Metal Mouth Message Board

So I had my extractions 2 days ago, top first premolars.
Surgery was a piece of cake, took 5 minutes, no
painkillers needed after the anesthetic wore off.
Gaps are big, but I have to open my mouth very
wide for them to be noticeable. Ortho
says he does not expect my profile to be adversely
affected by the extractions. Much of my agonzing
about gap aesthetics seems to have been unneccesary.
Thanks to ALL here who conforted me .

The bad news: I had NO IDEA what would be involved
in wearing a nance. I was told about the need for one,
and molded, but I did not realize that the device would
affect my speech and eating so profoundly. One reason
is that nobody on the ortho staff warned me about it.
The other is becasue they kept calling it a nance, when
in fact the keyword that apears on this board is "TPA".
This is clearly what I am wearing and it is AWFUL. I
have seen posts from others who say you get used to it
within a couple of weeks. God, I hope I do. I can't
eat a thing, can't talk, and in two weeks I have to
give two presentations at a conference. No offense
to anyone here, I hope -but I sound like a stroke
victim.

Ortho and I had a couple of long talks before the
extractions. The relationship is getting easier, although
he says he has NEVER encountered an adult patient
with as many questions as I have. Came right out
and said he feels his judgement is challenged when
I question him. To which I responded that I had the
utmost respect for his professional expertise, but
like to be informed. Here's my take on the
never-been-asked-as-many-questions-as-you bit:
The ortho is one of these formidably intelligent
types, talks very fast, thoughts running way
ahead of his words. I know the type well from
my grad school experiences. The guy is also
incredibly accomplished in other arenas
(extreme sports, and he is a former fighter
pilot.) My theory is that he's not used to questions
because his patients are too intimidated to ask him
ANYTHING.

I had my TPA fitted last Friday (1 week today) and I admit to bursting into tears when I tried to talk for the first time. My job entails talking to people everyday, usually with an audience listening. Again, without offending anyone, I also thought people may think I'd had a stroke. In the last week, only 1 person has commented on my speech (maybe the others are just too polite). But I can say, one week on, although I have difficulty with 'dr' and 's' words, I can see a big improvement and I have been told that I sound a lot clearer. My ortho told me to record my voice on my mobile and play it back as it doesn't sound as bad to others. I have done this, and I can honestly say it is hardly noticeable listening back. Believe me, I sounded bad one week ago today and like you, I thought I'd sound like that forever.

Regarding your ortho - I think you maybe right. But you're paying him, so ask away. I go to see mine with my notebook and a list of questions, and he seems to think it quite funny.

I am so relieved to read those words 'Peice of cake'. I am dreading 2 extractions, so you have put my mind at ease a bit with that. Thanks.

Keep in mind the end result, as it will be worth everything we are all going through to have those fantastic teeth and perfect smile.

Good Luck.

Julie

I have a TPA and it is the worst! I've had it for about 4 months and I'm still not used to it. If you think that's bad, wait until you get elastics. I just got some yesterday and I feel as if I've been taken to a new level of hell. This is the worst year of my life, I swear.


-sophie

Ah yes...elastics. I have powerchains across the gaps,
running form the top canines to the top molars. Ortho
said he will give mde a week to adjust to chains, then
he will add removable elastics to run parallel to the
powerchains. Now, correct me if I am being naive
here. I saw the elastics development as a good sign,
meaning that he wants to close the extraction gaps
ASAP. More accurately, he wants to move the
canines into those gaps, so my incisors (second
from center) can rotate and straighten into position.
I also considered myself lucky that I will have top-only
elastics, rather than a bottom-to-top configuration (at
least for now). It did not occur to me that elastics
could be a new level of extreme unpleasantness.
So far I am finding the powerchains tolerable, and
when things hurt I see it as a sign of movement.
He says I can lose the TPA once the canines start
moving the right way! Perhaps I should not ask
to be disillusioned....

Dear KK,

Thank you very much for the encouraging words, and the
Ranbow passage. I had been thinking of contacting a
speech therapist friend for a similar purpose, and am
glad to not have to disturb her. I have 10 days before
my first conference presentation, and will be drilling
this alot!

hi i'm getting a few extractions soon......

whats a nance? and whats a TPA ?

..

A nance/tpa are used to keep certain teeth in place whilst an extraction gap closes. It goes from the inside of your left molar to the inside of your right molar across the palate of your mouth. Do a search on the boards of google for some pics and more info.