Changed my own ligs but what a PAIN!!

Message

#1 Post by **Kittysopretty** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 12:40 pm

Okay, I stopped at my orthos office today to get my ligs changed and they were on vacation with a number for emergencies only!

My ligs were so bad I was embarrassed to go anywhere!

Relatives that I have not seen in 3 yrs are arriving tonight so I rush home and thankfully, my UPS box with my ligs had arrived...

It was frustrating, difficult and stressful (I worried about popping a bracket) to change my own ligs. After I did 2 or 3 it became WAY easier. The ones I removed were very brown, my kids were like "Ewww!!!"

However, knowing that they will be disgusting again in no time....ugh, it's NOT worth it! I am calling my ortho as soon as they return from vacation and begging for wire tires. This is CRAZY

The twirl tool they sent with the ligs did not come with directions and it was very tricky to use (I doubt I used it correctly)

#2 Post by **Rebraced** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 3:08 pm

Get the wire ties and your problems will be gone. I am also back in braces for the second time at age 36. I was going to try ligs for a color change bey never did.

#3 Post by **Lyn** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:35 pm

KITTY Are you OK??

I feel so bad for you. Did it hurt to pull the ligs around the brackets. How did you know how to do it?? Mine are on differently on a couple of the brackets........so that the tooth moves a certain way.

Are you going to call the ortho and let them know you changed them yourself. I would just be sure they didn't have them on a certain way.

Good Luck and Keep us posted!!!

#4 Post by **Kittysopretty** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 7:01 pm

Hey Lyn!

They are on all the same way, just totally around the bracket. As i took them off, I could see exactly how they were put on. Also, my ortho has a mirror mounted on the lamp-light he uses so that his patients can watch everything so I saw how the ligs were put on.

It did not hurt at all and they look GREAT. But, like I said, who wants to deal with this? I'm literally dreading my morning coffee as I fear my hard work will have been in vain if they just stain again.

I think chocolate really was a huge culprit. They did NOT look clean after my very first chocolate chip xmas cookie!

I plan on telling my ortho I changed them....and why....and how I even showed up desperate at his office wanting them changed. I will tell him this in an effort to switch to wire ties. I would rather have full blown old-school metal than yellow ligs which are atrocious.

#5 Post by **weird_wired** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:11 pm

A lot of chocolate products (like biscuits, cakes) have food colouring in them - often to compensate for a lack of good ingredients. I've even seen E102 (tartrazine yellow) used, which is a really nasty chemical - a lot of people are sensitive to it without realising, and it is linked with hyperactivity in kids. If it's E150 (dark brown colour) that's fine, it's just made from burnt sugar/caramel. It may also stain badly though.

However if your cookies were home made, it was probably just the cocoa. I hadn't found chocolate to be staining, but then I've been drinking hot chocolate through a straw. I'll be extra careful now after your experience!

Info here on food colourings, it would be interesting to know which ones are worst at attacking ligs!

http://www.lactose.co.uk/milkallergy/fo ... es100.html

#6 Post by **Kittysopretty** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:12 am

thanks so much weird_wired! And yes, the cookies were homemade. Guess what else killed them? I had this delicious queso dip from TGI Fridays (the one you buy at the store and microwave to eat at home) It was neon yellow and my ligs were downright hideous afterwards. meaning, if I had had a job interview or anything at all important - - - we're talking cancel-city. My family was like "your braces are bright yellow" LOL! I'll bt it had that yellow coloring you spoke of!

#7 Post by **fyrelight** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:31 am

Did you order any colored ligs? If you're going to change them yourself, you can order some colored ones and try them out... some are very light and unnoticeable.... grey, smoke, etc, and others are great fun and neonish even. If you end up getting wire ties, you won't be able to change those if you want-- they're too difficult. Also, wire ties were scratchy on me without ligs over the top of them.

#8 Post by **Kittysopretty** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:22 pm

I wish I had ordered some silver : ( I ordered a zillion clear. If I get the hang of this, I may just stcik it out with the ligs, who knows!

My mom announced that she is serving BBQ chicken New Years Eve right before we all go out for the eveniing (I have tons of family visiting from across the country) My first thought was "great...I am so not eating BBQ before going out NYE when there will be no time to change the ligs"

#9 Post by **jenns91civic** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:45 pm

The reason the twirl on didn't come with directions is because it's intended for use by trained orthodontic assistants and orthodontists.

It's truly scary that some people are buying their own ligs and twirl ons, let alone actually changing their own ligs, especially without the consent of the ortho. Ligs come in different sizes/strengths so what if you aren't using the right one?

If staining is really that big of an issue, get colored ligs. Wire ties exert a different amount of pressure than ligs so the ortho may not do it.

Personally I think metal braces look better than ceramic anyway, but after seeing all the complaints about clear ligs, I'm even more pro-metal.