Week 54
It's my One Year Orthoversary! I began treatment September 8, 2016 and cannot believe that a year has passed. I am at least halfway to the finish line! For those of you who don't think you could wear braces as an adult because it takes too long, think again. The older we get, the faster time flies; the days pass quickly even while wearing orthodontic appliances and it seems like I started this process just last week. My recent visit to Dr. Jusino on August 27 was a day to remember because I received a FIVE STAR oral hygiene rating....my first one ever and it took nearly a year to achieve. Honestly, I don't think I did anything differently for the past several weeks but I am glad to know that I finally got FIVE STARS! Perhaps it helped that my visit on the 27th was in two parts; an appointment in the morning to remove the wire so my dental hygienist could do a professional cleaning and a second appointment in the afternoon for the wire to be adjusted and replaced. Dr. Jusino is happy to do a two-step appointment to accommodate professional cleanings that can be much more effective when the wires are not in place. It takes some advance planning and coordination of appointments but well worth the effort.
There was other good news at the August 27 appointment. The elastics have done their job well and I am now in a 'holding pattern' to see if the teeth will remain stable in the current bite relationship. Dr. Jusino thinks I may be ahead of schedule due to my diligence in wearing the elastics.
For those of you who think elastics could be a nuisance, I challenge you to think of them differently; the more you wear them, the faster your orthodontic treatment proceeds. It is possible that I may have shaved 6 months or more from the projected treatment time of 18-24 months! I have kept packets of elastics in strategic locations around the house, in my desk at work, in my purse and in my car. I always have fresh ones available and change them often. There are times that I don't even remove them for eating (simple things like bananas or oatmeal) and put in a fresh pair after brushing away the snack from my teeth. There is no guilt factor at work prodding me to wear the elastics but rather an acquired sense of something missing when they are not in place.
Here's a true confession. I did Not wear my elastics for five hours during the Michigan-Air Force football game on September 16. It happened by accident and was something I don't care to repeat. When you go into Michigan Stadium, you cannot bring in any items besides a single stadium cushion. I stuffed my car keys, ID cash and game ticket into my pockets and headed to the stadium from a parking spot three miles away. Why would I need a packet of elastics? Well, when you arrive at the stadium at lunchtime, food is on your mind. I found a naked bratwurst (no bun) to eat from the concession stand and immediately removed my elastics and dumped them into a trash receptacle. Within seconds I realized my mistake but I drew a line at fishing through the trash bin to retrieve my elastics. So, I sat through one very long and boring game feeling like I was missing a body part. When I returned to the car, the first thing I did was replace the elastics. Life was good again. Since beginning the use of elastics in January, the five hours I didn't wear my elastics on September 16 was probably longer than all other times combined that I did not have elastics in place. My next appointment is on October 10 and I hope I will have more good news to report.
