Metal Mouth Message Board

Ok...I have a powerchain on my lowers that has been on for about a month. From what I can tell it appears to be doing nothing, no movement, no pain whatsoever, since I got it put on. Gaps are not closing just staying the same. Do ortho's ever put on double or triple powerchains? Anyone ever had anything like this? Just wondering if that is something that is done if a single chain isn't doing the trick.

Brandy

I've got a couple that overlap partially. This is to rotate a premolar. Seems to be working.

My ortho is trying to close an extraction gap. I have the continous loop (the one KK talked about) and then I have zinc string to pull it even tighter. The back power chain that comes from my molar overlaps the front power chain and on one tooth there are three chains of some sort. At my last adjustment, it took the assistant at least 20 minutes to get everything to stay. It all just kept popping off. Surprisingly, my teeth don't hurt that much.

gardnr

I think I heard on here that powerchains loose their effectiveness after about a week because they get strectched out. Maybe you need a new one.

My gaps are not closing either with my current powerchain and I don't even feel them pulling anymore. If they are only good for a short time I would rather get them changed often instead of waiting six weeks everytime.

I hear you! That is my thoughts exactly. Why waste 6 weeks of treatment time (8 in my case) if they stop working after one week? The powerchain I have on is continuous loop , no space in between them.

How frustrating!

Brandy

I knew I'd seen this here before, I found this in the "Ask the Doc" section and explains what the others have said about how powerchains lose their force quickly, but orthos don't change them right away. The quote is by Dr. J, who used to help out on the Ask the Doc board...

As an orthodontist myself I can tell you that teeth typically move 1-1.5 mm per month in a normal physiology and force system. The "overnight" movement is just the tooth tipping in its socket called the peiodontal ligament. Power chains or threads undergo almost 100% force decay in 1 week. We let the next 3 or 4 weeks go by with no new chains to allow the teeth that have been tipped on the wire about the bracket slot to upright. The root of the tooth has to have time to catch up...

Here's the link to the original thread: viewtopic.php?t=6091&highlight=powerchains

Sorry to burst your bubble, I know all about the frustration of extraction gaps as I have four huge ones and my ortho is currently only trying to close two of them.

Thanks Nita That really stinks! I don't think mine have moved even a mm, or at all. Bascially I have another 4 weeks of nothing now, waiting for my next appt. Sometimes I wish I could just order these powerchains and do it myself LOL....

I'm a little stressed about all this, and probably a bit more obessed with my teeth than I should be, but I have asked my ortho to have me ready for lower Jaw surgery by May 2007. At the rate we are going, I will only see him for 4 more adjustments between now and then. It just doesn't seem like that is enough. Especially if we have adjustments like this one that are doing nothing.

Originally when I got self ligating brackets I thought it was going to be great that the appts were only every 8 weeks. Now I absolutely hate it! 8 weeks feels like an eternity to wait between appts to get things adjusted! UGHHH!

Brandy

For ur powerchains why dont u ask ur ortho to make ur appts. every 4 weeks?? Cause I went for my adjustment yesterday nd she saw that my powerchains would get all loose nd wat not so she's like "Make her an appt. in 4 weeks bc those powerchains get loose fast" So if I were u I would def. ask! Cause I myself was feeling like my braces were just sitting there doing nothing!!! lol

On another note...I just found out that my treatment is gonna be.....24-30 months...wtf.

I had doubled powerchains when I had my braces on. I never had extractions, just really good sized gaps. I know a few others on the board have had them too. They hurt!

Good luck!

Hi,

first, I wanted to congratulate you for your awesome blog. It'll be great to
read again when all is said and done. And is very informative for others
going the same route. Very well done !

Now about those powerchains. I had for quite some time gaps between my
lowers too during my treatment. My ortho tried a normal powerchain, then
an extra strong one, then doubling them and so on. I can tell that it was
my impression that doubling them up kinda ruins their effectiveness. I felt
that doubling them did do less than one. What worked for me is closing the
gaps one at the time. So my ortho placed a powerchain in this way it
overlapped one gap. Once this closed, a second gap was treated. Also
helped was 1 chain and then one element of it on only 2 teeth, that have a
gap, on top of that chain. My gaps were very hard to close, but finally, they
did after all. It took quite some time though, maybe a year. I know now
they use powerchains that do not loose their strength a lot after some
weeks. I think my ortho said they were made of polyurethane. They
shoud still have about 75 pct of their strength after 6 weeks. I think most
orthos now use these. So, I fear I can only say that you will need some
more patience. I am sure one day your lowers will listen and do what is
told ...

Best of luck !

Thanks so much Clo,
that was really helpful to know, and you are right, perhaps I need to develop some more patience. Although, I can tell you that doesn't come very easy to me! LOL...

Thanks for the compliment on my blog and I'm glad you liked it. I posted yesterday that I can tell I'm still not fully healed. Still don't have full feeling back in my palate It is still coming back but I think it may take another month before things are completely back to normal.

Brandy