Metal Mouth Message Board

I just started treatment for an open bite. Last week I got the microscrews installed that will be used to impact my molars to close my bite. Here's a pic of the ones that are causing the problems.



The starboard side ones have so far filleted an area on that side of my tongue and I think soon it will start bleeding. I've been on an almost completely liquid diet since I had these installed because I can't chew without catching my tongue on them which is extremely painful. I can't even swallow without doing some funky twisting action to clear my tongue.

So far wax doesn't help much because it doesn't stay on long. It just spins and eventually falls off as it softens. Gum has proven a little more helpful but it too just shreds and falls off. Any other ideas on what I can do to save my tongue? This coming week they'll be attaching hardware to them. Hopefully whatever they do will push my tongue away. I'm getting terribly weak sustaining myself on nutritional drinks.

I figured out something that's working pretty well. Hopefully someone else benefits from my solution. I mashed together a big chunk of wax and formed it to cover most of the side of the roof of my mouth, pressed onto both anchors. I don't think I can eat without screwing it up but it should at least allow my tongue to heal. Then I can just take it out to eat.

Edit:
Thanks, I'll have to pick up something tomorrow. I can't wait to eat again.

First, I want to ask something. In the section "Our Braces Stories" I started a
blog in which I tell all about my ortho(s) trying to do the very same thing, an
open bite in the front that I want them to close. By intruding my molars. Up
to now without any success I fear. Hence my question. It would be great to
read all about your experiences. Can you tell us a lot about how things are
going for you, please ?

I had screws like you. And like you said in that other thread, mine were not
loaded directly after insertion. I had to wait about 3 weeks. By then, I already
lost one and soon after that the other one got loose too. So, they failed for me.
I know they can hurt your tongue a lot. When they will start using them, I am
almost certain it will bring almost sudden relief. Whatever they will fix to the
screws, it will keep your tongue away from them. What they could have done
is using 1 module of a powerchain and put it on the screws. It serves a bit as a
cushion and make things feel better. Some brands of those screws can have
as some extra a kind of a cover that fits onto the screw to make it less sharp.
3M has for example something called an O-Cap that probably would help a lot.
Like for example shown here, on page 4 and 19 :

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebse ... 6E666666--

Best of luck.

Indeed I've wondered why these things didn't come with some sort of cap to blunt them a bit.

I'm experimenting with expanding my wax mold into a full false palate to cover everything. So far just the one side is allowing me to chew and swallow softer foods. Even if that's the best I can get for now, I'll take it!

The false palate is working remarkably well. It feels really strange but I can chew and swallow soft food without writhing in pain!

I'm glad your wax palate is working. I had palatal screws for a while and they were rough on the tongue, but they didn't stick out as much as yours do. What hardware are you having attached to them?

Not sure. Whatever they do to pull the teeth upwards plus I think there's going to be some kind of arch? I'm thinking the arch should offer some protection.

I've been trying to come off the vicodin but the pain is still rather severe. When I go to get the hardware attached I'm going to have to get them to take a couple xrays first to make sure the screws didn't cause any tiny fractures or anything. They were the kind that don't use a pilot hole so they compressed the bone around the threads... can live bone split? Hopefully the pain is normal so treatment doesn't get postponed.

I pushed the appointment up a day to hopefully free my tongue from tribulation. No such luck. Turns out there's no arch going up there unless it becomes necessary. To impact my molars they just wrap some elastics from the inside to the outside, crossing over the wire. So I'm still having to create my wax palate to stick up there. Hopefully my tongue will toughen up a bit and soon I'll be able to eat relatively normally.

I'm going to go ahead and start a blog thread later. Will post pics there for those interested.

Is it possible for your ortho to put ligs around the scews to keep your tongue away? It works with the buttons on the lingual side of molar bands, so it might do the same here
Huon

Clo wrote: abbreviated
http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebse ... 6E666666--

Clo - you posted a very good link to a PDF about TADs. I noticed on page 14 of the PDF (actual page number is 12) I noticed the technique to use a clear surgical stent to mark the insertion point. Did you Ortho us that method to apply your TAD's?

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Hi annie,

no, they did not use this. They took some X-rays and from there on, it was a
bit guessing I think. I had 2 microscrews, almost like on this page 12. The left
got in without any problem. The right one was scary. I could clearly feel the tip
of the screw pushing against the root of my second premolar. That was a very
unpleasant experience. I thought it was about time they invented some system
to not only find out where to insert, but also to get the angles right in 3D. The
surgeon had to unscrew a bit mine and change the angle some. But it is easy
to imagine that by doing so, one creates a hole that is too big. Of course, only
some days later that screw got loose. Some weeks later, they could pull it out
without even turning it. So, this stent is maybe a bit of a hassle, but it could
prevent what I experienced.

Thanks everyone!

Huon wrote:Is it possible for your ortho to put ligs around the scews to keep your tongue away? It works with the buttons on the lingual side of molar bands, so it might do the same here
Huon

I have no idea I'll have to ask! So far I've been forming the wax into the roof of my mouth and it is allowing my tongue to heal. With the elastics on now it doesn't rub as bad without the wax, so I think once the large hole in my tongue heals it may be tolerable. I just keep telling myself it's only for six months. The whole back of my upper jaw hurts constantly. It's working.