wires digging in lower back jaw...

[Leebie3]

I fly to NZ on Wednesday and my ortho is on holidays this week anyway 9the entire dental school is closed).. He's suggested filing the wires down or waxing them but the wires are so long they're actually digging into the gum.. Any suggestions?

I have powerchain along the bottom as well as rabbit elastics to close the molar gap (second to last molars were extracted) so I suspect that's why the wires have moved so fast.. I only saw the ortho this week just gone! that's when he started the elastics.

Ideas would be most appreciated.. I'm away for 2 weeks to be maid of honour in a wedding.. do not need to be in pain LOL

[Woobster]

I'd be tempted to trim the wires. I don't know if that's recommended or not, but that's a long time to deal with wires digging in.

[TMJJill]

I agree. I'd be tempted to snip the wire. I did it once when my dentist couldn't get me in right away. I just washed off a pair of small wire cutters and snipped it off. It sounds like with your tooth movement the wire is too long now. It isn't worth being miserable.

I learned the hard way. I had this happen once while I was on vacation over Christmas. I was miserable and by the time I got to my Dentist, I had almost 3/4 inch of wire sticking out the back and a hole in my cheek.

[Leebie3]

thanks guys..

that's what I'm worried about TMJill! It's already sticking in so far I can't feel the end :s My very back molars weren't extracted (only wisdoms YEARS ago and the second to last ones) I can't reach the back because it's right at the bone I think.. :s

[sirwired]

Call around to other orthodontists and see if they'd be willing to do you a favor. (Or, perhaps, call the ortho of a friend, so you aren't a complete stranger.) Your general dentist may even be able to help.

I was on travel when I had a bracket pop, and a local ortho was willing to cut the wire and remove the offending bracket gratis.

[Leebie3]

aww that was nice of them sirwired! I'll give it a try this arvo after work.

[owab]

Not sure how long the wire is, but can you bend the ends inward(towards the tongue) instead of trying to cut them yourself? My Ortho actually did that to my upper wire today and they are not poking at all. The wire I'm in is still thin but I now have a power chain to start closing my spaces and it's shifting my upper wire to the right and was coming out the bracket on the left back molar. He changed the wire to make it longer in order to bend the ends so it wouldn't come out the bracket. There was even a technical name for the tool he used to bend it but I don't remember what he called it. I know if the wire was straight it would definitely poke at the back but bent it actually curves around my back molars.