12/31/11 Happy New Year

First of all Happy New Year to you all! I hope this new year brings good things for all of you!

Second, the spot that was sore yesterday that I thought might be a canker sore, doesn't appear to be. There is definitely something rubbing against that spot causing it to be sore. I had wax on it yesterday but took it off to sleep. I hope that it builds up a callous and goes away. If it stays sore during the day, I'll put wax back on it. It didn't keep me awake last night.

Time to go do some work in the garden. Then inside to weave. I really want to finish the scarf that I'm making and see how it turned out. Take care and have a great day and again, A Very Happy New Year!

12/30/11 A Little Bit Sore

My mouth is a little bit sore today. I'm not sure if it's because things are moving again or if I slept really hard on my left side last night. That's another problem that I've discovered. I'm a stomach or a side sleeper, never on my back. If I lay on my stomach or side, then that side of my mouth tends to be sore the next day. I really don't think there's any way around this. I try to sleep on my back but always flip over.

On another note, I can't believe that tomorrow is already the last day of 2011. It would have been my dad's 90th birthday. I hope that 2012 brings better things in my life and yours!

Have a great day!

12/28/11 Cavity Filled

I had my filling redone today. I was hoping to get away without having to have a shot to numb the area. No such luck! My mouth is still numb, though it is starting to go away. The whole time she was working on my mouth, I was worried about my braces, thinking that something would get broken. It didn't. She's a great dentist. I've been going to her for 22 years and know that she knows what she is doing. Yesterday when she checked my teeth after my cleaning was finished, she told me that she could already see improvements in the alignment of my teeth. That made me happy. I sure hope that the braces do what they need to do. I talked to her about the retainer that I will have to have after the braces are taken off. It seems popular now to have a permanent retainer. I sure hope they don't tell me I have to have one. It would make me crazy to not be able to bite into foods for fear of ruining the retainer. I will definitely talk to the orthodontist at my next appointment if not before then!

Take care and have a great day!

12/27/11 Dentist Appointment

First of all, no cavities except for the filling that fell out that I didn't know about. I have to have it redone tomorrow. The appointment seemed to take forever. They have to be really careful cleaning around the brackets and bands. My mouth isn't sore at all from them cleaning my teeth which is good. I did learn another way to floss my teeth that should help keep the plaque off of my teeth. They gave me a small conical shaped wire brush that's maybe an inch long that I can use between the brackets. It'll last 3-4 months and then I can get another one. I'm hoping to coordinate my next dental cleaning with a braces adjustment appointment. What I can do is go to the orthodontist first, have them remove the wires, go have my teeth cleaned and then go back for them to reinsert the wires and do the adjustment. My next dental appointment won't be until next June, so I won't have to worry about it for awhile.

Have a great day!

12/26/11 Talking & Reflux

The one thing that I'm noticing more and more is that the inside of my mouth is no longer getting chewed up when I talk a lot. Yes, I like to talk! I even talk with my hands! Yesterday at my sister-in-law's house I talked a lot. Many of the people, some that I haven't seen since before I got my braces didn't even notice that I had them. Maybe I've gotten good at talking with my mouth closed.

On the other hand, I'm still having reflux issues and don't know that I can say that it's from having the braces anymore. I'm on a different medicine, started it yesterday. I'm sure it will take awhile for it to start working. I'm hoping that it will as I've lost a few more pounds and am starting to get worried about being underweight. If I lose to much more, I will contact my doctor and see if he has any suggestions.

Time to get back to my weaving loom. Have a great day!

12/25/11 Merry Christmas

I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas are having or have had a wonderful day! I will be spending it with my husband's family.

So far, my braces are good, no new sore spots to report!

Take care and have a great day!

12/24/11 Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa

Hello to all! Happy Holidays! So far today has been a good day. The soreness on the right side of my mouth is not to bad. I'm eating an apple with peanut butter. I have to cut the apple into small pieces to be able to eat it. I can't bite into one as it could break the brackets or wires, other parts of the braces, too. At least I can eat them.

