Missing Parts

Over a year ago, I started one of those teeth straightening programs.  They are not braces in the traditional sense, but those plastic, "invisible" deals.  I was skeptical, but what the heck?  Right?  For a long time, and I still catch myself doing it, I would hold my hand in front of my mouth while speaking.  This annoyed Mrs to no end, and I understand it.

Basically what happens is you have a bunch of impressions taken and they are sent off to a lab somewhere and a computer decides how the teeth will move over time.  Trays or 'appliances' are made based on the computer model and are replaced every two weeks.  The dentist installs little blobs of some type of material on certain teeth, also a decision the computer makes, which correspond with indentations in the trays.  These cause the teeth to move in the desired direction.  Follow up appointments consist of the dentist using little strips to sand down the teeth.  These are nothing more than sandpaper - coated in diamond dust - to take away certain parts of the teeth so that they may move without getting hung up on another tooth.  This is not as easy as it sounds, in my case anyway.

In my case, my bottom front teeth are pretty close together, so just getting the thin strips of diamond dust paper in between to get started was a challenge.  Many strips just broke and I watched little beads of sweat develop on the forehead of the dentist working these things through.  Once in between the teeth, it's the same process as sanding a piece of wood.  Back and forth across the inside edge of the teeth until enough room is made for the teeth to move.  During one appointment, getting the strip started proved pretty much impossible.  So out comes a small disc on the end of the drill.  It very much resembled one of those Dremel tools.  The danger in this is the possibility of the dentist losing control of the instrument if it gets hung up and skips across the interior of the mouth, or worse, across a lip.  No biggie as long as it doesn't cut too badly, whatever it hits.  In fact, my guy would place his finger in such a manner that would cause the disc to hit him rather than me.

 Well, over the last year or so, I have had a few little issues with the program.  One of those little nubs I wrote about earlier broke off.  An easy fix.  I also went through a period of breaking the top trays.  In the same spot, every time.  So, after a new set of impressions and a new series of trays, I basically started the program over.

You cannot eat with these things in your mouth.  Technically you should not drink anything either, other than water.  But I do.  There is no way I cannot.  I do not drink anything with sugar in while wearing them though.  After eating you're supposed to floss and brush, then pop them back in.  In my job, this is not always possible, especially if working alone.  I'm lucky to get a bathroom break, let alone time to floss and brush.

I have a few more set of trays and then I am done.  Or so I thought.  After the trays are finished and the teeth are pretty much where they are supposed to be, new impressions are taken and retainers are made.  On my last visit I asked if the retainer was for bed time only.  Nope,  all day.  What?  Well, at least for a little while.

Now, I have a slight problem.  One of my beautiful gold fillings, aka gold onlay, had to be removed a few weeks ago after what was left of the tooth underneath broke.  Sadly the only solution is to remove the entire tooth.  Once the gum is well-healed a bridge will be made.  Likely consisting of a good chunk of gold.  That's nice.  Right at the time when gold could not get much more expensive!  We need to accelerate that process due to the braces program coming to an end and moving on to the retainers.  I have to get all this stuff in place so that the molds will include the new bridge.  Luckily the tooth involved doesn't play a crucial roll in moving the teeth, but one of the teeth that will be an anchor for the bridge is.  That should be long gone before the bridge though.

So, in a little while I will be in the chair again, numb and having the remainder of the molar removed.  I'm not overly concerned about it.  Hopefully it will be fairly easy to get out and I really hope no more of it breaks off before it's out.  I don't really want a big excavation job.  I was awake for the removal of my top wisdom teeth and those were easy.  I'm a little bummed out.  This is the first permanent tooth I will have lost and it makes me feel a little bit older than I want to be. 

Would I do the teeth straightening process again.  Probably not.  If I was a bit younger, maybe.


Time to floss and brush.