This afternoon Miranda had another appointment with the orthodontist. We had finished cranking her expander the required 28 times weeks ago and have been waiting for the next stage: braces.
I picked her and Ian up from school at 2 and drove to the orthodontist’s near Market Mall. She had a 3p appointment. We were a little early, so we walked around The Bay.
The hygienist reattached the expander before putting on the braces. The expander had come loose, not falling off, around the time of we finished cranking her teeth. I think it’ll be a chronic problem given her gum line. It’s not a big deal, we just have to go back and get it refitted if it happens again. After fixing the expander she polished Miranda’s teeth – a special device was placed in her mouth to keep her mouth open. She then applied a compound that roughens the surface of the teeth. This allows for the brace glue to adhere more effectively to the teeth. Kind of like scoring the surface before gluing in art class. She placed the braces and Dr. Antosz checked their alignment before the wired was strung through.
We have to crank her expander another 14 times then let it rest again. I wonder what changes we’ll see in her teeth this time. Not much appeared to happen last time. A tiny gapped formed, but it was hardly noticeable. Miranda also got a “goodie bag” of special tooth brushes, floss, and waxes (for chafing). One thing is for sure, she’ll need to be extra diligent when it comes to brushing. So many times I’ve seen braces that look gross with the sticky, yellow build up.
Here are some photos of the day.
Is that your Minion smile with the pinky-red thing in your mouth?? Was it uncomfortable? We’re thinking of you as you journey along this toothy part of your life! Your teeth and smile are going to be amazing when you are done.