Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi everyone,

I'm a new joiner to this board but i have been reading all the great information available for the past few weeks in the run up to getting my braces etc.

So the real journey started tonight with the TPA (had spacers in previously), and so far I want to rip it out! i cant stop gagging, my mouth is producing far too much saliva (which ive read is normal!) im scared to talk as i feel like im going to be sick (my other half is loving the peace and quiet ) dont know how im going to get on at work tomorrow as i need to talk loads!

anyway, im due two molars out on the 5th Nov and then full braces on top and bottom on 26th November.

no doubt ill be on here asking lots of questions once i have the full works on!

bye for now!

ladyg

Hi ladyg....boy, do I feel your agony related to the TPA. I've had mine on for a little over 2 weeks, and still having some discomfort - although lessening from what it was. Hang in there....the gagging sensation WILL lessen over time. I'm even having less difficulty swallowing pills; actually the large pills are easier to swallow than capsules or small pills - those "stick" to the arch when I try to swallow, but it is getting easier. I still have a sore tongue along each side as it rubs when I swallow, but nowhere near the pain it was initially.

I hope your time getting accustomed to the TPA is easier than mine. I've read where some posters don't seem to really be bothered by theirs at all. My experience has been much more negative, sorry to say. Keep me posted on how you do. Take care!

Katie A

Ortho history:
Upper bite splint 24/7 Oct. 2003
Upper/lower braces Dec. 2004
OS for maxillar hyperplasia; mandibular retrognathy, genioplasty April 2004
Still in braces today; TPA inserted Oct. 2007

Hi Ladyg,

I'm sorry to hear that you are having some trouble adjusting to your TPA. I can totally relate to that. I can so clearly remember driving home from my appointment when I had mine fitted and gagging all the way home. I fully sympathise as I gagg just cleaning my teeth in the mornings. But, I can also assure you that the gagging soon stops. I was used to it by the same evening. I'd advise you to keep talking and eating and everything else as normal and you will, honestly, forget that it is there really quickly.

It's good to also see another MM from the UK on here! Good Luck to you.

Julie

Thanks fitchick and Katie A for replying!

i guess i was just looking for some kind of reassurance that this is not how its going to be for the next 9 months! Its so good that you can come on here knowing that somewhere out there someone is going through the exact same thing as you! i think im drinving my boyfriend amd with "braces this and TPAs that!"

im glad your both doing better with your TPAs, fingers crossed im the same soon!

Thanks again
ladyg

I'm right behind you ladyg! I get mine on Friday and I remember someone else on the board is getting one on Thursday. I'll be interested in hearing how things go for you.

I got my TPA this morning...about 10 minutes ago actually. It is kind of annoying so far, and definitely affecting my gag reflex...I'm not looking forward to the really sore tongue....

Anyway I just wanted to say that I've joined the club too!

Hi,

Am will be joining the club tomorrow.

I have read up as much as I can about tpas, on this site and elsewhere, hoping to get rid of the fear. I am pretty cool with the braces - I think - but am still freaked about the tpa. I have a really sensitive gag reflex and am really, really, really hoping that I can cope with this.

Feel like a bit of a baby, but until it happens a lot of it is fear of the unknown. After all it isn't an every day event. It isn't like getting a bit of food stuck on your palate that you can get rid of.

Hope it turns out to be an annoyance rather than a complete freak out experience.

Would be really helpful if lots of people who had not problems could post, but I guess it doesn't work like that.

I will let you know how I get on once I have pulled myself together.

Hi everyone, just wanted to update you on how im getting on with my TPA.

This is day 3 and im astonished that.....its all going well ! Ive got over the gagging feeling as fitchick and Katie A said i would!

I dont have a sore tonge, its not caused any mouth ulcers and you cant really tell (apart from a few words) when i talk that i even have anything in my mouth! im so suprised, like you BeeHappy, i read lots of posts about TPAs hurting like mad with cut up buring tongues etc!!so i think i may have got off lightly!

I also have a really bad gag relfex (you should have seen me when i was getting the impression for the TPA made!!)

in all honesty so far, i think the spacers i had in were more painful!
ive taken a pic of the TPA so im going to try and work out how to post it here.

I hope things go well for Delag and BeeHappy in getting your TPAs and welcome to the club jordanna!

ps, i hope i havent spoke too soon and wake up tommorow with my mouth and tongue in shreads!!

oops, just realised i posted the same reply twice! sorry!

here is the photo of my TPA -




man, didnt realise how bad my teeth actually are until i look at close up like that!!

Ladyg

Hi Ladyg,

That's good to hear that you are getting on ok with your TPA. Apart from a slight imprint on my tongue(!) I've never had any shredding or sore tongue or anything, so hopefully you too will be one of the lucky ones.

I meant to say in my last post, watch out for stringy pasta (especially if you are eating out), many times I found myself trying to untie it with my tongue from around the TPA. And tomato skin also!

Thanks for updating us, I did wonder how things were going. Good Luck.

Fitchick

I thought I was going to wake up this morning in so much pain and have a burning tongue from the TPA - but I'm perfectly fine...other than it being annoying and slightly bothering my gag reflex it doesn't bother me one bit.

I think I need to stop reading all the horror stories before I go get stuff done....it just makes me panic for nothing...I did the same thing with the braces, I was all worried and they didn't bother me one bit.

From now on I think I will try to go in to this stuff blind and deal with any pain or annoyances as they show up after the fact.

I think we should all start writing stories about our positive experiences with all the different appliances so that newbies don't come on the site read all the horrible stuff and worry about it all, or worse, not go through with it.

I got my TPA a few days ago, and I never had any problem whatsoever with gagging or anything like that. And I'm the kind of person who gags very easily while brushing my teeth.

My speech is normal as well. It took a few minutes for me to get used to it after they put it in, but since then I've been talking quite a bit and no one's noticed a thing. I haven't produced any excess saliva at all, either. I can eat just fine ... thing get stuck in up there sometimes, but I just have to push it with my tongue or just make sure to cut things into small pieces.

So everything's been just fine ... except my tongue is KILLING ME! Ouch! It hasn't caused any ulcers or major abrasion, but it's very sore. Sigh. Fingers crossed that goes away soon ...

you are lucky that the TPA is working out, for me it's been sheer torture.

the first time my ortho put it on was a complete disaster, it was cutting into my tongue in a really bad way and i was not eating anything, or sleeping, it was sore, bloody and swollen. dropped 10 pounds in 8 days, i kept calling her and she would say i just had to get used to it, and when she finally saw me she realized she'd put it on the wrong way and removed it immediately.

8 weeks later my tongue has healed enough to put it back, and i've had it on since monday. it's much better than before but i'm still having a lot of pain and discomfort when eating and swallowing, and i'm producing so much saliva that i am constantly swallowing. the impression on my tongue isn't nearly as bad as before but it's there and it's sore. i can barely eat soft foods even, i'm hoping it will improve soon cos it's really getting me down.

the gag reflex went away in a couple of days though, and this time i can speak pretty much normally.

Rafs, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I'm glad your ortho finally realized the mistake.

For me, I've had the TPA in for a week and half now, and I'm shocked to say that I've totally gotten used to it. My tongue toughened up quicker than I thought, because I don't even notice it anymore (well, except when strands of pasta or whatever get wound up there). It doesn't hurt at all, which is a great relief because it was making me miserable. It never actually drew blood or caused actual sores, but it felt just awful. But no longer! So hang in there, folks!