Teeth Brace: Check up 3

I actually had my third 8-weekly check-up at the orthodontist two weeks ago. I was in and out in a flash (about 10 minutes to be exact).

She seems to be happy with the progress and never changed the main wire. Probably because it was the thicker one she put in the last time. What is causing some concern is the gap the appears between my two front teeth. I don't mind the gap which may or may not be there upon removal of the brace. What she said is that it still isn't in the right place. It's a bit off centre to the right hand side. Your two front teeth should meet nicely just below the tip of your cupid's bow top lip (or in line with the tip of your nose. Providing your nose isn't wonky). Mine's don't.

Excuse the up-the-nose shot below, but look at my cool Ray Ban Aviators! *winkey eye face*

Gap, nearly gone, and a bit off centre.

It isn't really a big deal but she would like it dead centre. And maybe i would too. She removed the thicker e-chain plastic loops she'd put in on both sides and only replaced the left hand side one to try to force-pull those teeth around. There's space for them to move to too, it's just the moving part that's taking some time.

Excuse the weird colour. My skin isn't great just now.

There wasn't much pain this time but i can definitely feel the teeth are tender and moving a little. The gap appears to have closed at the bottom, but that usually happens and then they separate again.

I still can't get over that this little magical metal contraption can actually move your teeth within a few days. It's a feat of engineering to say the least. Below are some (not very flattering) pictures of before and after check up number 3.

That's nearly six months I've had the brace on. Only another 18 to go! But when you look back at this post you can see just how far the teeth have moved. 'mazin'.

Oh, and I found this fantastic video on YouTube about adult braces from two Australian girls. They explain everything really well - beware, there are a few sweary words in there so if that offends you, you'd best not look.



Angela x

Teeth Brace: Month 2

I had my second 8-week brace adjustment appointment with my orthodontist last week. So I'm now 16 weeks in to my 2 year brace life. I've come to like attending the hospital for these appointments (I go to the hospital as it's the NHS treatment I'm receiving). I'm in and out in about 15 minutes for these appointments. All very efficient.

A gap had formed where my troublesome front tooth had been straightened up a little bit. Remember my front left tooth had a severe squint overhang of the right front tooth. After my last appointment the left tooth had straightened out a little and had given me a gap in between my two front teeth. It was kind of quirky. I'm not that bothered abut a gap, so long as it didn't develop into a severe gap. The only problem with this gap is that it's is off centre. Like a good 3mm off centre to the right hand side. Anyone looking probably wouldn't notice this but in orthodontics, every millimetre counts.

To combat this gap and right hand side pull she inserted a thicker wire as she wanted the teeth to move in a different way and for the upper arch to expand a little. I was told the front gap might get worse before it gets better but that this was fine as the teeth need to be straightened up first and then pulled into line, so to speak.

She also attached some joined up plastic loops on the side wires where there are huge gasp due to the teeth I had removed back in January. The technical term is e-chain plastic. It's basically to close the gaps, and also protects the slightly thinner side wires. So my large side gaps will close a little bit, meaning the front teeth can space out and straighten up properly. All very complex but an amazing piece of engineering when you think about it.

Lastly she added on some of the little rubber bands that hold the main wire onto each bracket. I chose the silver again. I was going to white or clear but they say the bands can get discoloured with food and general eating so silver is the safe option. Next time I might get a coloured one. Maybe!

See how they're kinda off-centre?

After each appointment my teeth are always a bit sensitive, but that's because they are moving again until they get used to the new adjustment. It means I can't really chew anything tougher than a piece of toast but I've managed to figure that if i cut my food into tiny pieces I can just about get away without too much pain when chewing.

After just a few days I can already see that the front tooth gap has gotten smaller. There's only really a space at the top now. I'm always amazed at how this metal contraption can move my teeth and the results I see so quickly.

After only a few short months, I can already see that my confidence has lifted a bit. I'm actually smiling wider than I thought my widest smile has ever been. I'm not afraid to show people the brace in the way that I always shy'd away from showing people my wonky teeth. Isn't that peculiar?

It's another 8 weeks until my next appointment. But for now I just have to keep on going with it. Clean my teeth thoroughly and try to cut down on the sugary drinks! Yikes. Cola and chocolate is my craving. Bad.

Angela x

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Angela: Mission 2012

Here they are, ten things that form part of Mission 2012 for me, Angela. 

 1) to have a dinner party at my house. Not a fancy smarmy all singing all dancing fake Michelin starred affair, but rather a nice bunch of people, eating good wholesome food and plenty of decent chat. That's it. 

2) to do something for Sport Relief in March 2012. Not sure yet what form that will take but I have to do something to help those vulnerable kids in Africa and here in the UK. 

 3) just keep on being me. But with a little added confidence. With all my flaws and insecurities and naïveté's I think I'm still a much better person than a few people I know. 