Time to do some last minute present wrapping. This morning I found my husband's favorite Christmas candy at Walgreen's. I want to wrap it and get it under the tree. Take care and have a great day. Hopefully my braces will do well through the holiday season.

12/23/11 I Spoke To Soon

I spoke to soon. I woke up today and had sore spots on both sides of the inside of my mouth. I guess things moved since they did the adjustment. I know they're suppose to. I just figured that if it didn't get sore on the inside of my mouth the first day or two that I would be okay. I have wax on the lower bracket on the right side. The left is sore, too, but not as much as the right side is. Hopefully by tomorrow it will be better. I can't keep the wax on there forever. If I do, I won't get callouses built up in that area. I wonder if it would look as funny to have a mouth full of orthodontia wax as it does to have a mouth full of metal!

Have a great day!

12/22/11 Talking

The one thing that I forgot to mention yesterday is that I had lunch with a friend. We sat and talked for 2 hours. Guess what? The inside of my mouth didn't get sore. We'll see what happens this morning. I am meeting 2 friends and I know we'll talk a lot. I haven't see the one friend for awhile. I'm really happy so far with this last adjustment. My front teeth are a little sore when I brush my teeth, but nothing like they've been in the past.

One issue that I am having is with flossing. They give you these special things so that you can thread the floss through your teeth and not bother the brackets or wire. I have a tough time getting it through even with the threaders. When I do get it to go through, it's not like flossing without braces. I know there's plaque built up on my teeth. I do see the dentist next week for a routine cleaning. I wish the orthodontist office would have told me that they can coordinate my cleanings with an adjustment appointment. They take the wire out, I go to the dentist and then back to them to have the adjusting done. Oh well, there's always my appointment in June when I go to the dentist again. I wonder how many people know they can do it this way.

Have a great day!

12/21/11 Not To Bad Today

Things weren't to bad during the night. A little sore at first. My son's coughing kept me awake more than the pain from my braces! This morning my teeth are a little sore, but not like they've been in the past. One more good thing, so far no soreness on the inside of my cheeks. I'm sure I will have some, but hopefully not as bad as in the past. I'm still thankful the spring is gone. Hopefully my teeth will do what they need to do and I won't need it again!

Have a great day!

12/20/11 More Ow

Now my top teeth are getting sore. I didn't think they adjusted anything on the top. Guess they did. Plus, there's a spot on the inside of my left cheek that is feeling more and more like sandpaper. It hurts. I'm going to try and go without putting wax on it, but will if it gets to bad. 3 months down, 24 more to go!

12/20/11 It's Gone & OW!

I had my adjustment appointment today. They didn't do a lot with the top teeth that I could tell. However, he took the spring off and sanded part of my lower front teeth to make more room. He was going to put that darn spring back on and I made a disappointed noise. I got an okay, we can do this another way. Then his assistant put something else on and put the wire back in and the bands across the brackets back on. It hurts just to have the bands taken off, but after him doing the sanding and the final adjusting, my lower teeth are really sore. I'm hoping that the teeth soreness goes away by tomorrow. I'm hoping that the inside of my cheeks or in front of my upper and lower teeth don't get to chewed up from this latest adjustment. At least the spring is gone. I'm sure that is, for now!

We can choose from several colors for the bands that go around the brackets. I had lavender last time. This time I got screaming pink! It makes having them a little more fun!

Have a great day!

12/19/11 Feeling Better

I hope that I didn't upset anyone by my post yesterday about vomiting. It's bad, I agree. It's just that it's one thing that I hadn't thought about when I get braces this time or the time when I was 10 years old. I am definitely feeling better today and am looking forward to my appointment tomorrow. I'll need to plan something on the softer side for dinner. I've noticed that my teeth, especially the front ones seem to get really tender after an appointment. At least they did with the last appointment. Not that they will always get sore, but think that it's a good possibility. I think besides the initial movement after they adjust things, they get sore just from them taking things off and putting them back on. I am still hoping that they will take the spring off. Oh well, on to the days chores. I want to work at my weaving loom for a bit today! Have a great day!

