Still Surprised!

Hello to all, I don't check my blog as much as I use to but am always surprised when I see that people are still reading it. My braces have been off for sometime now. I think when I get settled after my foot surgery tomorrow, I am going to make an appointment to have them check my retainer. I figure it's probably a good idea. I don't think I'm going to blog about my foot surgery. I have to have my left big toe fused due to severe arthritis. Sounds simple, but it's an hour and a half surgery with a minimum of three days on my back with my foot elevated. It's not the pain that I mind, it's the not being able to move around easily. First a bandage, then a cast for three weeks, a walking boot, a walking shoe and who knows what else. Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well. Take care and have a wonderful day! Thanks for reading my posts!

Still Amazed and TMJ

Hello to all, I hope everyone is doing great! I am still amazed at how many people read my blog about getting braces as an adult. I am also amazed at that there are people from other countries that read it as well. I hope that in some small way I have helped you in making a decision about getting braces. It is definitely not a decision to take lightly. Give it some serious thought. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or post a comment. I'll try to answer as honestly as I can! After I had my braces for awhile, my TMJ seem to clear up. My jaws weren't near as sore as they had been in the past and the headaches that I had been having from TMJ had cleared up for the most part. This luck continued after I had my braces off, which they have been for about a year now. However, lately I have been noticing that more and more, my jaws are sore and the headaches are back. I'm sure there might be other reasons for both things to reoccur, but was really hoping that the braces and retainers would take care of it. The orthodontist had said they would help. Like I've said, they did at first so beware if you have TMJ, braces may not be a permanent solution! Take care and have a great day! Ellen

Thank You

Hello to all, I hope everyone is doing great. Thank you so much for continuing to read my blog. i really appreciate that there is still so much interest in it. I had someone request to post about braces treatments for adults on my blog. I turned them down. My idea for this blog was to provide real life experiences from someone who had braces rather than to just inform. There is so much more to having braces than just having them put on, having them adjusted and having them taken off. I am doing well with my retainers, but may go in soon just to have them check and make sure they are still fitting ok. Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions. My e mail address is Lnrosy2000@gmail.com. I'll do my best to answer your questions. Take care and have a great day!

Retainers & Would I Do It Again

Hi to all, I have been wearing my retainers at night. That was what they said to do when I went to my last appointment many months ago. Sometimes when I put them on at night they go in just fine. Other nights, it is a tight fit and it makes my mouth sore for a bit until I've had them on for awhile. I'm not sure why this happens. Maybe if I eat something hard during the day it makes my teeth move more than if I don't. I'm going to try to keep track of things I eat during the day or if maybe I am clenching my jaws during the day from stress and see if it goes with how they fit in at night. I am not sure that if I had to do this all over again that I would do it. It seemed to help my TMJ for awhile, but now I have problems with it again. I've had more root canals done since I had my braces then before. I can't say for sure that it is related to my braces. Though, the Endodontist did say it could have been because of the trauma to my teeth from being moved. I do know that if I had to do it again, I would research more and get a second opinion from another Orthodontist. Don't be afraid to do that. I ended up being very unhappy with the one Orthodontist and don't think he treated me fairly especially when it come to the bill after I decided to have them removed. I'm not telling you to not get braces if you're an adult. Just do your research and get a second opinion! Take care and have a great day! Thanks for reading. Please feel free to e mail me if you have questions I haven't answered!

Retainers

Hello to all, I hope this finds you all doing well. I am surprised when I check in to see how many people are reading my posts. Thanks! I am only wearing my retainer at night. It doesn't bother me to sleep with it and I know it's something that I'll have to do for the rest of my life to keep my teeth from moving. I'm hoping that the one I have now will always fit me. When I had braces when I was younger, I outgrew my retainer. I don't think that will happen now as hopefully I'm not growing anymore! There are nights where it is a tight fit getting both of them in and then there are other nights that it goes in just fine. I really thought having braces would help my TMJ and it did at first. I still have problems with it and my jaws get sore. I have an exercise to do that helps calm it down, but not all of the time. I had surgery on my back in June and went without my retainer for at least 4 days. It was tight getting them in, but everything still fit. Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful day!

I'm Surprised

Hello to all out there. I hope this finds you all doing ok. I have to say that I'm surprised that there are still people that read my blog. I'm curious to know if any of you have gotten braces and of you have what your experiences with them are? I have my retainer and wear it every night. Sometimes it feels a little tight when I put it in. That doesn't last long and fits comfortably after that. I have noticed that when I have it in at might that I tend to drool more. I'm not sure why. I have to remember to call the orthodontist on Monday. I'm having back surgery later this month and will be in the hospital for 3 or 4 days. I'm not sure how long I can go without wearing my retainer. I know that if you go to long without it, your teeth can move. Time to go relax and spend time with my family. Have a great day!

