The pain, however, is far from over. To celebrate my one year in braces my orthodontist sent me home with a mouth full of new experiences. On my bottom arch I got my finishing wire, which sounds exciting except it just means it’s the last wire I’ll get, but that it’ll still be on for a while. I also got about 5 vastly irritating metal lig ties and yet another power chain, um yay? On the top arch it was just another wire, and the news that while I’m making lots of progress it’ll probably still be a few more wires until we even start talking finishing wires.

The biggest change, though, are the elastics. If you’ve never experienced elastics they’re these teeny tiny rubber bands that also do a reasonable imitation of torture devices. With my lingual braces on the top and ceramic on the bottom arrangement the bands run from the inside to the outside, which is even more complex than it sounds, but I’m getting the hang of it. You essentially have to blindly get the band to hook onto just the right tooth in the back and then stretch it until you can get it to snap onto the hook for the corresponding tooth in the front. And those stay on 24/7, they can be taken off to eat, though my ortho was sure to stress that not everyone feels the need to do so.

The way they stretch from behind the teeth on the top to the front on the bottom do an amazing facsimile of a dull knife slowly trying to slice into my tongue and lower lip. Oh and that’s not even touching on the jaw and tooth pain that has led to some, admittedly amazing, changes to my bite already. I actually have a bite, I didn’t last week. It is pretty amazing, and quite possibly worth the discomfort.

With lingual braces I was told that if the discomfort is too much for the tongue they can bond teeny clear little buttons to the front of your teeth for the elastics. We’ll see if that’s necessary. If they keep up the way they’re going I’m going to end up with a divided tongue, and while I think body art is cool that is never something that has appealed.

Does it stay that way forever? Well obviously I’m only 9 months into this journey so I couldn’t answer the forever question, but it doesn’t even stay that way for long. I finally got a bracket on that one last tooth and then came the placid period. Then…enter the power chains. They’re like your normal ligs, but on 1 attached chain spanning multiple teeth and they put extra pressure on those teeth so your orthodontist can manipulate the teeth the way they want.

During the adjustment before last I received two of the things on my top arch. Changes were dramatic and nearly overnight. 1 remaining crooked tooth rotated and straightened within days. The pain…well lots of change brings lots of pain. It’s a good diet tool! Cleaning? That’s where things get interesting. I’ve always describing flossing with lingual braces as trying to sew in a straight line with your eyes closed and having power chains makes it more like trying to sew through numerous layers of fabric and needing to find just the right hole–all with your eyes closed. It’s a challenge. I’ve jabbed my gums with more floss and interproximital brushes in the last 7 weeks than I ever want to think about.

During my last adjustment they switched things up a bit, just 1 powerchain on the top and 2 on the bottom. You can’t even see the ones on the bottom, the clear chain is quite clear; I had to do some poking about to even figure out where they were. I’ll have to see how well it holds up to staining though!

It’s been less than 24 hours and my one last stubborn tooth on the top is almost fully rotated and on the bottom a gap between two teeth is nearly closed. They really do produce changes fast, but with the pain to accompany them. If your ortho says they’re putting on powerchains, I highly recommend taking some IBU right away and just keeping it up for a couple days. These suckers hurt more than when I initially got my braces on.

6 weeks until my next adjustment, I can’t wait now. The words “finishing wire” were uttered. It doesn’t mean I’m done ( I guess I could be in that wire for a good long time), it just means the 18 to 24 month sentence treatment period I was given might actually fall towards the lower end rather then going over. And here I was cautioning myself to expect a long term, not a short one!

First, since nothing I purchased dislodged it, I ended up having to make a trip to the dentist, which is even more embarrassing than it sounds, who dislodged it and gave me a referral to my lovely orthodontist and charged a steep price for the privilege. That was what finally pushed me over the edge and talked me into braces. It wasn’t the headaches, the bite issues or even my teeth wearing down at an alarming rate because of said bite issues, it was the nightmare of getting floss stuck between my crowded teeth again. He’d been telling me for years “you really need to think about this” but both cost issues and just the idea of “braces, at MY age?” kept me away. This, however, was enough. I never wanted to deal with that again!

Most importantly, second, I bought a WaterPik. It was beyond useless in dislodging the floss, but I started using it regularly before I got my braces on and now post braces installation I can’t even express how awesome it is. If you don’t have one, get one. It doesn’t need to be that specific brand, it doesn’t need to be fancy, just trust me on this. Nothing I’ve tried has worked better to get stuff dislodged from my brackets, not even my toothbrush or an interproximal brush. It’s utterly useless at dislodging floss from between your teeth, but to serve its actual purpose? Priceless.

I’ve since upgraded to a somewhat fancier model than my original, cheapest portable model and I’m planning on taking pictures and posting a review of both in the next day or two, in case anyone is curious.

