Please tell me this is normal... powerchains and gaps

This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!

New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.

DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.

Moderator: bbsadmin

Post Reply
Message
Author
jeniwan
Posts: 16
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:56 pm
Location: US

Please tell me this is normal... powerchains and gaps

#1 Post by jeniwan »

Hello! I don't get to post very often, so I'll give a little background first. I got my braces on 8 months ago for an overbite and upper and lower crowding. I had 4 extractions right off the bat. My upper teeth have moved quicker than my lowers, and at my last visit, my ortho put on powerchains to close up the upper gaps. They go from my molars over to my canines. I know they're working because I've seen a lot of movement. I now have gaps between my canines and the front teeth next to them, and also between those teeth and my front two teeth. I kind of expected those gaps. What I didn't expect however, is that I'm now noticing a small gap between my front two teeth.

Is this just part of the closing-the-gaps process? I'm hoping that the process is a bit of a moved slowly game, and that eventually there won't be any gaps anywhere..... but I am slightly worried that I'm going to have a big ol' space between my front to choppers for a while.

Anyone familiar with this? Are my new gaps normal?

Thanks!
Image

User avatar
jennielee81
Posts: 2144
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:31 pm
Location: The Old Line State

#2 Post by jennielee81 »

You got it right...it is a sort of moved slowly game.

What you describe sounds normal to me. :D
"Life is an occasion; RISE TO IT!" --Mr. Magorium
I wore Damon 3's and Opals for 20 months at age 42. Braces off January 2007
http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=3535 a little more about me here: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... 961130.htm

new boy james
Posts: 43
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 12:49 pm
Location: Surrey, UK

#3 Post by new boy james »

yeah that's normal, I had gaps appearing also, even between my front teeth. It's cos the first stage of the process involves generally pushing teeth out a little, and they do tend to flare. Your powerchains will close the gaps quickly and then the teeth can be accurately positioned.
"You get nothing but nothing if that's what you do" - Guns'n'Roses

Betty Bat
Posts: 736
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:45 pm

#4 Post by Betty Bat »

Yep, this happened to me, also. In fact, my ortho warned me that I might be seeing some spaces opening and that they would be fixed at the next appointment.

The specifics: I had a powerchain across my front 4 upper teeth. He said that I might see a gap next to those, but that they were getting ready to put a heavier wire on the uppers and that would flatten everything out and get rid of the gap. And, he was right. The powerchain went on in October, the heavier wire went on in November, and here we are in December, with the gaps almost gone.

I also had a gap appear next to one of the "anchor teeth" for my elastics - that got corrected with yet another powerchain.

Post Reply