How long until your second arch was braced?

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#1 Post by **Lola** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:53 am

Hi everyone, I've noticed that like me a lot of people have one arch braced before the other. I have my uppers for 3.5months now. At my last adjustment I asked when the lowers were getting done since I have to get my wisdoms extracted before this (obviously am putting it off until the last possible minute!) Anyway, the ortho shouted out from his office 5 or 6 months, and I forgot to ask if thats five or 6 months in braces in total (that will be in 2-3 months so) or in another 5/6 months. If it is in another 5/6 mopths i could be 9 months into a 12-18 month treatment before I get them. My bottom arch is almost straight except for one tooth that is a bit off, but even so I didn't think yiou could straighten up teeth in so little time. I'm worried that the lenght of time is an indication of how my uppers are getting on, therefore the longer I wait the woerse my progress must be!
Is or was anyone else in the same situation and if so after how long was the second arch braced?

#2 Post by **jenny101101** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:32 am

Hmmm....good question. Your best bet is to call your ortho and ask. Then you'll save yourself a lot of wondering. I didn't have any wondering...both my appts. were made the day of my consult so I knew exactly when each arch was being braced(6 weeks apart). I have seen some ppl here that have had theirs braced as many as 6 months apart, so it's quite normal, especially since your lower doesn't have as much work to do, as you say.

Hopefully your ortho meant a total of 5-6 months, for your sake!

Good luck...keep us posted!

#3 Post by **dagwoman** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:11 am

I actually got mine on at the same time, because I asked to. Generally my ortho puts the top and bottoms on separately for the sake of adjusting to the changes, but I said I'd rather get it done all at once, so I did. and I'm glad, but that's just me.

#4 Post by **Lisa65** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:17 am

It was about 6 months for me. I couldn't get my top arch braced until my ortho had moved my molars to make anough space.

#5 Post by **Folk Ballad** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:52 am

I'm still waiting to get my top arch braced (my bottom arch has been braced for only a month now), and it sounds like when I go in for my first adjustment, my top teeth will be evaluted to see when they should get braced. So it sounds like my ortho's playing it by ear for the most part.
But I agree with what a couple people before me said. You won't know until you ask your ortho.

#6 Post by **platinum** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:54 am

I got my uppers six months later than my lowers. There was much more work to do with my lowers. After I got my uppers tehre has been much more done with my lowers, my uppers got straight quite fast.

Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:38 pm

i got my uppers and a week later i got the lowers
the uppers hurt and the lowers didnt hurt a bit
they said they do it that way for the patient to get used to the braces

#8 Post by **esmeraydances** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:16 pm

I'm with Platinum. My lowers were braced first due to severe overcrowding. The right half is almost straight, now. But there is still some movement necessary before two of my lowers will be looped onto the archwire. I've had them for 4 months today!

I was told my uppers will be put on in July. Which will mean a 5-6 month difference!

I think the 12-18 months thing should be from start to finish.

#9 Post by **TigerLily** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:19 pm

Lowers first for me, uppers were done 6 months later (about three weeks ago).

#10 Post by **Faerydust** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:21 am

I had both braced at the same time. I didn't realize it was common to have them done separately until I read this forum! I guess having them done all at once was a good thing because the tenderness went away all at one time.

#11 Post by **kirjax** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:24 am

I got my uppers first and my bottoms followed 2 months later. But my ortho wasn't there on day 1 of me being braced. She said to me on my visit, "Why didn't they brace you on the bottom??" So I guess I could of had them all at the same time *shrugs*

#12 Post by **purpleteeth** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:19 am

I was supposed to get mine braced at different times, but opted to get them done at the same time. I have SEVERE TMJ... so he was going to just brace my uppers, put my lowers in splints and then brace my lowers 3 months later (or something like that)... to get me out of my pain.

I opted to get braced all at once, which did not get rid of my TMJ pain as fast, but I started noticing a reduction in pain within about 3weeks. I am so grateful I got them all done at once because I would have totally flipped out having to go through getting them on at 2 different times!! Ugh... and it was also easier for me to take off work just once, rather than twice. I already found myself missing work in the following weeks to get things tweeked so I could chew and stuff.

But I was supposed to go like 3months between, then didn't. I was also not wanting close to 24months in braces - 18months was fine with me!!

#13 Post by **jennielee81** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:43 pm

I got both of mine the same day and so did my 3 kids. I had a student this year who got his lowers in SeAugust and then at the end of the school year (9 months later) still had not gotten his uppers.

It is totally individual. I had a friend who's daughter had the same ortho as my daughter and she got her uppers 4 months earlier where my daughter got hers the same day.

Depends on the work being done.

Hang in there!!!!!

#14 Post by **Betty Bat** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:12 pm

I got my uppers and lowers on the same day, but my uppers were removed 6 months before the lowers were removed!

#15 Post by **acd** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:40 pm

The original estimate was six months after my uppers due to my deep bite; it ended up being less than five.