It’s the actual tooth movement, though, that’s where things can get more painful. Take my last adjustment and the associated gremlins pulling out my teeth sensation, that was a pretty apt description. It was a rarity, though, that passed after a few days and now the spring doesn’t bother me, and I’m not even noticing it against my tongue. However, sometimes a tooth just randomly hurts; like a tooth ache. I’m still new enough to braces that I get a momentary flash of “uh-oh, should I make a dentist appointment?” before I remember “oh wait it’s probably movement” and it never fails, within a few days that tooth will have shifted and the ache will be gone.

So that is what it feels like, chaffing from the brackets and regular tooth aches from the movement. Oh and the occasional gremlin visit.

This tooth had better shift fast and I truly hope the rest of my teeth adjust to the pressure soon, I don’t know what I’ll do if I go another night without sleep. My joking about gremlins might transform into actual hallucinations by that point.

See, two of my more dramatically crooked teeth were tilted outward and upward in such a way that getting a bracket on was next to impossible. They just barely managed to get one on the right tooth but the left was impossible, it had to shift into place some before they could. So I’ve been waiting, watching as my teeth slowly straightened. It’s been painstaking, but in a way some of the most dramatic changes I’ve experienced, as these were the most noticeably crooked teeth in my mouth as well. Today was supposed to be the day I could finally get that last bracket on. The tooth would have to be etched before placement (tooth dust!), but still, I would finally have a full set.

Sadly, though, it was not to be. The tooth hasn’t shifted enough to allow for the placement of the bracket, causing me much sadness and worry that my 18 – 24 month sentence er treatment period may trend towards the latter end of the estimate. This also meant the placement of a dreaded open coil spring.

What is an open coil spring you ask? Well you can look here, but basically, it’s just that, a spring. It’s on the arch wire attached to the brackets on either side of the problem child tooth, exerting force to help move that tooth into place. It’s shifted pretty dramatically since I started down this path, in fact unless you look closely you can’t really tell it’s crooked (whereas originally it was noticeable at even the most casual glance), but it’s still kind of up at an angle:

for anyone wondering, this is also what it looks like when I smile, so you can see the lack of visibility with the linguals and just the teeniest bit of viability with the ceramic bottom arch, which unless you’re up close and personal really isn’t visible unless you know they’re there

So I get to experience 6 weeks of a spring rubbing against my tongue. Joy! Well, this irritation will be a good training ground for elastics, I hear those aren’t exactly comfortable either.

I did succeed in getting a new wire on the bottom, though. Between the coil on the top and the new wire on the bottom, just 6 hours later and I’m already getting that uncomfortable, someone punched me feeling that I got the day the brackets were placed. Time for some soft foods, ice and a pain killer.

One tip for anyone getting an adjustment that necessitates the removal of your wire…bring floss! Remember when flossing only took a minute rather than 20? Well with your wire out once again it can take just a minute and you can really do a good job! With lingual brackets especially, flossing is often an exercise in frustration (it’s like trying to sew an intricate straight line without being able to see what you’re doing), so enjoy being able to do so without any impediments. Once my braces are off I will never again complain that flossing is a hassle. I never knew how good I had it pre-braces.

1. The budget. When I decided to get braces I saved up to pay for the actual cost of treatment (well a down payment and I budgeted in the remaining monthly payments). I’ve since realized I also need to budget in:
   • Extra tooth brush heads. The brackets wear down my fancy Sonicare brushes at an alarming rate. Considering how much those puppies cost it isn’t an inconsiderable sum, however, their extra cleaning power is even more appreciated now than before, so it’s a worth-while expense. I use a combination of a regular v-cut brush/travel tooth brush and Ortho ReadyBrushes when away from home, though (depending on purse size). The travel implements also needed to be budgeted, not as painful as extra Sonicare heads, though.
   • Wax (more on that later). I’ve already used an alarming amount. Luckily it isn’t that expensive, but during period of extreme irritation I’ve actually managed to use an entire packet of the OrthoSil “wax” in a single day. Thank goodness for bulk purchases.
   • Various other dental implements like threader floss, interdental brushes and various numbing methods for the fading but still present irritation of tongue and cheeks. This also includes dental implements bought on a whim, I’m sure this will fade with time, but never has the dental hygiene aisle been of so much interest to me than it has in the last month or so. Anything that seems like it’ll make flossing quicker or easier or relieve some of the discomfort of the brackets has swiftly made its way into my shopping basket. It all adds up.
   • A higher quality of restaurants. An odd one, but you never realize how much the quality of an establishment’s bathroom matters until you find yourself brushing your teeth in it. A hole in the wall diner may have fabulous food, but if it doesn’t pass the bathroom hygiene test it may be off my list for the next couple of years.
     (just to note, I’m not making anything from the various links, just linking to products I’ve used that I’ve liked)
2. Comparisons and expectations. When I first decided to finally take the leap and embark on this journey I did as much research as I could. A lot of this took the form of reading other’s experiences and while a lot of it has held true and it was definitely a great way to gauge what I could expect (and if I could handle what was to come) I’ve had to keep reminding myself that everyone is different! The number of stories I’ve read that involved people not needing wax at all or talking about how after a week or 2 they were done with it were great, but it started to make me feel like I was must be a wimp or really unusual because I was still using it in some areas even 6 weeks in. Well, that’s life. Wax is there for my comfort and it isn’t a competition. If I’m still using it the day before my brackets come off so be it! I’d rather be comfortable than wax free and that’s why some stores sell it by the case.
3. Food. It’s only been a little over a month and I’m already getting somewhat adventurous. Yes, mashed potatoes are still a staple in our household and yes, I’m still amazed at how much I can eat without chewing. However, I was expecting 2 years of knife and fork usage for everything and years of cautioning myself away from all those do not eats on the lists. Well, I’ve already eaten a hamburger the good old fashioned way, and while being a bit awkward it was less so than a knife and fork to me and some with caution experimenting with of those cautionary foods (with Orthodontist permission no less!) is next on my list.
4. Gum. I was so overjoyed when my orthodontist said that not only could I continue to chew gum, but it was actually encouraged. I wouldn’t have to give up my gum addiction! Nothing works better to break an addiction than making some a chore. There is no pleasure in chewing gum now, it’s uncomfortable and awkward. It did help with some of the initial pain relief and helping me adjust to chewing again, but I no longer dive for the gum pack after finishing every meal. It’s lost all pleasure.

