Another expander?

The title tells the whole story. It's possible and very likely that I am going to get fitted for another RPA. The reason is because my teeth have not moved as far as was initially hoped. Although they have moved approximately 10 mm so far, it is not far enough. This is especially relevant to my left side, which you can see from previous pictures that its movement are much slower than that of the right side.

Currently, I'm still turning my RPA but I should be done soon. I'm not sure how I'll know when to stop. I'm hypothesizing that either there won't be a hole for me to insert the stick or the stick will get stuck when I try to turn.

I was feeling a little bummed out when I was first told the news. I don't know after a few months I was kind of anticipating braces. Maybe I'm dorky but I was excited to know that I was getting braced. Oh well. I will be braced eventually.

Happiness for change.

Happy 2012 everyone! Just thought I get that out of the way first. Now onto the teeth.

Turn #2

Turn #34

Above are pictures showing the distance that my RPA has moved so far. It's approximately >7mm at the moment. As I've mentioned before, the average maximum distance is approximately 10 mm. My guess at this point is that I will finish turning the full 10 mm in early February. Hopefully by then I will finally be braced.

Nevertheless before the braces I'm going to have to get both my bottom two first pre-molars removed. This is because I need to create the appropriate space for my crowded canine teeth to turn back into their positions. I heard that canines are the hardest type of teeth to move due to their long roots. This is interesting because during my initial consultation with the orthodontist he commented on how long all the roots on my teeth were. At the time, I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or not so I just smiled back at him. For those who may be curious, the picture on top of the blue x ray are not of my teeth. I found that on google. 

So far, my experiences feel as if I'm taking a small road trip just before I venture on a grand journey. Five months with the RPA before I can finally get braces. However, time is flying by. To get by I have the habit of always imagining the end result (having a Hollywood smile hehe), which always gives me the motivation to keep turning my RPE. For those who are currently using an RPE or have been lucky enough to have used one (sarcasm), you probably know what I mean. Every other week or so when I turn it and notice the very little movement that has occurred I can't help but smile to myself. I don't think this type of happiness can be replicated often --- happiness for change.   

Say hello to my little gap.

First off, I want to apologize to those who read my blog. Due to a hectic schedule involving final exams and assignments, I was not able to find time to blog. However, I'm finally on holiday break and now have all the time in the world.

So, what have I been up this past month (besides studying)?

There are a couple of good news. I'll start with the "little" good news. My RPA is currently measured at 7 mm! This is 7mm out of a possible 10mm. Although not everyone needs to expand the full 10mm, it's seems like I will have too. For a matter of fact, I was told I have too. If I could estimate correctly, I still have to turn for another month and a half (finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel!) This is not bad since I'm used to turning the RPA now. However, I have been getting headaches lately. I'm not sure if this is correlated to the having to turn the RPA, which puts force upon the nasal area when turned, or it's due to many late nights studying. I'll have to monitor this situation and update if necessary.

From the pictures below, there has been a bit of movement during this last month. My right side is still in the lead in terms of movements. The left side, however, has gained some ground but nevertheless still behind. It hasn't be able to "jump over the hump" yet. Take a look for yourself:

Left side

Right side

Now for the "big" good news. Although many may not consider it news but I am very excited and proud of it. Since last month there has been noticeable gaps on the teeth adjacent to my front teeth. Indeed I was happy about it because having gaps mean the RPA is doing it's job correctly. Nevertheless, I keep wondering if my two front teeth themselves would separate at all. Two weeks ago, they heard me (and replied). There is finally a noticeable gap (although small) between my front teeth! Flossing has been easy in that area as of late. Having a gap between the front teeth means good news in the world of RPAs. For those of you who are afraid though, don't be. The braces will close any gap you may have that resulted from a RPA.

Lastly, I want to wish my three followers and everyone who reads my blog a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and/or any other holidays that are being celebrated during this festive time :D

Peg Laterals.

Many of the readers (including my two followers) would have probably noticed that the two second teeth on either side of my front teeth are abnormally small and narrow. These are called peg laterals or peg lateral incisors. I have these because these two teeth did not fully develop. They look like small baby teeth and look even more awkward from the side when I smile.

I was told about a few options for dealing with my peg laterals when i get my braces off:

One, porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers refer to a thin cover of porcelain which is bonded to the front surface of a tooth. This is not an option for me (at least not at the moment) because veneers cost a ton of money $_$ Perhaps, this is an option in the future. 

Two, (the cheaper option) dental bonding. Bonding refers to a high-tech plastic material used to create fillings or restoration of a tooth. I plan to bond my two peg laterals after I get my braces off. 

This was a semi-hard decision to make for many reasons. For one thing, it's a big hit on the bank account. After having to spend $6000+ on my braces, I have to fork out a couple more hundreds to get the bonding done. In the end, I really have no choice in wanting to fix these peg laterals. It's now or never (or at least it'll be difficult if I don't fix them now). This is because to do so, a sufficient amount of space needs to be left over after the braces for the bonding. The extra spacing has to be planned ahead to allow for the bonding. I plan to do it because I simply consider it as another detour along my journey to nice teeth. 

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving for all those readers from the US! I wish I could be there for Black Friday!