4) sort out my CV and perhaps land my dream job. After all I did have a vision that I'd be spending next christmas in New York and a humble administrators wage isn't going to fund that now, is it. I will get this one. I will. 

5) which leads me on to number five. Get more international check ins on Foursquare. Simple. 

6) Sort out my blog. Find a purpose for it. Categories. Subjects. Turn it into something big. Huge. Massive. I can and will do this. 

7) find someone to share my experienced with. A person who will like me just the way I am and won't want to change or mold me into something that I am not. Someone who can make me laugh, make me feel special, whom I can spoil, who I can make feel special, who i can make laugh - although not promising on that one, not a comedian! 

8) wear a dress once a month. This may not sound like a huge deal, but it's been about 3 years since I actually wore a dress in public. I have three lovely dresses to begin with. Two are classic black styles that fit like gloves. One is a gold sequin stripe affair that can be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. I've ordered it from Harvey Nichols online. It's my first designer dress. Michael Kors no less! Oooooh. (edit: I've seen this dress in person today and I might send it back. It's quite long. It's not meant to be. Dilemma!) 

9) kinda like number eight this is to wear heels more often. Apart from anything else they give your legs a nice shape and once you master that art you can walk with an air of confidence. At least that's what it looks like. 

10) have a holiday. Preferably somewhere guaranteed with a bit of sunshine for 50% of the time. I've not had a natural tan since the summer of 2000 when I went to Florida. Aaaah a wee trip to FL would be ace right about now. 

11) gather a group of friends and celebrate my birthday. I never really celebrate it with anyone that's not related to me. Usually it's a gathering of the closest family with a cake that I never eat and it's fat and all but I'd like to bring together friends and family and food that I like to eat. Another simple one. 

12) go on a date. Still haven't fulfilled this one from my December to do list. It's a pity. I have so much to give. Oh shit no, not in that way, not on a first date! But this is a big thing. It hasn't happened in a while. Not see why. I'm quite a fucking catch, for the right person, dontchyaknow! 

13) ah number thirteen. Unlucky for some. Not for me. I don't tend to believe in all that mumbo jumbo shite. I figure you make your own luck, or not. It's all about chances isn't it? And taking those chances. And losing the fear about grabbing those chances with both hands and shaking the life out of them until you can't anymore, that's what it's about. Not saluting some black and white bird and saying good morning mr magpie. They tend to come in pairs anyway, don't they? I mean, have you really known anyone whose had a boy after seeing four magpies? Really? God sake there's a fifty fifty chance anyway is there not. See, there's that word chance again. It's all about talking them.... 

14) Should I stop here at number fourteen? Ok then I will. For now. Check back soon, there may be numbers fourteen to twenty appearing soon. Wink eye face. 

 Angela X .

There goes the fear

I was thinking about the previous post i wrote last week about having a dip in confidence and how i've always thought i never had any real confidence. Well, i still think that. But here's a thing. I was in the shower yesterday and was thinking about it (I do a lot of blog post thinking in the shower, it takes me a good 20 minutes to wash my hair so plenty thinking time...) anyway, i was thinking that i'm a bit of a contradiction. You see, i've never liked being made a fuss of. I've never had any parties to celebrate important birthdays like 21st, 30th or even my 18th! I don't like to create a fuss about anything. I don't take praise or compliments very well, although i'm learning to accept this. I don't shout about my achievements much, except here on this blog and yet here i am...blogging. I mean surely i blog and i expect people to read it?

I mean for goodness sake I have a different pair of brightly coloured trousers for each day of the week. You'd need a certain kind of confidence to carry off the purple trouser look, wouldn't you?

When i was younger i never followed the crowd. I didn't drink. I didn't go out to clubs much. I've never been on a package deal holiday to Benidorm, Tenerife, or Gran Canaria. I wear Converse trainers most days and i shirked wearing make up for years! I wore a suit to a wedding and a skirt suit to my senior dance at high school...... wait, perhaps that's why I never got asked to dance. But you get the drift i never followed what everyone else was doing. At a work Christmas night out I wore a red velvet suit whilst all other women were in black. Looking back it was very poor taste, I looked like Santa, but it was in fashion at the time (mid 90's).

I suppose what i'm saying is that i *thought* I had no confidence but to stray from the crowd takes a certain kind of confidence. Another example is this. I wore a hat to work last week. A very cool tweed flat cap my great friend Linda bought for my birthday this year, i wore that and you'd have thought i had two heads the amount of comment it got. So you see, I must have some confidence. I just need to nurture it and bring it to the fore in certain situations. Situations where work is related. Matters of the heart. All of the above... I need to let it flow and get rid of the fear. Because that's what lack of confidence is really isn't it? fear.

Angela xx

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