Metal Mouth Message Board

Today I had my retainer check up. I was wearing an upper and lower hawley. I got my braces off about 9 months ago, and had gotten very used to the two hawleys. When my ortho came over, he got this really weird look on his face. He then took my retainers out, and looked some more. Suddenly he said, "Well, they've moved around a little, I want to put braces back on top and bottom."
I was SHOCKED!! This was horrible. Since I had already paid the money a few years back, I didn't want my teeth to be messed up for life, so i decided that get rebanded would be ok. Only did I know it was just regualr braces.
He told his assistant to go get the supplies, and in no time my teeth were being preped. He put the braces on, and i remembered how bad they felt when I first got them. It took about 45 minutes to put the bottom and the top on.
Not only did I get braces today, but also elastics. I have two triangle formations on each side with the "hippo" rubber bands. Right now, I'm trying to figure out why I didn't just run out of the ortho's office.
He said I'll have them for about a year, with a lot of elastics, because apparently my bite was thrown off too.

Man, I am so sorry. How long were you braced the last time? Do you think maybe the job wasn't finished & maybe he debanded you too early? One more year, huh? Hang in there, a bunch of us are right there with you. I have probably 1 1/2 years left.

What a bummer johnt89. I would be disappointed too, but for what its worth you did the right thing. In the end you want your teeth to be as perfect as possible ( esp your bite).
Hang in there!

I had my braces for about 2 years. It could've been a result in them debanding them early. As for the pain, right now it is immense. It defenently didn't hurt this bad last time. I cant open my mouth at all right now. I think i'm gonna be on smoothies for the next year. haha!!

It seems harsh to start you with elastics right from the very start. Hope you get to feeling better soon and hope this year flies by fast.

Crikey, john, that's not fair at all! Let's hope it can be sorted in under 12 months.

Wow...sorry to hear your news. Newly braced AND elastics at the same time must be very uncomfortable. Hopefully this time they will stay put!

Hi johnt89,

I am so sorry to hear that you had to get braces placed back on your teeth after being out of them for nine months. I know if it happened to me I would have been in shock and upset. But, on the positive side, I'm glad your ortho is being thorough. I am curious, did you feel that your braces were removed too early or did your teeth not look the way you expected when the braces were removed? This is the first time I have heard about a situation like yours. It seems you have been wearing your retainer as recommended, right? Otherwise the retainer would not be fitting right.

It seems you have a positive attitude about all of this and hope the time you have to be in braces goes by quickly. Are you going to have to pay additional fees fro getting braces again? As you know, this website is great for support and just sharing our braces journey so I hope to see your posts in the near future.

Good luck.

ssfw

Sorry that you had to be re-braced John. I can't imagine the shock. In the future you will be happy you went ahead and had them put back on. Do they charge you again when something like that happens?

I tried eating with my rubber bands today (as the doc ordered) and it was hilarious. I was drueling and spitting stuff all over the place. I'll have to work on the eating thing..hahaha.
I don't think they took my braces off too early, it's kind of weird. My teeth were great whe nthey were taken off, and I wore my retainers for 18 hours a day, but overtime they gradually went back to how they were(they'r ebetter than they were at the beginning).
He's not charging me again b/c he says that it was partly his fault, which is nice of him.

I feel very sorry for you, specially when you used your retainers
Good luck this time,
Joanna

John I think you're very brave for going through it again. I'm not sure I'd have the patience and would probably be angry and shouty and tell him that I wasn't going through all that again!

However it will make for better teeth again, but I'd have a serious chat with him and ask what he plans to do differently this time to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Were you bothered by your teeth's slight relapse and therefore are you deep-down glad you're getting them re-fixed or were they not really an issue?

Best of luck this time round, Love LoobyLou x

I went in for my first adjustment today. He wants to see me more often because he wants to keep on making adjustments, so my 2nd stint in braces will be kept to a minimum.
The adjustment was sure interesting...i'll do anything just to speed up the entire process. After the he took out my wires, is when the craziness began. He said my bite is looking better, but it's still a little off center. He also said that my gaps are closing.
Because my bite is a bite is a bite is a bit off center he wants to make sure my teeth stay in line. After he put the ires and powerchains back in he put on the square metal thing on my back 3 upper teeth on both sides. I'm not particulary sure what it is called but it is a real pain. I flip down the metal square thing and it hooks on to my bottom 3 back teeth. It's sort of like a wire around my back four teeth, except really strong. I can still move my mouth a little, but it limits motion. He wants me to, at least, at night wear it. He says this will make my bite stay more on the midline.
Also he put me back in elastics. 24/7. I have a box config. arounf my front 4 teeth and then a triangle config on both sides. As I said, it really isn't that bad because i will do anything to speed up the process. My mouth is a little sore, bit i'm on pain killers.

Best wishes

Man 0 Man. This is enough to scare me out of going for retainer checks!

I have a cousin who was re-braces almost a year after she was debanded; her teeth are beautiful ...even 20 years later!!

Congratulations on making the choice to stay in that chair!!!

johnt89,

I haven't visited the board in 9 months and when I do - I read your story! Wow - how are you doing? I'd love to hear an update about your progress!