Metal Mouth Message Board

My name is Ali, I am nineteen and have always hated my smile. When I was little I had to get a bunch of cavities filled as a result of being bad at brushing. I had been put out for the surgery and as a result of a surgical precaution, my two top front teeth were removed. Today, I have had braces on for seven months. I am looking to get them off as soon as possible but I have had some minor set-backs. One being my wisdom teeth around the holidays roaring up and needing them removed in January. Today I went to the orthodontist for a regular visit in which I have been given my second power chain, a tightening and handed 400 little elastic bands in which I am using for the first time. I am in so much discomfort, I am fearful that my treatment won't be over as soon as I'd hoped. I looked on the monitor today to see I am 7/18 months into the progress, and I go back the first week of April. I ask if someone of the community could give me some advice, as I feel kind of down that I can't enjoy my birthday cake with extra sprinkles in December. I want to know if by moving my mouth around by eating, talking and just chewing will my overbite go away within the next four weeks before I go back? And how soon will the pain end??

When I started wearing elastics and whenever I got a new configuration, the pain lasted about 2-3 days. If you faithfully wear your elastics and change them out, it can speed up your treatment time, so never stop wearing them except when you eat or brush your teeth. Hang in there!

That is quite a saga, so I can certainly understand your blue mood, Ali. Elastics and powerchains are a mixed blessing, to put it in the best possible light (on my bad days I characterized them as evil, work of the devil, and so forth). On one hand, they really help move teeth into their proper location, but on the other it can cause ongoing, dull, achy, relentless pain for a few days, and sometimes a bit longer. As if getting braces were not enough of a shock to my psyche, elastics and powerchains were a whole new level of inconvenience and discomfort, especially at first. I still vividly recall when the ortho told me on about my third visit that I would be wearing elastics and powerchains. It was almost an off-hand remark, as though he was discussing the traffic or weather. No big deal. LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!!!
Oh, and then there was the extra added humiliation when the tech told me to go over to the mirror and practice putting on the elastics. This is one of those offices with about 6 chairs in a daisy chain configuration with multiple patients at one time. I am sure I provided much amusement as they went flying off, and since the other patients were teenagers with their mothers, I could not say my favorite curse words, really bad ones including the f bomb, at least under my breath. I'm a bad boy.
So what this is trying, quite painfully it seems, to get to is that you have entered a new phase in your treatment and more tools are being brought into play to give you that smile you have been dreaming about. As you get accustomed to the temporary discomfort, you will realize that this discomfort will only be bad for a few days and that it means progress. It's a mental thing above all else, at least in my opinion. The other thing is that ibuprofen is a great medicine for treating that pain, taken as directed on the label. In the states it comes as Motrin or Advil. It's mechanism of action is directed at the chemical mediators of dental and orthopedic (bone) pain.
And as far as your birthday cake goes, why in the world would you hold back? You should read the thread "Confess your Orthodontic Sins" here on the forum, started by oldfart. I'm not necessarily advocating that you do all the bad things that I and many of the others do, but there is room for a little fun and enjoyment.
My two year sentence stretched into three due to some reluctant gaps. There is probably no way to predict how long your treatment will take. That's just the way it is and there is no way to sugar-coat it. Be strong, visualize your new smile and think how freaking good it is going to be to finally get your braces off, and receive your social security check at the same time. OK that's just my sick humor at work, In the states we can collect a small government pension at age 65.
The other thing I would mention that progress does not happen in a linear fashion, i.e., same amount every month to a predictable end-point. Many of us noted rapid changes in the first six months, then it was hard to see progress. I noted another blast of progress with the power chains and elastics. At some point in the last six months of treatment my bite was finally correct -- but getting there was subtle.
It will be worth it, my friend. Hang in there. And best of luck to you!

Hey Ali! Djspeece covered everything really well, but I just wanted to chime in that I'm in a similar boat! I started my treatment when I was 27...I was really hoping to be done by the time I turn 30 in May of this year, but that's not going to be the case. I fantasized about being able to ring in a new decade with perfect teeth so I've been a bit sad about that. In my opinion, it's okay to be sad that your treatment might take longer than you imagined. Having to go through all of this really sucks! But if you are diligent with your elastics and any other part of your treatment, that's the best thing you can do to make it as quick as possible.

And for sure you can put as many sprinkles on your cake as you want!

As someone who wore braces for 3 years and 10 months and has had them off for 2 1/2 years now...I can say, time flies even though you may not think so. In the end, it is worth every minute spent in braces!
Your best bet is to be compliant with your ortho's instructions. Don't rush the process because the most important thing is to get the best possible result you can achieve.

You mentioned that you have always hated your smile, you are now 19, the time you will spend in braces, is a tiny fraction of your life. It will be over before you know it and believe it or not, some days, here and there, you may miss those annoying braces!

For the pain I had using elastics (4 separate times during treatment), powerchains (numerous times), and overall aches of being braced, I used ibuprofen, and those heating pads you can microwave. The pain subsided within a day or two. One thing I did learn about elastics, the most compliant you are with your wear, the better they feel. If you don't wear them as instructed, your teeth/jaw are in a constant tug of war and it can create more pain. So, as annoying as they can be...wear them as instructed, stock up on otc meds and buy a few heating pads.

Good luck!

Hang in there, Ali. I am twice your age and have been ashamed of my teeth forever. I am getting my braces on this week. When you are finally able to look in tHe mirror at your beautiful smile, it will all be worth it!

Also, life is short! Have your cake! Triple brush after if you must, but have your cake.

The time goes by so quickly and it'll be over before you know it. Don't stress about how much time you have left and focus on the fact you're going to have amazing teeth for the rest of your life when you're done (and you're still so young - I'm an almost 28 year old brace face). And I'm with the others, enjoy that cake regardless (she says, naughtily shoveling popcorn into her mouth).