Bite Plate Misery

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#1 Post by **phenyx** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:12 pm

Got the bite plate cemented behind my front teeth today and now I have a new definition of hell. I canâ€™t close my mouth all the way, I canâ€™t chew and I canâ€™t speak very clearlyâ€¦

I can handle the chunk of plastic behind my front teeth. What really hurts are the wires leading from the chunk of plastic to the bands on my 1st molars. When ever I swallow, close my mouth or do just about anything, the wires press into my tongue and that hurts!!!

So far I can eat ice cream and drink coffee. I haven't tried anything more adventurous than that because I don't know what I can chew yet.

The purpose of this thing is to keep my bite from closing all the way. It does that but now I only have 1 small point of contact between my lower teeth and anything in my upper jaw. Didn't realize my bite sucked that bad. But I only have to wear it for 2 months and it's supposed to work very quickly. According to Pita, my ortho assistant, my jaws and back teeth will remodel themselves to fit together with the bite plate in place.

#2 Post by **akabraces** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:18 pm

you got your bite plate cemented in?
i'm getting on in a few weeks, but it's removable...
i didn't think they cemented them...hmm...
thanks for letting me know, i'm curious!

*aka

#3 Post by **ame_malia** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:23 pm

I'm getting my braces and bite plate put in on Wednesday, but I don't know if its cemented in or not. I know its attached to the bands around my molars. I hope my experience with my bite plate is better than yours. I've had problems eating because the spacers make my teeth hurt and I was looking forward to getting them out, but i guess the bite plate may be worse. I guess I'll see on Wednesday.

Website · #4 Post by **susieq182** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:48 pm

I feel for you. I have been in your shoes. Pretty much any food you can smash with a fork you can eat. I lost 14 lbs in the 5 months i had a bite plate. I ate lots of apple sauce, smoothies, over cooked pasta, quiesh (sp) and mashed potatoes. Also deli meats are easy to eat. I never got used to the bite plate or the wires. I actually broke the wire and that was the most uncomfortable part of braces by far. The bite plate does work fast and it protects you lower brackets from your upper teeth. I wont lie I hated mine, but the time will fly. things to stay away from are anything with small seeds, soft breads and pinto beans. Also if you dont have one get a water pic it will help get the stuff that works up under the bite plate out. then as always salt rinses and lots of flossing and brushing.

#5 Post by **phenyx** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:40 pm

I'm a vegetarian so meat isn't an issue for me, but thanks for the suggestions otherwise. I guess I'll get really friendly with eggs and tofu over the next few weeks.

I've actually started my treatment with just the bite place because my overbite is so deep. Ortho said he has to open my bite before he can even put the bottom braces on. Right now when I close my mouth I have just 1 tooth on the bottom (a canine) that makes contact with my upper jaw. The rest is just space. The good part is I can't bite my nails anymore so maybe I'll finally be able to kick a lifelong bad habit.

But there is hope...I actually ate a fig newton this afternoon! Kind of mashed it against the roof of my mouth with my tongue instead of chewing it. I always did consider them "food of the gods" and I love them even more now.

#6 Post by **Wyo_Stacy** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:47 pm

I was amazed at how quick my mouth changed with my bite plate. I actually had to have it changed after the first week because my teeth moved so much that it was too loose. When I called the ortho's office they asked me if I was "playing with it?" I was mad that they would suggest that but when I went in, the doc changed it to a smaller one. I didn't think I would be able to eat anything with it, but figured out how to do it in a fairly short amount of time.

#7 Post by **bckydgardnr** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:54 pm

I got a bite plate last Thursday so that I wouldn't be able to close all the way to encourage an extraction gap to close. Here is the wierd thing...when I wake up in the morning the gap feels smaller, but by the end of the day it feels like it has for the past year and a half. Is that possible, or am I just imagining it?

Gardnr

#8 Post by **iBorg** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:23 pm

I'm scheduled for a bite plate. My ortho basically said I'll have a series of them as my mouth changes. Okay, I know its supposed to help change your bite but exactly how does it achieve that?

Thanks,

Mike

#9 Post by **phenyx** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:53 am

When I started this thread I had just had my bite plate put in. I thought it was awful and that I'd never make it the 2 or 3 months I'm suppose dto have it. It's been 2 weeks and 2 days and I can actually say that I've pretty much gotten used to it.

My speech has cleared up a lot and I'm eating pretty much anythign I want to. Crunchy baked oatmeal cookies were tough and then there was the tiny bit of fish that got stuck under the bite plate for a few hours, but other than that this thing isn't actually so bad anymore. My tongue has toughened up - I'm hardly using wax anymore.

The only thing that really annoys me right now is that if I'm talking a lot my mouth will get really dry. Otherwise I tend to drool like a teething toddler. I think my bite is changing too.

So for those getting bite plates - the first few days will totally suck. You will hate everything and everybody but it *will* get better.

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