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Powerchain Pain!

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:27 pm
by Chris
Man, I can't believe I have more pain today, after 2 years, than I had at the beginning of treatment. These powerchains are absolutely killing my front teeth! Anybody can relate????

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:14 pm
by bill
ohhhh yeah.... there was a February of PC that i ate nothing but soup and noodles. i lost a few pounds that month and pushed the asprin people's stock up a bit because of the increased sales to me ;)

Then there was the following June and it was back....that's the month i got into creative cooking with soft foods. that was my power chain...lemons to leomade month.


keep that positive attitude! set your sights on the goal and plan on smiling! a lot!

if there was one thing i wish someone would have told me about the whole process it's the smiling part. if you didn't smile much or changed your smile pre-braces, you need to learn to smile with straight teeth!!

So start practicing!


:HugeGrin:

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:05 pm
by BraceUrself
yes, I can relate! :soremouth: wow I only had them 1 month so far(knock on wood) but it made my teeth ACHE differently than any other pain I have had in braces-Keep taking your meds & hang in there-It WILL get better-Hang in there! :thumbsup:

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:33 pm
by lionfish
I had a new wire (with a couple of bends in it) and powerchain placed across my bottom teeth a week ago. Things were pretty tender for 48 hours and I'm not sure if it was the bendy wire or the powerchain, or both.

Anyway, it all sorted itself out and by Friday night I was chewing pasta with chorizo (spanish sausage).

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 2:15 am
by Lisa65
i had a power chain put on my front 6 lowers at my first adjustment and it didn't hurt at all.
It was only the thinnest kind though so I can't guarantee that thicker ones won't be more uncomfortable.

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 5:18 am
by bckydgardnr
At my last adjustment in August I had a different wire that was meant to push all my teeth out and a powerchain and zinc string. I ate pudding and ice cream for a week. Very painful. I am a little anxious about this Wednesday...to see what my ortho is going to do next. That wire really changed the way my top teeth align with my bottom teeth.

Gardnr

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 7:22 am
by Chris
[quote]I had a new wire (with a couple of bends in it) and powerchain placed across my bottom teeth a week ago. Things were pretty tender for 48 hours and I'm not sure if it was the bendy wire or the powerchain, or both. [quote]

Thats what I have bends in the wire and the powerchain.
Its absolutely torture and its been 10 days now since they were put on.
No pain the day of, but within a week it was horrible!
Some teeth on the chain are fine but 3 of them are miserable continually.

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:06 am
by ilvpoohbear76
Hello I am fairly new to the boards.
I got braced on Sept 7th 06.....so its been 3 days.
It so is is worse than I really thought it would be.
I went into this thinking no biggy but I have not been able to eat hard food in the 3 days, I have lost 5 pounds and they put a power chain on my upper front teeth that is killing me.
I have not been able to floss because it really hurts to try to get the floss inbetween my teeth. Oh and now I am getting sores in my mouth.Sorry I do not mean to complain I am really trying to get some input from those who have had braces for awhile and someone please tell me that this wont be like this all the time and my mouth wont constantly hurt.

Anyhow thanks for listening.

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:36 am
by DaisyMay66
Chris, I can totally relate. Last Thursday, I had some IPR done on my lowers
and my ortho placed some power chains to close the gaps. It is now Sunday and I am still eating soft foods. Considering that I have been in braces for 34 months, you would think that I would be use to it by now. We should make a club and call it F-I-P (friends in pain).

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 11:21 am
by bill
There are months that are no big deal....and others that hurt like heck. During my whole treatment there were only 2 months that were very difficult and I'd say just a few that were annoying. The whole thing is an excellent in tolerance. If you look at some of my old posts I had a problem with anxiety and panic....meds took care of that for the few times that it got really bad. and the dreaded bite plate was a problem but in the end....easy smiles!

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 2:11 pm
by jcdamon3
The first time I got power chains they hurt alot. So much for all those so called "gentle forces" eh? snicker. Anyway, I think my teeth hurt for about a week. Then he took them off for 6 weeks and then put them on again. They didn't hurt as much the second time. Then 6 weeks after that he did IPR on the lowers and put a power chain there and on top and it only hurt for two days. He also put bends in the wires.

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:32 pm
by Chris
Thanks for all the support! I must say today is "alittle" better than yesterday when I really was in excruciating pain. Aching is tolerable now. Yesterday was like a baseball bat hit me between my front teeth!

For all the newbies, pain comes and goes. Kinda of like labor pains. :lol:
You get some "breathers" between the pain.

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 6:36 pm
by lionfish
I'm glad to hear that, chris. It sounds as if you've got the mother of all powerchains there.

Power chains?

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 11:11 pm
by simplywired
Hi - Just got my braces on August 15th. Damon top and bottom except for molars. Brackets or something? will be put on molars on Sept. 26th. Please tell me what "power chains" are - I'm getting nervous! Sorry to be so out of it with the new lingo. I have 2 gaps to fill on the bottom - one tooth was pulled for this.

Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:08 am
by jcdamon3
power chains are basically a chain of elastics that go over each bracket. They are used to close gaps. I think most folks have them eventually, even us self ligating folks.