I have "Artistic Bends"

I had my appointment this morning with Meryl and Dr. Willy. They removed the bottom wire and "shaved" some of my bottom left "eye" tooth. It still needs to turn some more. As well, when the wire was tied back in, the teeth on either side of it where set up so that they also have to turn slightly. This will close the small gap at the gum line, where before when I had over-crowding, the gum had no chance to grow and so is now "stunted" and flat rather than "pointy" up towards the teeth. A similar small adjustment was made on my upper right tooth, the one right beside my front tooth. It is hiding just ever-so-slightly behind the front tooth. These twists in the wire are called "artistic bends".

These artistic bends make it so that the wire itself can no longer be pushed perfectly into each brace. There are a couple of teeth where the wire is slightly outside the brace, not laying flat with it. As the teeth rotate, these wires will be able to be pushed entirely into the brace. The attempt to push the wire in makes it feel like they are going to push my teeth inwards until they break off! Fortunately the braces on my teeth would break first. :) And that's why they don't force the wires into them at the special angles at which they rest.

The bottom left-hand side of my teeth are sore. Eating lunch, it's sensitive to bite into and pull/tear food with the teeth in that area. I don't have a headache though like last time (for nearly 3 days). We're at the tweaking stage now; I didn't get out of him how much longer I'd be wearing the braces but Willy said I was doing well for being at the 10-month mark. It was suggested the ties on my braces would have to be adjusted at least once more so it'll be at least 4-6 months. I'll be happy if they're off within 18-20 months (before December).

Next appointment: Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 4 p.m.

My teeth actually fit together now! It seemed to just sort of happen without me realizing it. The top jaw sits nicely on the bottom - what a novel concept. :)