Feeling Better

So after getting a small adjustment to the lingual arch, I am much more comfortable and my mouth has started to heal. As of today, I have been in this arch for five days, and I am experiencing minimal pain (canker is still there). I am even able to eat real food (mexican, pasta, shrimp, chicken, etc)!

Hopefully these four months will go back quickly and I will be able to feel the inside of my teeth, again.

How do people deal with the lingual braces?

Canker!

As you might recall, on Monday I was fitted for a lingual arch in order to keep my lower molars from expanding. On Tuesday evening, following a cycling class at the gym, I noticed that the floor of my mouth was becoming very sensitive, and that I was having a hard time swallowing without any pain. Well, as soon as I woke up this morning, there it was- a canker sore.

Now in the past, I have had canker sores. Normally, for me, I get these after I destroy my lips due to an overzealous bite, while eating something very delicious. However, the pain that is experienced in these locations is pale when compared to a canker sore on the floor of your mouth. Every time I try to talk, swallow, smile, laugh, rinse, spit, brush, etc I am reminded of my canker sore.

What did I do about it? This morning I went back to my orthodontists and had him refit the wire (move the most inferior aspect of the wire to the lateral aspect of my arch) to hopefully cause less irritation to the site. Also, I have been given H2O2 and Rincinol mouthwash to hopefully speed up the healing process.

Good news? Well, I am 1:60th through my time with this lingual arch.

:)

Lingual Arch= No fun

After having spacers in place for 16 days, one could imagine my level of enthusiasm for heading to the orthodontist today, to have them removed. However, enthusiasm is not the word that I would use to describe my day, today...

As you can see in the pictures, I have quite the posterior cross bite. This little sucker developed after a tooth (second bicuspid) was extracted in 2005. Since then, my first molar, first bicuspid, and my first cuspid have slowly been moving inwards, due to the free space that they were given to roam. Since my orthodontist and I have decided against oral surgery (maxillary expansion), in hopes that the self-ligating braces can do the trick (come on 5mm of movement.. come to papa!), one important step of my treatment is maintain the width of my lower arch. From what I can tell, during the expansion phase of the upper arch, the lower arch may expand as well as the forces between the teeth change. For this reason, I am being placed in a "lingual arch" that will be in place for the next ~four months.

Is this fun? Not so far! Here are a few pictures to shed light on what I have going on in my mouth.

Enjoy the black and white pictures. I apologize for the high saliva content (hard to get my tongue to work!)

Lingual Arch

Upper Arch

Right Side (Notice the collapsing bite)

Left side (my good side!)

Straight at ya'!