The orthodontic odyssey is underway. My dying baby tooth had to be replaced, and the best option is to use the adult canine I already have. Unfortunately, that tooth is impacted way over above my incisors.
Last week I had oral surgery to expose the impacted canine and extract the sad old baby tooth. They also put a “button” on another tooth, so with the combination of gold chain and stainless steel that harness those objects together, that makes 3 foreign objects in my mouth, by my way of counting: bracket, button, and what’s between them. It’s healing up pretty well but is still somewhat painful.
Today I had 8 more foreign objects installed. They’re white rubber donuts called spacers, and they’re inserted between the contacts (i.e. where the teeth come into contact) of my molars, 2 on each side, top and bottom. These will help make room for molar bands, which are going to provide the foundation for the appliance that will start hauling that adult canine into place. The spacers are uncomfortable and make it impossible to fully clench my teeth. In addition to the new challenges with biting into food due to the surgery up front, now I have a hard time properly masticating due to the spacers in the back. I’m going to have these spacers in for three weeks before the next big change, though I have to go in for an appliance-building appointment in the meantime.
It’s going to be a long 26 to 28 months…