Clipping of the wires..

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#1 Post by **appygirl82** » Sat May 01, 2010 11:50 pm

I have had my braces for several months now. At first I was having the pain of the wires cutting my cheeks all to shreds. Went in a couple times and they eventually took the wires out of the very back brackets and snipping them so they do not stick out the back. Since then I had an adjustment and all was well after that. Now, I just had my 3rd adjustment and took out my bottom wire and then put it back in. She snipped the wire at the end and now its irritating and cutting my cheek up again.

My question is, seems to me the only way I gain comfort is for the wire to be cut shorter than the back of the last bracket. Are others having the same issue? If they just snip it, its still VERY sharp and therefore tearing apart the cheeks!

#2 Post by **ReneG** » Sun May 02, 2010 7:10 am

Wax is your friend. Don't stint on it, don't suffer through it and let your mouth toughen up without some help. Try silicone wax if you haven't.

At every appointment, before you get up from the chair, run your tongue around all brackets and wires to test for sharp edges. Sometimes they can trim it down further or change it for a longer one and twist the edge away.

#3 Post by **appygirl82** » Sun May 02, 2010 9:54 am

I guess for me at least, its down to the fact that they just have to cut the wire short enough so that it does not stick out the back at all. Otherwise its just sharp as heck and therefore causes tons of discomfort.

Just trying to figure out if others have this same issue? I dont want to seem like a baby but it hurts and I know there is a solution to it....so guess I will go back in tomorrow and have it fixed.

#4 Post by **catgyrl** » Sun May 02, 2010 11:04 am

Try asking them if they can twist the end of it in the opposite direction, like more towards the front. I am not fully wired yet, so I have wires that don't go all the way back, and the tech just bent the wire in sort of a "U" shape back towards the front of the tooth. It sticks out a bit now because my teeth have moved, but the wires don't bother me a bit.

#5 Post by **ashesgap** » Sun May 02, 2010 11:17 am

My ortho does a really good job of bending the wire in towards my teeth. The only time i have issues is after my teeth have moved and the wire is longer. Then if i don't have time to go in and see them, i just use wax. The second half of my first month in braces my wire was stabbing my cheek, sometimes my cheek would actually get stuck on it. But i didn't have the time to go in, so i used wax, all day everyday.
You should really be asking them to bend the wire, its weird that they don't already.

#6 Post by **appygirl82** » Sun May 02, 2010 12:51 pm

The thing about it is that there is not even enough to bend. The wire comes out the back of the bracket and they literally take wire cutter tool to cut it off. Its not sticking out far at all, but is razor sharp. When I stick my finger in there to like clear out food when eating or anything, it will actually slice my finger. So I suppose tomorrow I will be going back in to have it fixed

#7 Post by **catgyrl** » Sun May 02, 2010 12:57 pm

appygirl82 wrote:The thing about it is that there is not even enough to bend. The wire comes out the back of the bracket and they literally take wire cutter tool to cut it off. Its not sticking out far at all, but is razor sharp. When I stick my finger in there to like clear out food when eating or anything, it will actually slice my finger. So I suppose tomorrow I will be going back in to have it fixed

Maybe next time you go in, you could suggest that they leave it a little longer, clip it, and bend it forward. I'm tellin' ya - I have one on top and one on the bottom like that and I've never, ever felt my wires.

#8 Post by **Snowglobe32** » Sun May 02, 2010 1:21 pm

I got my first powerchain last week on my bottom arch, I didn't have any problems with the wires at first. After 4 or 5 days, I think the chain moved the teeth so I had a tiny piece of wire poking. I wanted to go in and get it clipped and I happen to have had this past Friday and tomorrow off, but the ortho's office is closed on those days.

Luckily I didn't have to go in because I kept wax on it for a few days, and now all of a sudden it doesn't hurt anymore. I don't know if I had more movement but it is basically a non issue now. I don't even feel it poking or getting hung up on my cheek when I speak.

After my first and second adjustments, I did have a poking wire, a few days after the actual adjustment. It was a pain because as much as you feel around your mouth while sitting at the ortho's office, you don't know for sure if a wire will poke. Until I was able to get back into the office, I took some sort of kitchen utensil with a rubber handle and bent the wire in the opposite direction.

You are paying a lot of money for your treatment, if you are uncomfortable, go in and get the wire clipped. There is no reason for you to be suffering. As the teeth move, you may experience this often. Call and make an appointment, they won't think you are a baby.

#9 Post by **DrJasonKTam** » Mon May 03, 2010 12:33 pm

There's a fine line between cutting the wire so that it is long and can poke you, and cutting it so short that it comes out of the molar tube/bracket at the front. It is especially tricky if you are closing space, expecting wire to eventually come out the back of the bracket.

Wax is a great idea. We actually provide our patients with cutters to make sure they are comfortable. They are costly, but to us, it is really nice for our patients to get themselves out of discomfort if they can't make it in to see us right away (another thing to think about when discussing treatment fees!)

#10 Post by **trillium** » Mon May 03, 2010 6:29 pm

they usually bend my wires at the back also, but it sure doesn't feel like they did this time. Good thing that my big gaps are closed. It still feels like it's poking at the back

#11 Post by **appygirl82** » Mon May 03, 2010 11:22 pm

Well went in this AM and she pulled the wire out of the back bracket, snipped it a little more and stuck it back in....it feels all better now. My teeth already are mostly done moving (after only 3 mos)...so im pretty lucky!!

#12 Post by **catgyrl** » Fri May 07, 2010 10:38 am

Haha - Murphy's Law is in effect!

After I told everyone "My ortho assistant is great - she just bends my wires, and no problems...", I go in for my first adjustment yesterday. Got my final molar band yesterday, and new wires that extend all the way back. I heard her clipping them, and just assumed she'd bend them back, like she always did. I felt around and didn't feel any "pokies", so I went on my merry way.

After I got home... I felt the pokies!

Looked in the mirror and, voila... no bends, just blunt bits of wire sticking out the back. There's no way she can bend it now because it's too short, so I'll just have to resort to the "gooey stuff" I've been using instead of the wax. I'll ask her when I go back in 6 weeks if she can bend them instead.