Springs anyone?

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#1 Post by **kddblue** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:06 pm

My last adjustment was March 4th, and my ortho asked me if I'd be okay with him going ahead and installing my spring...as if I really I had a choice!

I've known since my consultation that this day would come, and for a split second I was actually excited because I felt it meant my teeth had progressed enough to handle a new appliance! But immediately after he attached the thing I felt uncomfortable. He tried to push the spring closer to my teeth so it wouldn't stick out so far and create such a bulge under my lips. I've had coils and powerchains and other little springs, but nothing like this!

I hope you guys don't mind if I rant a little bit...the rest of my tx has been great, I love my ortho and his staff, and I'm sure I'll get used to this just like everything else, but these first couple of days have been horrible! Yesterday was probably the worst, the pain was at its peak and Advil pretty much took the edge off...by nighttime I actually ended up with an earache.

Whenever I closed my mouth, it felt like I was fighting the spring so I spent most of the day with my mouth just hanging open lol. Today I feel A LOT better and I can talk and all that just fine, it still feels better to leave my mouth open just because the end of the spring hangs over my lip and my bite has already shifted so I don't really know where to rest my teeth anymore (but I'm used to that part by now!). I'm still having problems chewing so I'm back on a soft food diet for now, not so much because of pain anymore but for the simple fact that everything gets tangled up around/under the spring and I usually end up biting down ON the spring which REALLY hurts, so hopefully I'll get used to that part soon. It's only gotten stuck once but after jiggling it for a second it loosened back up. I'm supposed to get another spring here in at my next adjustment and right now I can't imagine having one on each side...chewing on the side without the spring has been my saving grace the last day and a half! Anyway, sorry to sound like I'm whining...like I said, I know I'll get used to it just like I've gotten used to everything else so far, and I know I'll love the end result! But if anyone else has had a forcus spring, please tell me about your experiences and how you dealt with the annoyances of it.

My Spring (AKA "The Beast")

#2 Post by **blindboarder2008** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:55 pm

hiya!
I to have a spring in my mouth. I got the spring on actually when i got my braces on. Its opening up a spot where an implant will go eventually. Its hard to say how painful the spring was for the simple fact that i got my spring on when i first got my braces so I was dealing with the initial braces pain on top of the spring pain! Glad to hear you are feeling better today. And you are right, advil definetly helps take the edge off of the pain. I to right now have a spring on my one side so i usually eat with the other side although i can now eat with the spring side, i just try not to eat where the spring is cause like you said food likes to get wrapped around it and its a pain to get out! So I know how you feel. That sucks you gotta get a second spring put on but like you said your on ur way to a beautiful smile!!!! best of luck!

#3 Post by **kddblue** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:06 pm

Thanks so much for the reply! That was fast!

But oh man, I can't imagine having a spring put on the same day as my braces. How long ago did you get them on, and how are you feeling now? It's exciting to know that things are moving along, and that more appliances mean more movement...but still! Does your spring make noise when you talk and chew? You know how it sounds when your teeth grind together the wrong way? That's how my spring sounds everytime I chew! It just makes me cringe, lol!

#4 Post by **kddblue** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:07 pm

Nevermind my question about when you got them on, I read your signature.

I got mine April 23, 2008. You're a month ahead of me!

#5 Post by **dml** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:32 am

Hi kddblue,
I had springs fitted insted of elastics, but they are a lot closer to the bottom teeth than yours are. It took a few days to get used to them. Now I dont seem to notice them much, except when cleaning & eating. On the up side they move teeth at a hugh rate, alot quicker than elastics, so you should not have them for long.
Cheers
dml

#6 Post by **blindboarder2008** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:14 pm

kddblue: to tell you the truth i've never really reaized if my spring makes noise or not while i'm eating. Never really paid attention to that lol. I am fine with it now. don't even feel it in my mouth unless i run my tongue over it really or when i'm cleaning it. At adjustment time it does get a bit sore and achy but the pain subsides fast and I'm back to not feeling it anymore. That neat that your one month ahead of me. How much more time do you have left in braces?? I should be done by november if everything continues to go as planned.

I do remember when i got my braces on, it seemed to be a bit more painful on that side/area so ya. Yes its very exciting to know that progress is being made and that I'm that much closer to a sparkling smile!!!

Good luck with the second spring in your mouth. Hopefully you will get used to it quick!!!

#7 Post by **kddblue** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:21 pm

@dml: That's definitely good news that they move teeth much faster than elastics! Makes it all worth it, I guess!

I do have one elastic, though, on the same side as the spring that goes from the very back molar to my canine, to close the gap made by my extraction. There's a lot going on in that area, haha. But it's already day 5 with the spring & elastic and I've already gotten very used to it!

@blindboarder2008: Actually, YOU'RE one month ahead of me!

And you'll definitely have them off WAY ahead of me if you're getting your braces off in November! I bet your teeth will look amazing! My ortho originally told me 2.5-3 years. Everytime I go in he says things are going great, so I ask him if I'll be done sooner, and he always says, "Oh, we still have a lot to do!" So maybe another year and half if things continue to go well! And thanks, I'm already starting to forget that it's there (except for when I eat, haha). Good luck with your braces journey too!

#8 Post by **blindboarder2008** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:52 pm

glad to hear you are getting used to the spring already, ya eating is a pain indeed esp when a spring comes along. Yes November is looking good thus far for Debandment day! I shall try my best to post some pics but I'm not so sure how to post pics on here lol so I'll have to work on that. best of luck with your braces Journey!. When i had my ortho consult the orthodontist predicted that I'd have my braces on for a year and a half so it will be super super close is I get them off in November!!!!

#9 Post by **nikyote** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:39 pm

I got my braces on in June 2008 and got one spring in February. It's still really uncomfortable for me. The past two times I've been to the ortho he just put in some small dot thing in the spring and it made it feel tighter. I go back on the 18th of this month and I really hope that it made some kind of a difference. He told me last time that it was but I just really hate this thing. I've been worried that I'll have to get another one. I was told I'd get my braces of in 1 1/2 to 2 years max. Atleast the huge gap in my top front teeth is closed and my top teeth came back so much.