most movement in first few days after adjustment ?

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#1 Post by **SandraJones** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:30 am

I don't remember this at all from my 'teen braces experience ...

I'm beginning to think that I will see max movement within the first few days of an adjustment, and the rest of the time between adjustments (4 weeks for me) will be mostly settling of the teeth into their new positions, bone will be filling it, etc. Does anyone know this to be the case or have experienced this yourself ?

I'm also wondering if certain movements are easier than others. I had upper incisors that were pro- and retroclined and they are moving into better positions rather rapidly. My rotated teeth are moving a little less rapidly, and my tilted teeth are the slowest.

#2 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:34 am

I'm not sure about the proclined and retroclined spiel, but I know that I had some days where I would see some major movement with powerchains in the first few days or the week before my next adjustment. It was dependant on how my teeth were feeling. My mouth is tempermental.

#3 Post by **platinum** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 11:21 am

I'm also wondering if certain movements are easier than others. I had upper incisors that were pro- and retroclined and they are moving into better positions rather rapidly. My rotated teeth are moving a little less rapidly, and my tilted teeth are the slowest.

Same problem here! I was supposed to get a new archwire on my uppers, but my tilted second lateral had not moved too much, so it was impossible to place the new wire. argh. It really movew slowly.

#4 Post by **DavidT** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:03 pm

There have been times when I've noticed a lot of movement w/in 24 hours and then nothing for three weeks. I think that's typical. As is the case with braces in general, it takes a lot longer to retain then it does to move.

Even if something moves .5 mm it's great for progress but not visible to the eye.

#5 Post by **platinum** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 11:52 am

I have some movement immediately after adjustment. But then suddenly after three weeks or so I my teeth strt to feel tender again.this happens especially with levelling archwire.

#6 Post by **Thathrill** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:00 pm

Movement depends on your body and what is being done after the adjustment. As for me I get movement all the time in between adjustments.

#7 Post by **SandraJones** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 3:46 pm

The comment about the levelling archwire made me think ... I am just at the beginning of my treatment and I have the lightest beginner archwire in place. I got a new one of the same type at my first adjustment, I'm not ready for a heftier wire. I'm wondering if the lightweight archwire is not good at doing certain movements, like pushing tilted teeth upright.

#8 Post by **platinum** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:28 am

However, once you progress to rectangular wires, these can apply the counterbalancing couple that is needed to torque the roots more upright if needed, because of the way its rectangular cross-section interacts with the shape of the slot in the bracket.

My round wire is hardly acting with one of my crooked tooth. It is not properly in the slot. Waiting for the new wire.

#9 Post by **SandraJones** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:41 am

That makes sense about the archwire cross sections having different effects. My husband and I are amazed at the progress I've made so far, it's exciting to think of what will happen later as my orthodontist uses different archwires to fix my problems. And class II elastics will come into play at some point, I'm guessing after the arches and alignment have been established.

#10 Post by **SandraJones** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:53 pm

Many thanks for your info, Meryaten !

Hey, now I've really gone overboard ... I just shelled out $40 for 30-day access to the archives of the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics.

I've read about half a dozen articles so far, most pertaining to class II malocclusion. I read an interesting article proposing that proper occlusion should be based on the incisors, not the molars. There was also a $15 24-hour access but I decided I needed more time.

#11 Post by **SandraJones** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:22 pm

LOL !! I don't even have to ask you if angle.org is in your bookmarks, I *know* it is !

#12 Post by **SandraJones** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:56 am

Well that makes sense to me. I'll see if I can find the incisors article.

I'm class II, uppers almost 1/2 tooth ahead on one side (so nearly cusp to cusp), just a bit more than 1/4 tooth ahead on the other side. I would actually be happy with class II if my overjet were less pronounced, and I think it will be before we even start the elastics treatment.

I had alternating retroclined and proclined upper incisors, the retroclined ones masking my overjet. Now that the upper incisors are in better position the overject is revealed. At the worst point it's more than 3 mm but that upper central is still slightly proclined. I think when it's in proper position my overjet will be approx 2.5mm.

My lower arch is flattened in the incisor area. I think the lower incisors are bit retroclined and when pulled into better incline position will help to round out the arch and reduce my overjet. I don't know what acceptable overjet is, but I would be happy with 1.5 - 2 mm.

I can certainly understand the drive to fully correct a young person's class II. But at my age (46), and considering I have a lot of facial "imperfections", I'm primarily interested in my teeth looking better, not as perfect as possible. I'm interested to see how my teeth look at the point when my orthodontist decides to have me wear the elastics. I might just bypass them, or choose to use them for only part of the total length of time my orthodontist desires. I can say that I don't want my lower teeth pulled forward and I'm afraid that's what is going to happen with the elastics. I've been class II nearly all of my life, and it's never caused me any problems that I'm aware of.

I'm rambling, sorry.