Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse...

Message

#1 Post by **mominbraces** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:36 am

After 21 months in braces (projected treatment
time: 24 months) the ortho has expressed much
frustration with the slow pace of my progress,
and wants to place bite turbos on my upper
front teeth starting next week. He assured
me that wearing these will be a dreadful
experience, and from what I have perused on
this site, I haven't the slightest doubt he is
telling the truth. So it appears that I can go
forward with 3 choices, all bad: accept the bite
turbos, continue with business as usual
(which, at the rate I'm going, could nearly
double my projected treatment time),
or have screws drilled into into my upper teeth at
the gumline, that would connect to the brackets
with springs or chains. I guess I will go for
those turbo thingies, at least they are invisible,
and noninvasive. I have worn some pretty aggravating
appliances in the past - TPA, buttons, and utility
wires - can anyone out there comment on the
unpleasantness of turbos relative to these other
devices?

#2 Post by **Lisa65** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:47 am

Sorry to hear you're having setbacks

I can't comment on bite turbos but I can offer input on the screws drilled into the gum. I have two of those which are anchored to my canines to stop my upper teeth coming forward. They were easy for my ortho to put in, painless, and I don't even notice they are there.

#3 Post by **mominbraces** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:00 am

Thanks for that input Lisa. About the screws, the ortho
says he has not done this yet with any patients, he
only practiced it in continuing ed. (Apparently it's
very cutting-edge.) He is reserving that treatment
as a last-ditch effort if the turbos don't work.
(Then again, the turbos were supposed to
be the last-ditch solution if the **utility wire*
didn't work, and he said that DID work well, so
go figure....). One thing that sounds unattractive
about the screws is that they would be on my 2
upper front teeth , so the chains/springs connecting
to the brackets would be highly visible (and not
very sightly).

#4 Post by **JerryW** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 11:26 am

hi,
I have turbos, never heard of them before last week, but they were put on when I was biting on my brackets. I can say that they take getting used to but that they aren't too bad now. I do eat slowly because it seems sharp and I wouldn't want to bite my tongue.