Metal Mouth Message Board

I had two TAD's (temporary anchorage device) installed (screwed into my jaw) a couple days ago. Everything went really well and there was no discomfort during the TAD's placement. Springs were immediately loaded and stretch from the TAD to my canines. My teeth have no pain but the inside of my cheeks are KILLING ME! The springs are ripping up the inside of my cheeks and you can actually see the swelling on the outside of my cheeks. If your unfamiliar, think of the springs that hold a trampoline to its frame...have you ever gotten pinched by one of those? Ouch! The TAD springs are pinching the inside of my mouth evertime I talk, smile, eat, or move. This doesn't appear to be something that I can simply "get used to", like when the braces rubbed my cheeks the first week of being braced. The trampolines are now sold with covers over those springs so I'm hoping there is such a thing as the NiTi spring cover. Anyone know where I can get some covers? If there is no such thing now, there should be, so someone please get this going...there is money to be made; I would pay a small fortune for these right now. BTW, I am the poster who has had NO PAIN since bracing day...eating crow today.

[quote="bedazzlemouth"]I had two TAD's (temporary anchorage device) installed (screwed into my jaw) a couple days ago. Everything went really well and there was no discomfort during the TAD's placement. Springs were immediately loaded and stretch from the TAD to my canines. My teeth have no pain but the inside of my cheeks are KILLING ME! The springs are ripping up the inside of my cheeks and you can actually see the swelling on the outside of my cheeks. If your unfamiliar, think of the springs that hold a trampoline to its frame...have you ever gotten pinched by one of those? Ouch! The TAD springs are pinching the inside of my mouth evertime I talk, smile, eat, or move. This doesn't appear to be something that I can simply "get used to", like when the braces rubbed my cheeks the first week of being braced. The trampolines are now sold with covers over those springs so I'm hoping there is such a thing as the NiTi spring cover. Anyone know where I can get some covers? If there is no such thing now, there should be, so someone please get this going...there is money to be made; I would pay a small fortune for these right now. BTW, I am the poster who has had NO PAIN since bracing day...eating crow today.[/quote]
well, I am trying get those, so I consider you lucky. it is great your ortho is doing TADS.
Can you use wax on those?

Hey bedazzle--I read somewhere else on this forum about a place called "Comfort Solutions Inc.". They have some covers for springs--don't know if they are the kind you need, but there are pictures to help you decide. I was looking at them because I am supposed to get the Forsus appliance in a couple of months. It sounds like the Forsus is what you have???
Anyway, if it is the Forsus you have, then I am NOT looking forward to the day when I get them!!

Canker Covers saved my life when I had my TAD's installed. I swear I had ulcers the size of matzoh balls in side my cheeks. It took about 2 weeks for things to heal and toughen up, but now everything feels comfy. Well 'cept when a spring wire decided to embed itself in my gum. It felt like the worst toothache ever and it woke me up in the middle of the night. I had to break the spring myself cause it was the weekend and no way I could wait to get to the ortho.

ohhhhh Bedazzle---I searched online to see what springs you mean---yikes!...those are not Forsus springs....wow what are those for anyway? I really hope you get comfortable soon...

Can they use elastics on TADs instead of springs?

Thanks to everyone for the advice, I don't know what I would do without you. I am currently sitting comfortable after three days of agony. Milinea you are my hero! Canker covers (which I had previous not heard of) are the best! I found them at the local drugstore last night and used them as soon as I got back to my car; and by the time I got home I could already feel some pain releif. I would never have imagined a small TAD and spring could produce sores of this magnitude and quantity. I'm clinging to the hope that in a couple weeks my cheeks will have adapted to these things. I think the alternative to the TAD's was headgear (or long extension to treatment time) so I will graciously endure all the discomfort these TAD's can produce! I think a form of elastics could be used with TAD's and might be more comfortable but then they would need to be changed often since elastics loose their effectiveness fairly quickly. The springs are permanent and I can't take them off, which is a good thing because I probably would have done that yesterday!

bedazzlemouth wrote:Thanks to everyone for the advice, I don't know what I would do without you. I am currently sitting comfortable after three days of agony. Milinea you are my hero! Canker covers (which I had previous not heard of) are the best! I found them at the local drugstore last night and used them as soon as I got back to my car; and by the time I got home I could already feel some pain releif. I would never have imagined a small TAD and spring could produce sores of this magnitude and quantity. I'm clinging to the hope that in a couple weeks my cheeks will have adapted to these things. I think the alternative to the TAD's was headgear (or long extension to treatment time) so I will graciously endure all the discomfort these TAD's can produce! I think a form of elastics could be used with TAD's and might be more comfortable but then they would need to be changed often since elastics loose their effectiveness fairly quickly. The springs are permanent and I can't take them off, which is a good thing because I probably would have done that yesterday!

Still people wear elastics and it is easy to replace them as soon as they are week and I change mine almost every day. They are supposed to move all my upper teeth back, so , I guess they d better be strong enough. where are your TADs and what is their purpose? I am very curious, since I think it is a good option for me too.

Hey Dressy1, my TAD's are being used on my upper arch to bring the front teeth back. My molars are in good position so my ortho doesn't want them to move (with elastics the molars would move forward as the elastics worked to move the front teeth back). I had 4 extractions (2 top 2 bottom, right and left). An archwire is being used to close gaps on bottom arch (almost done), but due to an overbite the TAD's are needed to move my front teeth back. My 6 front teeth are wired together and being moved back all at once (referred to as "en masse"). I think the springs are necessary for this complicated move. I was told the TAD's would be in for about 3 months, I'll keep you posted on gap closing progress.

bedazzlemouth wrote:Hey Dressy1, my TAD's are being used on my upper arch to bring the front teeth back. My molars are in good position so my ortho doesn't want them to move (with elastics the molars would move forward as the elastics worked to move the front teeth back). I had 4 extractions (2 top 2 bottom, right and left). An archwire is being used to close gaps on bottom arch (almost done), but due to an overbite the TAD's are needed to move my front teeth back. My 6 front teeth are wired together and being moved back all at once (referred to as "en masse"). I think the springs are necessary for this complicated move. I was told the TAD's would be in for about 3 months, I'll keep you posted on gap closing progress.

Thank you so much, Bedazzlemouth, for such a detailed reply. I think you have great ortho. I am wearing elastics attached to my rear molars and not very happy about it especially because one of my molars is actually missing, so the whole upper left side is supposed to be anchored to one tooth that stands alone! and my lower teeth are already crowded. Gosh. I keep asking my orhto for TADs and he said in the beginning that he uses them, but I now suspect that he just lied. and he actually have no experience with them.
Please keep me posted!

OMG, that sounds absolutely awful! I hope to God I don't have to get those!!! I'm glad you were able to find relief.