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9/11/98
Dear Journal,
It's the day before my parents
take me to the orthodontist for the first time. I can't wait!
It's 10:00p.m. and I can't sleep because I'm too excited. It's
strange! I feel scared and happy at the same time. I've got
butterflies in my stomach. |
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9/12/98
Dear Journal,
My orthodontist, Dr. Rintel put this tan colored stuff in my mouth to take
a mold of my mouth and my teeth. It looked like clay but tasted like
wet cement, yuck! I still had that cement taste in my mouth 2 days
later. Then he took an x-ray of my mouth. He told me to bite
down on a little piece of yellow plastic and that if I let go or moved
around a lot he'd have to take it all over again. He arranged for
the next visit after our insurance coverage comes through. |
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1/4/99
Dear Journal,
The Insurance forms disappeared
twice. We finally got approval to start the braces. We went
to Dr. Rintel's office to talk about the plan for my brother, Dennis who
is only eight and for me. Dennis is going to get braces on his two
front teeth. Two of his baby teeth in the front are going to get
pulled by the dentist, Dr. Tischler. Dennis has an under bite.
When his two front teeth come together and his adult front teeth come in,
he's going to get a special appliance made for his mouth. I'm going
to get braces on my adult teeth. They put separators between
my back teeth because they are too close to fit the braces on. We
have to come back in two days for braces. |
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1/6/99
Dear Journal,
Today my parents are taking
me back to the orthodontist to put on the braces! I can't wait!
He held these clear, plastic things in my mouth to keep my mouth
open . Cotton balls were stuffed into my mouth so that if any glue
dripped, it wouldn't get in my mouth. Clear glue was spread on the front
of my teeth. The brackets were pressed against the glue. Silver
metal bands were put on my back teeth. Wires were put on the bands
in the back and then stuck to the brackets on my front teeth. Dr.
Rintel asked me what color I'd like to choose for the ties around the brackets.
I chose black. Before I knew it I had braces and guess
what, it didn't hurt like I thought it would. |
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1/7/99
Dear Journal,
Everyone kept saying " Let me
see your braces" or "You look so cute in your braces". Everywhere
I went I'd have to open my mouth. They asked "Did it hurt?"
I answered "it didn't hurt that much, only when he put the bands on."
"Why?" they asked. I said "he simply placed the bands on top
of my molars then pounded them in. One of the bands got bent so he
had to take it out and re- do it ."
At lunch I can't eat a regular
sandwich, I have to eat just the meat part because I can't bite into it
and if I do eat the meat I have to cut it up into small pieces and chew
with my back teeth. Also I have to to brush my teeth after I eat
because food gets stuck in my brackets. |
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1/11/99
Dear Journal,
I think I'm getting used to
these braces. Guess what, I think I found a way to eat Hershey's
Kisses! You can suck on them until they get soft then you can chew then
with your back teeth. |
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2/5/99
Dear Journal,
Ouch!! I've been
biting my cheek all week! Sugary foods irritate them. I called
my orthodontist and told him what had happened. He suggested a numbing
medicine called "Ora- Base". I went to Rite Aid and they had it!
I also found this mouthwash that you swish around in your mouth for 60
seconds! I was biting my cheek near my band. I put wax
on the band to keep it from irritating my sore. I used the medication
whenever my mouth really hurts. |
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2/12/99
Dear Journal,
It's been 7 days since
I've started this medication prescribed by the pediatrician for canker
sores and already it has shortened the time, the sores are smaller and
if I put on the numbing medicine I can eat foods with sugar and my sores
won't hurt! The only thing that makes it hurt is applying the numbing
medicine because you have to use a Q-tip and that irritates it too! |
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2/15/99
Dear Journal,
Life is great! I have no more
sores, I can eat most foods again! I'm so happy that my mouth practically
doubled in size! My braces are fine expect this one bracket on the
bottom, in the center. It's getting lose. I'll ask my orthodontists
about it on my next visit. Normally I would just call the office but its
not such an emergency. |
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3/6/99
Dear Journal,
I told my orthodontist about
the loose bracket today. He said I shouldn't worry, that the wire will
hold it on.
He has a policy. If your teeth
are clean you get to choose your own color but if they're not, he picks.
That doesn't sound too good! He said they could be cleaner though.
Thank god my teeth were clean enough. I chose denim blue for the bottom.
On the top 2 teeth he put a white powerchain. They felt strange. It was
hard to eat anything harder than ice cream. From now on, every time I go
to get my braces tightened my family stocks up on soft foods. |
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3/24/99
Dear Journal,
Oh no, another one of my brackets
are falling off. Another from the bottom. It happened when I was brushing
my teeth. I was in a hurry so I didn't pay much attention to what I was
doing. Somehow the glue got knocked loose from my tooth. My dad set up
an appointment for the 25th. The nurse said the doctor won't be in so she'll
take off the 2 loose brackets herself. |
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3/25/99
Dear Journal,
After school my dad brought
me to the orthodontist's office. It took the nurse 2 seconds to remove
them. She wanted to find out how they fell off so the last bracket on the
bottom wouldn't do the same. She thought my top teeth mere biting down
on the bottom brackets . To confirm that with the doctor she set me up
for an appointment on the 29th. |
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3/29/99
Dear Journal,
The Doctor took off the
one bracket on the bottom and replaced the ones that fell off. This time
he glued the bottom brackets lower than before so when I bite down they
won't fall off. I am so happy that they wouldn't fall off again my mouth
doubled! Since this Thinkquest Jr. project is almost over this will be
my last entry. But it won't be yours. You can write your personal experiences
to the guestbook. |
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