1st Adjustment - what to expect

[Blaise81]

Hi

I am going for my first adjustment 5 weeks in tomorrow and wondering what I should expect to happen. Do I need to take pain killers before?

[anarchy45]

Can't speak about needing the pain killers, but I had my first adjustment about a week and a half ago (10 days after getting the braces put on) and it ended up being slightly more uncomfortable than when I first got them on. I haven't had any `pain` per-se, just some discomfort if I push a bit on certain teeth. Went away within 2 days. Honestly, the worst part of the process for me is when they take the ligatures off the brackets - it's the equivalent of scratching a chalkboard (do they still even have chalkboards?) to me.

So anyways, I showed up and the ortho took a good hard look at my teeth and jaw profile and compared them with the pictures of the last 1.5 months since I began treatment. He gleefully proclaimed a tiny bit of movement, then got down to the task-at-hand. He took all the ligatures off the brackets with one of those evil-looking hook-shaped instruments that they scrape your teeth clean with, took the archwire out, then stuck a new spacer between two overlapping front teeth to try and widen by 2 or 3 millimeters so it can be pulled into line. Because the spacer is blue, they suggested I go with matching dark blue ligatures... I was going to get blue anyways (tho a bit brighter). Sooo the ortho fit the archwire back into place, put the new ligs on, and sent me on my way all in less than 30 minutes (heh... it takes me an hour and a half travel each way to go see him ). I am seeing him again next Monday the 11th - three weeks after my first adjustment. My teeth are misaligned and crowded so much that there is a lot of space to fill - so even by pulling one snaggle-tooth a millimeter or two into line, it takes a lot of tension out of the wire. I would venture to guess that your adjustment appointments will be scheduled based on how much movement is likely to occur, and not just an arbitrary once-a-month type of arrangement.

[szelda64]

It would be helpful to take some ibuprofen/acetaminophen before the appointment. I noticed the wire change and the retightening was slightly more uncomfortable then when I initially had braces.

[Ciara]

The 1st adjustment hurt a bit so if you have a low pain/discomfort tolerance, then take some painkillers.

My first was like this:
Arrived
Assistant took off the metal ties and archwire
Ortho arrived. Asked a few questions about how I was doing.
Checked cleaning - said all was good.
Compared present teeth with initial molds. Looked happy with amount of movement.
Asked if I still wanted metal ties - said "yes".
Assistant got more wire.
Ortho fitted new arch wire and secured it in place with the ties.
Small chat for a few minutes. Told me to come back in 4 weeks.
Made next appointment.
Left.

Total time: about 30 minutes.

I was slightly sore after a few hours and the soreness lasted about a day but it really wasn't that bad at all.

[Blaise81]

Thanks Everyone, I might take a tablet just in case cause i've to spend the evening studying .
Will let you all know how I get on.

thanks

[Blaise81]

Had my first adjustment yesterday, the ortho was really happy with the movement so far.
I now have a strong wire on the top, which took about ten minutes to change with new ligatures. I am also wearing an essix retainer on the bottom to move two of my teeth, the ortho added something to the back of my two teeth that need to move, which in turn made my essix retainer tighter. The only pain I had is the essix is now really tight and the pressure is causing me a headache (I grind my teeth in my sleep so my bottom teeth were really sore this morning cause I was putting pressure on the retainer in my sleep) and it kills me to put it on and off so might not be eating that much today cause I couldnt be bothered to go through the pain of having to take them off and on again.

But all in all it went well, my teeth are moving so happy days. back in another 6 weeks.

[Ciara]

Had my first adjustment yesterday, the ortho was really happy with the movement so far.
I now have a strong wire on the top, which took about ten minutes to change with new ligatures. I am also wearing an essix retainer on the bottom to move two of my teeth, the ortho added something to the back of my two teeth that need to move, which in turn made my essix retainer tighter. The only pain I had is the essix is now really tight and the pressure is causing me a headache (I grind my teeth in my sleep so my bottom teeth were really sore this morning cause I was putting pressure on the retainer in my sleep) and it kills me to put it on and off so might not be eating that much today cause I couldnt be bothered to go through the pain of having to take them off and on again.

But all in all it went well, my teeth are moving so happy days. back in another 6 weeks.

Congratulations! It all seems worth it when there is movement. Hope you can get used to the retainer.