Metal Mouth Message Board

I had a large 7+mm diastema between my two front teeth before braces. The gap was closed with the elastic power chain, and when it was about a millimeter wide, a double elastic power chain was used to completely close it. After it closed, both elastic power chains were removed, and my orthodontist gave me a power chain made of steel (she called it lacing) on all of my upper teeth. After about 5 weeks of being like this, a small gap, less than a millimeter has appeared. I have an appointment tomorrow so I will certainly bring this up, but I'm just confused as to why/how it happened when all of my brackets were laced together with steel. I had a millimeter wide gap in my lower front teeth before braces, and it was closed with the elastic chain, then laced together with steel. At the next appointment, the steel lacing was removed and just regular ligatures were used. 4 months later, that gap has not opened back up & the teeth are still completely tight when i floss. So why do my top teeth do this if my bottom brackets don't even need to be connected anymore for the gap to stay closed!?! I will let you know tomorrow what my orthodontist's response to this is, as well as let you know whether or not she puts the elastic power chain back on my instead of the steel.

She told me that the lacing was not tight enough. Today I got my final wire (0.19x.025 TMA) on both upper & lower, figure eights on my 6 front bottom teeth, and they re-laced the top. When they were tightening it, I could legitimately feel my teeth moving closer together, INSTANTLY. It was weird but felt kind of cool lol. When they were tying my lower wire in, I could instantly feel pain & pressure from the much bigger wire (my old ones were 0.16x.022 steel!) and I felt like my teeth were moving already. After leaving the office, I was fine, but now they hurt! It's bearable, but I can definitely tell that these are much more aggressive wires than my old ones. I'm also wearing Class II traingle elastics on both sides at nighttime only. My second molars still have not been bonded, and to be honest, I don't think they ever will be. Does anyone know why this is?