12//18/11 Sick & Braces

My reflux was so bad yesterday. I really think the braces had something to do with it becoming worse than it had ever been. I have no real proof of it other than how I feel. I ate so much junk yesterday, including spicy food that I shouldn't have. I woke up at 4:00 am vomiting. Not to be gross or anything, but it was so yucky to have the vomit get stuck in my braces! I feel better somewhat today, no more of the yucky stuff. But, I'm really tired and have a headache. I can't take any Advil because it could upset my stomach. I'm hoping that this will all be gone by Tuesday. That's my next orthodontist appointment!

Have a great week!

12/17/11 Going Away... 3 months

The soreness on the right side of my mouth has pretty much gone away! Though, again the inside of my lower lip is getting caught in the spring. I feel like I have to walk around with my mouth partway open to keep it from happening. I am still seeing changes in my lower teeth. There is more space between two of them than I have ever had and am hoping that this will make room for other teeth. If that happens, than I will get rid of the spring. If not, I'm sure I'll have to have it for awhile longer. I now have spots on the inside front that are feeling like sandpaper. It's an odd feeling and one that I am sure of will go away when the braces are gone. It was three months yesterday that I got the braces put on. Only 24 months left to go... that is if everything goes as planned and my teeth cooperate!

Have a great weekend!

12/15/11 Holiday Time & Work!

There has been so much food and so much candy at work, it's making me crazy. I am so thankful and so lucky to have a job and such wonderful coworkers! It's just that so much of what we've had or people have given me, I can't eat because of the braces or the reflux. So, I share with others. I really believe it's the right thing to do. My mouth is sore today. I don't know if it's because my teeth are moving or I ate something that caused the braces to rub in a place that they hadn't previously. I'm sure by tomorrow it will be better and I'll eat something else. I'm so glad that tomorrow is Friday and it's my last day of work until after the New Year gets here. I only get paid for Christmas and New Years Day. I don't mind it at all and am glad for the time off. I do have my next orthodontist appointment next week. Hopefully it will go well!

Have a great day!

12/13/11 Talking Again!

You would think that with all the talking I do that I would have callouses built up on the inside of my mouth already. I went to a Christmas party tonight at a friends house and did a lot of talking as usual! I can already tell that it's going to be sore. Does anyone know why this is? As always, this too, shall pass! Have a great night or day depending where you're at!

12/12/11 Almonds

One of the things that I've really been missing is nuts. I do eat peanut butter, but it's not the same. We make our own granola and one of the things that we put in it is sliced almonds. I thought I'd give it a try. I chew them towards the back teeth and so far it has worked great. If I don't put to many slices in my mouth at once, it's great! Now I might have to try slicing other nuts thin, like pecans and some of the others. Also, I read someplace that almonds are good for acid reflux. So far, so good!

Time to go cook dinner. Have a great day!

12/11/11 Christmas Party

Last night we went to a Christmas party at the home of one of my husband's coworkers. It was really nice and I wasn't bored this year! The only issue I had really was all of the talking I did. It really makes the inside of my mouth sore, especially where the spring is. Only 9 more days until my next appointment and the next round of sore teeth and sandpaper mouth!  I'm sure you're all tired of me talking about wanting that spring to be gone. I have a feeling, that there will be more springs in my future.

On the other hand, I can see my teeth have moved and that there are spaces between some teeth that weren't there previously!

Well, the washing machine is telling me it's done. I better go get the clothes taken care of. Have a great day!