The application of the braces wasn’t painful. It was uncomfortable–you’re basically sitting there for a couple of hours with an awkward cheek spreader keeping your mouth open, with a suction device attached to your tongue keeping your mouth as dry as possible, fun! It isn’t a recipe for comfort, but it also isn’t a recipe for misery. However, because I was having lingual braces applied to the top arch I got a little something extra, a little something beyond the regular installation process.

I got to have my teeth micro-etched, to rough up the surface and make them suitable for slapping on those fancy golden brackets. This involved about 20 minutes of them sandblasting my teeth, sending the aforementioned tooth dust everywhere. I do mean everywhere. Once they were done I was white as a ghost because my face was covered in dust. I was choking from breathing it in, my shirt was covered, my hair was coated in teeny tiny particles of my teeth. Just the concept is horrifying. The teeth didn’t feel noticeably different, they weren’t smaller, they weren’t even really rougher. Where did all that dust come from?

It took hours of scrubbing before I felt like it was out of my hair; I may still need to burn those clothes. If you’ve ever sanded anything that produces super fine particles you might know what I’m talking about, now imagine that being…your teeth. The horror! If they’d have warned me about the dust I might have opted against the lingual braces. The speech problems, bah! A little extra poking to my tongue, who cares? Being covered in tooth dust while having them put on, dream haunting.

To those contemplating getting braces, really they aren’t that bad. I’m sure it’ll be worth it in the end. It’s not some delusion forced upon me by the orthodontic industry. I think. I hope.

Oh, and silicone wax is far better than standard wax, but it takes 3 times as long to put on, so get both.

[note, this was originally published at BoredNow.org]

I have learned a few things along the way, though, that I hope might be of some use to others thinking about making the same choices I did.

First, lingual braces are actually quite comfortable. Maybe it’s because I had a tongue piercing once upon a time and I already had to go through that whole learning to talk around an injured tongue and dealing with discomfort thing, but really, they aren’t so bad. My speech is most certainly affected, but I have no doubts that given time and practice I’ll get rid of my annoying lisp.

Second, ceramic braces are not comfortable. I’m already regretting cheaping out and getting the linguals only on the top. After all the horror stories of discomfort and speech issues I decided that more standard braces on the bottom made sense. No one is going to see them anyway so why spend more for the fancy gold ones. The ceramic ones are more comfortable than the regular metal ones (my back molars have regular metal), but they’re still extremely discomforting. I feel as though my lip has had an altercation with a weed whacker.

Third, the area where the ceramics really shine is in hygiene. If you think flossing is bad normally, try doing it with threader floss while trying to open your mouth wide and look in the mirror so you can see what you’re doing. At least with the ceramics there are no jaw contortions needed, linguals, not so much. For that reason alone the extreme discomfort of the ceramics is worth it.

Fourth, wax is my friend in terms of comfort, but oh the hours I’ve already spent putting it on, taking it off, putting it on, taking it off, so on and so forth. Wax on, wax off, I feel like I’m in a classically campy 80s movie, just without the martial arts skills.

Fifth, when they say “You’ll start to see movement soon.” they really do mean soon. I thought with 6 weeks to go before my first adjustment, soon meant 2-3 weeks, not 36 hours. Feeling as your front two teeth begin to slowly move out of alignment is freaky. It’s like living in one of my worst nightmares. I’m sure it’ll only get worse from here on in, though. To anyone just getting started, just be prepared, soon comes sooner than you think!

Sixth, you can eat an astounding number of foods without chewing.

That’s it for now. I have every intention of posting pictures at some point, if only because some people (such as my little brother) are demanding them. I’m planning on posting updates at least every few weeks or once every adjustment, if only to chronicle things for my own memories, I might move them to a separate section of the site though. I know when I was doing my regular obsessive over-researching while making the decision about what types of braces to get, I enjoyed reading people’s experiences. So maybe someone out there will glean useful some information from mine.

[note, this was originally published at BoredNow.org]