Root Canals

Well, the root canals went well. The very back molar on the lower left was a new root canal. The tooth in front of it was the one that had to be redone. They both went well even though it seemed like it took forever! This is Saturday and my mouth is still sore on that side, especially if I open it wide or happen to chew on that side. I have an appointment on the 29th with the dentist to have a crown done since the tooth is still cracked. I'm sure that will go fine, too. It hasn't had an effect on my retainer yet and shouldn't since the retainer only goes to the re-done tooth. I'm hoping that having a crown done on the last tooth won't hurt the alignment of my mouth or obstruct the retainer in anyway. I will keep you posted! Take care and have a great day! Ellen

Bet You Thought

Hello to all! I bet you thought you wouldn't hear from me again! I have to call the orthodontist today to ask them a question. On Thursday this week, I have to have a root canal done. Then a week later have to have a crown put on because I have a crack in my last molar on the lower left side. I hadn't thought about it until now that my retainer may not fit because the crown might not be the same exact size as my original tooth. I'm hoping that the retainer won't have to be remade. This is the 2nd root canal I've had done in just over 6 months. I'm so frustrated by this all that I told my husband that I'm going to have all my teeth pulled and get false teeth. No, I won't really do it. Just tired of having dental work done. I keep thinking of all the household items I could by or bills I could pay for what the dental work is going to cost, even with insurance. Back to the weaving loom. Take care and have a great day! Ellen

Sorry & No More Appointments

Hello to all, I am sorry that I haven't posted for so long, life got in the way. My oldest son went into the US Navy and is in Maryland going to school. Work's been busy as well and I'm not sure if I'll have a job next year. Anyway, on the 4th of this month, I had my last orthodontist appointment. He said that everything looks good and that I don't need to come back unless I have problems with my retainer. I am suppose to wear them for the rest of my life, bit only at night, which isn't to bad. I suggest to anyone out there who is considering getting braces as an adult, to think long and hard about getting them. Ask yourself why you want them or need them. It is not an easy undertaking and ere are so many things to consider. I think the biggest mistake I made was not shopping around. I think the price I was charged, especially with getting them off early was ridiculous. They were recommended to me by my dentist. Get recommendations from friends, too. Talk to different orthodontists. Don't be embarrassed to get a second opinion. I guess that's all for now. Please feel free to e mail me with questions or comments at Lnrosy2000@gmail.com Have a great day!

11/02/12 Next Appointment

Hello to all, I hope this finds everyone doing well. I can't believe that it's November 1st already. I think this year went by fast. Though, I hear that the older you get the faster the time goes by. My retainer check is on the 14th of this month. I'm excited and hopefully will be told that I only need to wear my retainer at night. It is still a pain to have to take it off to have a snack while I'm at work. The kids at school are starting to give me weird looks when I take them out or put them back on. I also end up leaving them out for longer times than I probably should. So far it hasn't seemed to hurt anything. I always thought I was a patient person, but am so impatient with my braces and retainer! Time to get dinner ready. Take care and have a great day!

10/27/12 Retainers

So far, so good with the retainer. I had a few times where it would make my upper gums so sore that I would have to leave it out for a few hours. It hasn't happened for awhile, so hoping it was just that I had to get use to wearing them. I can't seem to get the upper front wire to stay where the orthodontist told me to keep it. My teeth haven't moved, so won't panic unless I find I'm getting really sore or they don't go in right. My next appointment isn't until the 14th of November. I'm hoping after that, they will tell me that I can just wear them at night. It's a pain at work when I have to take my retainer out in front of students so I can have my morning snack. No one has said anything, so it's just me feeling uncomfortable about it. I'll let you know what they say at my next appointment. Take care and have a great day!

10/20/12 Final Bill, Acid Reflux & Weight Loss

Hello to all, I hope everyone is having a great day!! I got a final bill in the mail yesterday. They took of another $200, making the final bill $300. I still don't think I should have to pay that much seeing as between the insurance and our payments I've paid for well more than half of what the 27 month price was for 13th months. I'll pay it, but not all at once. It's a little out of our budget right now. The retainer is going better, so far. Though my acid reflux has gotten worse again and I've dropped a couple of pounds. I keep wondering if it has something to do with my stomach thinking of the retainer as being food. Then it produces more acid to compensate. I'm not sure... I only have to wear them 24 hours a day for 5 more weeks. I hope I can make it through to then without getting an ulcer. The other thing is I don't eat as much during the day, especially at work because I have to take the retainer out to eat and I don't always have a place to do it without the kids in class seeing me. I'm sure I'll get it figured out! Take care and have a great day!

10/16/12 Sore...

