Ortho adjustments very traumatic

[Luna]

Hello

This is my first posting on the site. I started orthodontic treatment a few months ago. I had been very worried as I had treatment in my teens over 12 years ago and found it very unpleasant and I was disatisfied with the result.

This time around I have more faith in the ortho, but like before I find the pullling and pushing on the teeth as he removes and attaches ligatures and archwires very horrible. It feels like the teeth are being pulled beyond their limits and it literally feels like the teeth are about to pop out. I end up in a panic until everthing is in place. I haven't seen anyone else write about this and was wondering if anyone else feels this when having adjustments done.

[cassie]

i felt the same thing...i was certain a tooth would come flying out especially with the pulling they had to do when putting on and taking off the spacers. i asked the assistant if that ever happened, and she said yes, once, but it was a baby tooth on a kid. she said the adult teeth are so well-anchored it won't happen...nevertheless, i held my breath the whole time!

[Dramagyrl]

I know exactly what it is that you are feeling. I haven't had many adjustments yet, other than getting the braces on and when they had to do some tightening as they cut back wires that were poking into my cheek.
On both occassions, the pressure across my teeth was painful and, more than anything, scary. I was waiting to hear a crunch and have a bunch of my teeth snap right in half because the pressure just seemed to be too much for them.

I take reassurance in knowing that it took quite some time for my dentist when I had the extractions for the braces. It was lots of rocking back and fourth to get them to pop out, so I just remind myself the teeth are bones and it would be hard for one to pop out just like that.

As for the pressure and fear they will crack, I know my ortho and his assistants are well trained and experienced. They would never push something further than it was meant to go, and I am just feeling an intimidating sensation. I wiggle my toes and fingers and try to ignore the scary experience. I also know if some teeth got broken from the pressure, it would be up to my ortho to make sure he fixed the damages, that wouldn't be my responsibility.

[Way Too Old For This]

I think the first few adjustments are the worst. Maybe I'm just getting used to it, but I do think my teeth moved a lot more in the first 6 months than they are now. Mine are actually starting to feel like they are anchored pretty well now compared to the mushy feeling they had in the beginning.

Hang in there Luna, hopefully it will get better for you. I thought they would pull my teeth out a few times too, but they didn't....and my poor ole gums are 53 years old. It took quite a bit of pulling to get my one baby tooth out and that was on purpose!

[jaynage]

Hi Luna!

I understand what you are going through - I have had 3 adjustments so far, and each one I have found very painful. My ortho isn't rough at all, but my front teeth especially feel stressed to the limit when he attaches the archwire or powerchains.

The last time I went in, he made a comment about the pain in the front teeth, I think he said something like, "That's not a happy tooth!" I've had some trauma to my two front teeth (aka flying over the handlebars of my bike when I was 8, ouch! Crown on one, and veneer over the other), so I figure this may have something to do with it. Is it a particular tooth that hurts during your adjustment? Maybe mention it to your ortho next time. As others have said, he's a professional, and isn't going to do anything that would damage the teeth, but if you have concerns about the pain, it's certainly best to discuss this with him.

Good luck for the rest of your treatment!

[Betty Bat]

I can commiserate on a small scale. I've had trouble with my Damon brackets - some of the doors have been very hard to open and to close (!) and more than once, both the assistant and the ortho have had to push pretty hard on my teeth to get them to cooperate. I agree with you - it feels like your teeth will break! And, I find that these are the times that my teeth hurt the most. Not because of the braces, but because of the pushing!

I've had my braces for 9 months, so theoretically, I'm half-way done. I've gone through this pushing two or three times.

Hope things improve for you.

[jenfire]

Ew, this scares me! I have not yet had an adjustment but will probably have one (on the lowers) when I go in on Aug 1st for my upper braces to be placed. I will remember to take some Aleve before going in

[Pirate Wench]

Sorry to hear that your adjustments aren't very pleasant......I hope they get better. Mine wasn't bad.....just some slight pressure when they were opening and closing the doors on my "In-Ovations".

[Luna]

Thanks everyone. It is very reassuring to know that I'm not the only who has this worry. Obviously everyone has different levels of sensivitiy and anxiety which is related to this. I did tell the ortho about my worries at the last adjustment. He had assumed I was in pain when I was making so much noise when he was working. He laughed and said 'it would be more of shock to me if a tooth popped out trust me'.

I will try and remember how much effort it did actually take to remove a tooth when I had one out before the start of treatment.