Week 61

I still can't believe the end is in sight. Yay. Soooo, potentially in 7 weeks my fixed braces could be coming off.  That is if all goes to plan during this "in between" period. 

This appointment just gone was a tough one. He'd already told me the time before he needed to replace brackets that were not really in the correct place (angle etc) so I knew what I was in store for. 

But he decided to change 3 brackets! And one of them that was on the upper tooth "didn't want to leave" as he put it. So that was a bit scary. You really have to trust that they aren't going to pull any of your teeth out as that's how it kinda feels sometimes. Ha. But my teeth started feeling a bit sore and sensitive even while he was doing all that and putting my wires in. 

He changed the chains. I have new spacing chain on the upper teeth and closing chains on the bottom teeth. Fun times. Although I currently have a gap between my upper middle front teeth which I am not loving and is not staying. So that better go in the next few weeks. Hmmm. What I also thought was funny was he re-used the upper piece of wire again. Must have still had some tension in it I guess. 

My orthodontist said that this next 7 weeks is going to be little refinements to my smile. That's why it takes so much longer (my previous time periods between appointments have been 5ish weeks recently) but if all goes to plan the braces might be able to come off next time! 

Then they would put on fixed retainer wires to the back on my upper 4 and lower 6 teeth to hold them a bit (when adults go through orthodontic treatment their teeth are much more likely to try and revert back to their original positions). They will take moulds of my teeth for my night time retainers. Then after 3 days I go back to collect those and I am done.  Woop!

Follow up appointment after 3-4 months to see how things are going. And that is when I might be able to have my teeth whitened!! 

Photos at 61 weeks into treatment:

  

Sometimes I think my teeth look awful, but here they actually look okay :D

 But for a little perspective here's before:

*Update* 

Soooo 2 weeks after this (Week 63) I spoke with the nurse at my orthodontic practice to ask about said gap about that was getting bigger between my upper middle two teeth. Anyway she asked my orthodontist who said and I quote "that no gaps should be appearing as part of your treatment and that means you may not be ready for your debond as this gap is there. He advised that you come in before your next appointment or wait until then so that he can assess what to do next." 

Can you see the gap? Do you think it's getting bigger?

Hmmmmmmm. So need to either pop back sooner or wait and see what happens. oh well. Like I've said before, I want to get it right as I only plan to do this the once. Ha.

Excited for them to be off now. Sometimes they really wind me up. Just these big things rubbing against my lips. But I think it is gonna be very strange when the braces finally do come off. Excited tho!