Well, today the left upper gum to the side is really sore. I'm not sure if the wire on the retainer is rubbing against it or if it's for another reason. I called the orthodontist office and they can't see me until Friday. I told her if it got much worse, that I was going to take it off. She said that my teeth shouldn't move that much in a short time. If they do, they can adjust the retainer to correct it. Right now I'm frustrated with having any pain associated with the retainer. I thought that would all be gone once I got the braces removed. I don't think I've done anything wrong. I've been very careful with it but wonder if maybe I slept hard on that side last night and it pushed the wire out of place. The other thing is that the wire on the sides is really more over the gum and not the teeth. I don't know how it can keep my teeth in place when it's not touching them. Oh well... I'll let you know what happens! Take care and have a great day! Ellen

10/14/12 So far, So Good

I left my retainer out for a bit today. I was making Waldorf Salad and you can't eat with the retainer in. Other than that, things are going well with them. My teeth aren't sore today, which is good. My next appointment is in November. They'll check them then and hopefully I'll get to wear them only at night! I will definitely keep you posted. Take care and have a great week!

10/12/12 Retainer

I made it to the orthodontist at 7:15 this morning. Woke up at 5am!! It went well and I'm so glad that it was my favorite orthodontist that helped me with them. They gave me a sheet of care instructions which I've found out have not changed much in 42 years! He showed me how to put them in and take them out. I have an appointment in 6 weeks to have them checked. No one said anything to me about my balance that I owe. I have a feeling it's because I went to an office that I don't normally go to. I'm sure the next time I show up at my regular office, they'll say something to me. I'm surprised that the other orthodontist has not called me yet. I will still argue the point with them. I don't see why I should have to pay so much when my treatment was shortened at least a year or more. I'll keep you posted on what happens. Take care and have a great weekend!

10/08/12 Off and Mad

Well, they're off! I can't believe it. I'd be more happy if I didn't have such a bad headache! Before they called me back to take them off, the lady that called me the one day called me back to talk about my bill. She showed me some paperwork and said I still owed $520. When I questioned this and told her it was, pardon me, a bunch of crap she got mad. She denied that she ever told me about the $60 or the $300 something and that it was in black and white. I think they're trying to get more money out of me than I owe and that they're upset because I opted to have them taken off early by at least a year. I'm thinking if it was $6000 to begin with that I should only have to pay half of that which has been more than covered by the insurance and what I've paid. They're suppose to have the one orthodontist call me about the bill. I'm sure I'll have to pay when I go on Friday to get my retainer. If they insist on me paying the $520 I'm going to tell them I can't afford it and will make payments on it. Hopefully we can work something out. I'll let you know. The thing that surprised me is that you can pick colors for your retainer. So, I picked sparkly blue. No one will see it, just the idea that I got to choose! Take care and have a great day!

10/08/12 Today is the Day!!!

I am so excited about today. I have no idea how long it will take or if there will be any restrictions on what I can eat until I get my retainer. Really doesn't matter as my husband will be making me smoked ribs today for dinner. I'm still a little leery of what my final payment will be and will argue the point with them. When they originally told me that they were taking off the TAD screws they said the amount was $600. Then she told me a couple of weeks that they were only taking off $460. That's not right to do that. I have to check and see if I have proof of the $600. Though, in the original quote, they said the TADs would be $600 and they have proof of that. They never told me that the amount would change! I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Take care and have a great day!

10/05/12 Anxious

I can't believe the time to get them off is almost here. They called this morning to confirm my appointment. However, I still haven't heard what my pay off amount is going to be. The girl never called me back to let me know. It upsets me to be treated this way. If you get braces I would definitely check more into the financial arrangements. I really think I'm paying more than I need to. Anyway, they really should have settled this with me over the phone. If they do it in the office and it's not to my satisfaction, I will not be happy. This is not good especially if it's in front of other patients. Regardless, I just want to be done with it! Take care and have a great weekend!

09/26/12 Time

I've always said at my age that I wouldn't wish time to pass by faster. Now that I decided to get my braces off, I can't wait for the day. I've found the past two weeks or so that things are rubbing in my mouth more and I'm having to use wax again after not having to use it for a long time. I honestly think if I knew now what I knew then, that I would take my chances and not get braces again. There are just to many issues having them as an adult causes. I did it to save my teeth, but have had one root canal done and would probably end up having more done because of the trauma to the roots and bone in my mouth. These were not problems that they told me about. The other thing I wish is that I would have gotten a second opinion from another orthodontist. If any one out there is considering braces as an adult, think long and hard about it. Ask a lot of questions and definitely seek a second opinion! Take care and have a great day! Ellen

09/23/12 More Waiting

I am frustrated with the orthodontist's billing office. I have not heard back from her at all about the total that I owe them. I am sure that I will have to give them the final balance before they will remove the braces. If it is more than what I think I owe, then I will argue it and hope that there is a waiting room full of people to hear my arguments. When they originally set up my payment schedule, they never told me that if I overpaid but didn't continue to make payments every month, that I would be behind in what I owe. I know that sounds weird, but that was what she told me on the phone. At this point in my life with all that is going on in my personal life and with my health, I don't need any grief from them. I can't wait until the 8th to get them off. Then I get the retainer on the 12th. I'm hoping that I don't have to see them to much after it's all said and done. If I could go back, I would NEVER do it again, at least with them and I won't be recommending them to anyone. Take care and have a great week!