Quad Helix

Message

#16 Post by **BenB** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:54 pm

Thanks alot ssfw, i'll give that a try. Can I also ask how long you had the lisp for?

#17 Post by **ssfw** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:55 pm

Hi Ben,

I never had a lisp, but I did have some speech problem due to the expander - I think it was due to my tongue being sore everytime I talked (due to my tongue kept hitting some part of the expander). Once my tongue was relieved of the soreness, I begin to talk a bit slower and that helped my speech tremendously. Believe me, the sore tongue has been the worse part of the entire orthodontic treatment, for now.

Good luck and take care.

ssfw

#18 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:08 am

I got mine installed the same day as braces were installed, plus I also received power chains that day as well. My tongue was raw for about a week, but I bought some hydrogen peroxide mouthwash and that helped. I drooled incessantly for about 2 days. I thought I had a lisp, but when I asked others, they didn't notice any difference in my speech.

#19 Post by **AliKat** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:45 am

Hi BenB,

I got my braces fitted on 28th Nov 07 and got my quad fitted on 7thJan so thats been 2 weeks now - was really strange the first week but I think Im used to it now -if you can be used to a big metal thing in your mouth - I know what you mean about the amount of saliva in your mouth - thats the only thing thats annoying me now - my tongue was only sore the 1st 2 days, it was the rubbing on my cheeks that annoyed me but thats cleared up now! - Thank God!!

Ill have mine in 4 months hopefully - end of April cant come quick enough!!!

#20 Post by **cosmicgirl** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:57 pm

how's your mouth BenB?
My tongue's still sore, but I'm getting numb to the pain now...
I've tried huge bits of wax, but still can't get it to stick, so in desperation I used chewing gum, which worked a treat.

Unfortunately no one can understand a single word I say...
I'm having trouble with ch, j and tr sounds

#21 Post by **BenB** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:39 pm

Hey cosmicgirl,

I'm probably at the same stage, my tongue is feeling better now but I'm still talking funny and producing alot of saliva, it feels like it won't end!

#22 Post by **Gennel** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:54 pm

I was producing a lot of saliva but that will pass. It took a while though. Swallowing will cause your tongue to rub on the coils and shred your tongue some more. At one point I kinda stopped talking unless it was really important.I had to wear mine for 7 months.I'm glad it's out but it was worth it because my molars are now way more upright than they used to be!

Try to dry the coil as much as you can and put a big glob of wax. Then dry the other side and put another glob of wax. My wax globs were so big that I felt like there was no space for my tongue! The lisp went away after my tongue got better and healed.The first couple of weeks were the worst for me.

Gennel

#23 Post by **BenB** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:41 pm

Gennel wrote:The lisp went away after my tongue got better and healed.The first couple of weeks were the worst for me.

Gennel

Hi Gennell, thanks for the reply. I know each person reacts differently to treatment but can I ask how long did you approximately have the speech issue for? I'm planning on going back to work next week and am trying my best to get rid of this speech problem!

#24 Post by **cosmicgirl** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:04 pm

BenB -
Buy a couple of flags and use semaphore...

I've given up on the hope of ever getting completely rid of the lisp while coiled up. Although, having said that my 'j 'sound has improved, but 'ch' still impossible and 'tr' just produces an annoying whilstle.
Still, only another 7 weeks and two days to go...

HURRY UP!!!!!!!

#25 Post by **BenB** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:35 pm

While i've got all these experienced quad helix people in here I might as well throw in another question

Coming off the molar bands are two peices of metal which are designed to fit alongside the teeth. In my case only one of the peices is touching the tooth where as the other side is about 3mm away from the tooth. Is this normal?

In this example you can see that both peices are touching both teeth -

#26 Post by **Gennel** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:58 pm

It took more than a week to get my speeck back to normal. Honestly I think it was like 3 weeks.
I know the picture shows the wire touching each tooth and yours dont do that? Mine did not either. I had one side touching and the other side seemed tilted away from the tooth and did not reach it .My teeth were not as pretty as that mold pic you showed there. Those are perfect teeth and the quadhelix looks perfect too.
If my ortho said I had to wear this again to finish off treatment I would REFUSE! sorry this was the worst part for me.Spacers were not such a huge deal compared to the bihelix that tore up my tongue!
Put BIG globs of wax on the wire coils that rub your tongue. This is what causes the speech impairment.My tongue got so bad that I could not stick my tongue out at all. My dentist asked me to stick out my tongue and my tongue was shaking uncontrolably. I just couldn't move my tongue because of the cuts. Once you find the spot that is causing the irritation ,you will feel soooooo good almost immediately. I wanted to cry from happiness . I called my husband and told him " I can talk! it doesn't hurt ! " lol

I've read in so many places that ortho treatment has come a long way and it's less painful now etc.... There are still some things that I wish I could get anesthesia for during an adjustment.

Genne

#27 Post by **cosmicgirl** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:39 am

Hi Gennel! How about a topical anaesthesic to put on our tongues! that would be bliss! It's now been just over a week and my tongue is gradually adjusting but the speech impediment is so AWFUL!

And BenB - my helix also presses against the tooth that needs to move outwards to correct the cross bite - there's a little bit of a gap on the other side, the side that's presumably ok. But I don't have those long prong things - imagine the state of me if I had those to contend with too!
I've been salt water rinsing which may be helping me on the road to recovery. Also discovered Colgate PEROXL mouthwash - super foamy and that seems to dull the pain for a little while. Added benefit is that it brightens the old toofers too!! So all in all, I'm feeling a bit happier this week - thank heavens for small mercies!

#28 Post by **NicholaH** » Sun May 03, 2009 11:18 am

I got that quad helix thing on last friday and have barely eaten since. Cant talk without cutting the tongue off myself and I have blisters in my inside jaws. Dreading the brace going on. Anyone any tips to get me through the bank holiday.

#29 Post by **Gennel** » Mon May 04, 2009 4:57 pm

I did not have a Quadhelix but I had a bihelix on my lower teeth. This thing was under my tongue instead of top teeth. It was painful,shred my tongue. I must have tried 1 pound of wax! lol it kept sliding off. I did not want to speak because every movement my tongue made I was in agony. This went on for like 3 weeks...dont remember exactly. Finally 1 day I found the exact spot and used a wax I got at Walmart. It was more sticky. So I dried the coil and put a glob of wax on each side. This allowed my tongue to heal. I wore this for 7 months! I was told 3 months at the most. BUt my molars did not want to move. That was the most pain.
I'm out of braces now and if I had to do it all over again.... I would do it.
Remind yourself that this is temporary even though it seems an eternity.

Gennel

Metal Mouth Message Board

Quad Helix

Quad helix