Progress I Guess

[ (April 27th, 2013) (73 days post surgery, 33 days since full expansion, 51 days post braces) ]

After the previous visit to the orthodontist, the gap closed about a half a centimeter the first week and then didn't move the next three weeks.  Instead, a the new gap between my front left tooth and the tooth next to it got bigger (I don't know how that makes any sense). Also, it seemed like the braces were pulling my front tooth on my right side (left side looking at the picture) out of my gums to the point were it was loose.  I'm just over the whole gap thing already and want it to be closed.

I went to the orthodontist this past Tuesday (April 23rd).  I asked about my front tooth being pulled down out of my gums.  They said it was ok because none of the root was showing and teeth are going to feel loose as they are shifting into place.  The hooked me up with a new track and new rubber bands to help the gap close better.  They told me to come in every two weeks now instead of the four weeks that I initially did.  Since then, the tooth started to move back up and the front gap closed a little more while the side gap grew bigger.  I go back to the orthodontist in a week and a half.  Still, the thought of a perfect smile is getting me through this.

Here are some pictures from today.

Stalemate: Braces vs The Expander!

[ (April 14th, 2013)  (60 days post surgery, 20 days since full expansion, 34 days post braces) ]

I know I know, it has been over a month since I posted.  Life has been busy, I'm lazy, [enter more excuses here], blah blah blah, etc.

Anyway, I stopped turning the expander on March 25th (40 days post surgery, 35 days after starting to turn expander) after a whopping 58 turns!  Fifteen of the turns came after the braces were put on my top row of teeth. 

My last orthodontist appointment was on March 25th.  They said that I may have overexpanded my palate.  They told me not to worry because most of the time, the palate will retract a little bit.  They locked the expander in place and said it would have to stay in my mouth for about 6 months.  This will give the palate time to fuse back together.  They said it will take 2 - 3 months for the gap to close.  My next appointment is 8 days from now (April 22nd.)

March 25th was also the last check in with the oral surgeon.  He said everything was going great and I didn't need to see him again unless the orthodontist decided I needed lower jaw surgery after my braces come off. 

After the turning stopped, the gap has been s    l    o    w    l    y closing which I'm not too happy with.  I figured the braces would turn it up a notch but not so much.  Living with the gap is annoying as you can imagine but I keep telling myself it's going to be worth it in the end.  My teeth are becoming less sensitive to the point where crunchy stuff is tolerable.  The problem with that is, I'm not supposed to eat crunchy stuff because it could damage the braces (awesome timing!)  Here's some pics.



March 18th (Fifty-one turns, eight turns post braces era)

March 25th (Fifty-eight turns, fifteen post braces era, fully expanded!!!)

 

April 14th (Thirty-four days post braces, twenty days since full expansion)

You can see a little gap forming between my front tooth and the one next to it!

Here are some pics from before surgery and after full expansion.  There are some slight facial difference.

 



 

 

This is before expansion, thirty-three turns and fifty-eight turns.

 



 

 

I'll try not to be lazy and post sooner than a month away.