quad helix sucks

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#1 Post by **soccerchick22** » Wed May 13, 2009 12:56 pm

Hi, I just got my braces on last Friday and they put in a quad helix yesterday (along with a stronger top wire). My tongue is absolutely killing me in the three raw spots that this expander hits it. I have tried massive amounts of salt water, wax, chewing gum and nothing will help! Last night I had half my dinner stuck up in the wires and then shot my eye with the waterpik trying to get it all out.

I wish I just had the braces, it'd be so much easier. Does anybody have any other ideas outside of finding some pliers? My bf stopped me from that last night, but I am crafty!

sc22

#2 Post by **soccerchick22** » Mon May 18, 2009 6:27 am

Ok...so it has been almost a week since expander, and my tongue is not used to it at all!!! I have been doing salt rinses, peroxyl, wax, etc. There is one part of the expander that goes more into the middle of my mouth above my tongue. It just made my tongue start bleeding!!!

And that doesn't touch the talking or eating problems I am still having! I still sound like I've had a whole bottle of everclear!

When does this get better????

#3 Post by **sdawdy** » Mon May 18, 2009 7:55 am

Sorry, I cant help out on this....but if it helps i almost fell out of my chair when I read the part of shooting your self in the eye with your waterpic! Hope things start going better for you. Maybe a call to your ortho to see what they recommend.

SD

#4 Post by **sauerkraut** » Mon May 18, 2009 8:32 am

Esteemed member Brandyleigh had a trick for a similar problem. Here's a link to her blog about it:

http://brandysjawjourney.blogspot.com/2 ... chive.html

(Scroll down to day 26)

I'm not sure if the RPE is the same as a quad helix but her blister plaster fix might be worth a try

#5 Post by **soccerchick22** » Mon May 18, 2009 12:49 pm

sdawdy, we had to replace an entire roll of TP when my boyfriend walked in the bathroom and thought he'd play around with the waterpik. He didn't know you had to hold the button down when you cut it on - water shot all over the bathroom and more specifically all over my Charmin. He uses too much TP as it is....but at least this time I got a laugh over it!

And I did talk to the ortho assistant when I had to make an emergency pit stop to the office when one of the prongs started going through the roof of my mouth for about 4 cm towards my teeth! She said "salt water rinses, wax and you'll get used to it."

sauerkraut, that sounds like a good idea, though I am not sure how I'd get a bandaid thing wrapped around the wires.

On the bright side, I still sound like a drunk 3 year old and my tongue started bleeding AFTER my salt water rinse. What a cruel joke that was....

#6 Post by **Susie000** » Tue May 26, 2009 3:37 pm

Hi soccerchick.

I had a quad helix put in 2 weeks ago, so I can understand a bit about what you've been suffering. The first time I tried to eat anything was disastrous, it felt like food kept getting stuck in it and it make eating impossible. I was very upset and afraid that I wouldn't be able to eat properly for a year.

Now it's much easier, I just don't worry about stuck food, and leave clearing it all out until later. I guess I must have got used to it. Stringy food like lettuce isn't pleasant as it get wrapped around the metal wires, but giving up lettuce for a year isn't too bad...

Hope you're getting on ok now.

Susie

#7 Post by **I love my teeth** » Tue May 26, 2009 4:40 pm

soccerchick-

I too had a horrible sore tongue after the braces went on, I had a sore spot that was rubbing on the molar bands............after about 4 days I went out for Japanese lunch with a friend and drank the tea----I felt great, I thought it was the heat, I was able to eat the sushi fairly well..........I did some internet research and tea has some healing properties in it.........that night I saturated a tea bag and sucked on it for a few minutes (it was kind of gross), but the pain in my tongue went away.........so I spent the next few days overdosing on tea (black and green, just not herbal) and within 2 days my tongue was fantastic!!! Try it, it can't hurt right??

And no worries, I have sprayed myself with the waterpik as well as the mirror and my son who was watching me.......that thing can be a weapon!!

#8 Post by **soccerchick22** » Fri May 29, 2009 2:08 pm

So it's been just over 2 weeks and I'm actually doing OK!!!! yaaaaaaay! I still want it out really badly and I still sound slightly retarded when I talk. I feel like I have an entire parking deck in my mouth.

Other than that, things have improved dramatically. I ate some spaghetti the other night and I about choked on it when part stuck on the expander and the other part was headed down my throat. I'm pretty sure between that and the fact that only two of my teeth touch, I'm swallowing most of my food intact. Hope I don't need xrays anytime soon, they'd likely see entire pieces of chicken just hanging out down there. Lettuce also got shredded (and it was the pre-shredded kind).

Thanks for the advice and kind words