teeth:

Closing gaps with elastics

At the bottom we’re closing all the gaps.  We closed the front gap, then the next gaps, now we’re closing the gaps that have formed by my third teeth back.  Then the next two, and so on until there are no gaps.  After these gaps are closed I have three more teeth on one side and four on the other (as I have one tooth missing altogether at the bottom), so this means at least four more appointments to get all these gaps closed which will go into 2018 with six weeks between each appointment.

My dream of being brace free by Christmas has disappeared.

Correcting overbite with elastics

My overbite is around 5.5mm (should be 2mm-ish) and I admitted I hadn’t been wearing my top to bottom elastics full time.  They are such a pain!  But more than this, it’s because I have to take them out to brush my teeth and eat, so I remove them 5-7 times a day, then I totally forget to put them back in!  Usually by the time I remember, it’s nearly time to eat again so there’s no point, and then I forget again!  I’m going to try and make more of an effort to remember as it’s the only way to correct my bite.

I did wonder if I could not wear them in the day and double up at night, but after Googling I discovered it’s not the strength of the force, but the continuous force that helps, so part time wear doesn’t work.

Considering an implant

I was considering an implant, or two, instead of the planned bridge and veneer, but they are super expensive!  I thought I’d seen they cost £1000-£1500 which was OK as they last forever and look the most realistic, but I’ve found a local quote for £2500 per tooth!  Way too expensive.  My veneer and bridge should cost closer to £1000 for both.  The only downside being they may only last 5 years.  I have read if you look after them and they are done well, they can last 10-20 years.

My brace timeline:

Next steps

All the teeth are aligned correctly, so it’s just the overbite and closing all the gaps.  The gaps at the top for the false teeth are too wide, so these need reducing again I think.  I think once all the bottom gaps are closed they’ll bring all my top teeth together.  Then fingers crossed it will be time for the brace off and wearing a retainer.

I just want them off now

I’ve definitely got used to the brace and don’t find eating so disgusting or a chore anymore, but I think I’ve just got so used to what I can eat and how to eat it.  The tightenings are only painful for a couple of days so this is fine.  I’m just kind of sick of having them on now.  I feel like I need them off just to give my teeth a REALLY good clean.  I feel like my teeth are dirty and my breath always smells.  I’m also so conscious of being such a metal mouth when I talk and smile.  It’s hard to smile with mouth closed because the brace is so in the way.  It’s also so hard to kiss!  I said before I wasn’t that bothered about this, but after one year and four months of not being able to properly kiss my husband, I am starting to get a bit annoyed with this!

Hang in there

I don’t want to feel negative about it all and so looking at old photos of my teeth and how much they have changed is reassuring, though it’s really hard to tell much difference in the photos and not in person.  I think the false teeth will make all the difference.  It’s hard to imagine the final result as I have so many gaps at the top front.  It will look so different I’m sure with the false teeth and no gaps, but I just find it hard to imagine.  I hope by the end of this year I’ll have some indication of how much longer I’ll have left and when I can start thinking about getting the false teeth!

Save