12/10/11 Sandpaper Again

My mouth isn't to sore anymore. But, more places on the inside of my mouth feel like sandpaper. They hadn't felt this way before. The area in front of the spring does get stuck in the spring if I suck in on my lower lip at all. Trouble is, I don't realize that I'm doing it until it's to late. I sure hope that they remove the spring when I go on the 20th.

On a good note, my weight has stabilized at 111.8. To me I look thin, but I'm happy to be there and not weigh what I did before. My acid reflux isn't bad right now, but I have to be really careful of what I eat. I'm tired of having to watch what I eat. I really miss spicy food! Oh well. Hopefully one day I'll be able to eat it again!

Have a great day!

12/08/11 Hurting

This morning started off good. That is until I gave my son a kiss goodbye before I left for work. He was still in bed and I leaned over to give him a kiss. I didn't realize he was awake, so he lifted his head up. His chin collided with my lower lip and wow did it hurt. The braces actually cut into the inside of my mouth and it was bleeding. Luckily it didn't bleed for long. However, tonight it's still sore. I put wax across the brackets and the spring to keep the area from getting sore from them. It helped in that way, but it still really hurts and there's nothing I can do for it. I tried some ibuprofen, but it didn't help. Also, there's another spot on the right in the middle of the inside of my cheek that is sore from rubbing against the brackets. If it still hurts when I go to sleep tonight I'll put some wax on the brackets.

I am not one to give up on things. I have a high tolerance for pain. However, I'm really tired of my mouth hurting!
Oh well, on to facebook to see what's up there. Have a great day!!

12/07/11 Chewed Up Again

Well... the inside of my mouth is getting chewed up again. I guess I need to sit down and talk to the orthodontist to be sure that this is all normal. My last appointment was awhile ago. I guess the way that things are now, they move a little at a time rather than like the old times where they move all at once. I don't like the chewed up feeling on the inside of my mouth. However, I'd rather have it then to have canker sores.

Time to go knit and forget about braces for awhile!

12/05/11 More spring issues & stuck food

Are you tired of me complaining about the spring yet? Today the inside of my mouth kept getting caught in the spring today. I was sure I would end up with another canker sore. So far, nothing.

My husband made a great dinner tonight, smoked fresh tuna, sweet potatoes and broccoli from our garden. Everything tasted so good. However, the tuna and the broccoli kept getting stuck in my braces. I really hate that I have to take so long to eat. Seems like half the time is trying to pick food out of my braces. I sure wish there was an easier way to take care of my bite problems!

12/03/11 Next Appointment

My next appointment is on the 20th of this month. I'm nervous about what they will do next and how sore it will make the inside of my mouth. I'm hoping that they will remove the spring from across those front lower teeth. I don't mind the teeth pain so much. It goes away in a day or two. It's how chewed up the inside of my mouth will get from my teeth moving along with where the brackets and wires end up. I have a lot of dental wax that I can put on the braces where the sore parts are. However, you can't do that forever. If you did, you would never build up callouses. Plus, it's hard to eat with the wax on. I've swallowed it a few times. I don't think it'll hurt anything when I swallow it, but don't  want to swallow to much.

Our weather here in Arizona has finally gotten to be on the cool side. It's 51 degrees right now. For us that's cold considering our summer temps are sometimes over 110 degrees!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

12/01/11 Sandpaper

I keep running my tongue around the inside of my mouth and decided that it feels like sandpaper. The only area that doesn't is in front of my upper front teeth. Also, in the very back of my mouth where there isn't any part of the braces. It feels weird, like there is something wrong. I know it's where my mouth is becoming calloused due to the braces. I just wish it felt normal.

I've been hearing about more adults that have or have had braces. A few of them have told me that they have to wear a permanent retainer after they get their braces off. I am hoping that I don't have to have that. If I do, it means I still have to modify my eating habits and will not be able to bite into apples, buns and probably won't be able to have sticky foods. I don't know if I can make it through life without being able to bite into a big, juicy apple! Though I'm sure I will if it comes to that!