Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi! I've been a lurker to this forum since I got my braces on March 3rd. I'm 25 and finally decided to get braces after being told many MANY times that I would be sorry when I was much older because my TMJ would get worse.

Anyway...I ended up getting Damon braces, and I recently went in for my first appointment at 10 weeks thinking that I was about to get a painful adjustment. However, he just looked in my mouth and said my teeth were moving fantastically and he would see me another 10 weeks. When I mentioned the fact that I thought I was getting an adjustment he just said "Nope, that first appointment was the bad one." Ok......has anyone ever heard of braces without adjustments? I'm pretty confused!

I just had my first adjustment too (braced on March 10). And I too have damon braces.

He did change my wire, and I was thinking 9 weeks was a long time to wait for an adjustment.

He put another wire in and said he'd see me in 10 weeks time - which I thought was too long, but decided to just see how it goes.

I know that with damon braces you go in for fewer adjustments, but surely your Ortho should have done something. That's just my opinion though, I'm no orthodontist, but I did notice that my old wire felt "loose" and probably needed to be tightened. He also put the wire through to my very back teeth, my 2nd molars (no wisdoms), so I'm glad he done that.

I had my damon's removed about a month ago and I remember a few appointments where I'd go in thinking "ok, my teeth have stopped moving, I have no pain" expecting a new wire or something only to be left with my current painfree wire for another 6 weeks. I wouldn't worry about it, your ortho knows best. Trust me, you'll have plenty of super hard diamond strength wires contorting your teeth in months to come.

I thought one of the "perks" of Damon's was longer time between adjustments?

I have ceramic tops and metal bottoms and my adjustments average about 8 weeks.

I have to go in every 4 weeks...i would love a ten week schedule. But i wouldn't be too happy if after 10 weeks the ortho didn't do anything. I see why you're upset, or confused.

Snowglobe32 wrote:I thought one of the "perks" of Damon's was longer time between adjustments?

I have ceramic tops and metal bottoms and my adjustments average about 8 weeks.

Let me clarify- I don't have Damon's but have read there are longer times between appointments.

tjanz, I have had the same wire for about 3 and a half months now. The wire will continue to move your teeth to return the wire to its original shape, so sometimes it's not necessary to change the wire. Your teeth will keep moving, so don't worry. I'm sure your ortho will change the wires when it's time.

I have self-ligating braces and in the beginning of treatment I would go 3 or 5 months between adjustments. Now that I am nearing the end of treatment I am going in more often.

It just means that the wire is not done doing its thing.
If you had traditionally ligated braces they would have changed the o-rongs and lept the same wire which in essence is the same thing.
Normal.

I have Damons as well, and have been braced for 5 months. In that time, I've had 2 visits, and just got a new wire at my last adjustment. My first one was similar to yours - the ortho told me things were looking good, and that was it! It was a bit anti-climactic, but totally normal --- patience is definitely a virtue when it comes to braces!

I have self ligating braces as well and go in every 4 weeks, and they have upped the wire size at each appt. I think I would go crazy too if I had to wait that long, but my teeth are super messed up so maybe that's why I need to go in more?

I went in for my second appointment on Monday and was told i don't need to come back for 10 weeks. There was 6 weeks between the fitting and first adjustment and 8 weeks between first and second appointment. I feel a bit disapointed with the increased time between visits because it makes me think the process might be prolonged.

Does anyone elses Ortho say nothing about the movement of their teeth? I always go in feeling really chuffed with my big movements and he never says anything about how well they are moving. Disappointing! booo to my Ortho lol

Hey TJanz..

I wish there were braces w/o adjustments or retainers for that matter.

Damon shmaman, does'nt matter, the key to ortho treatment today is the wire, and of course the doctor and patient using the wire.

Good luck, and keep paying attention to your doctor.