TPA - can it be easily damaged by hard foods?
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:00 am
Hi all, I had the transpalatal arch fitted last week in preparation for extractions and braces. I was instructed by the doctor to avoid sticky and very chewy foods such as toffee to prevent the appliance from being "dragged" out or becoming too lose, but no other restrictions so far.
It was quite awkward at first and my tongue hurt for the first two-three days, but that's settled now. I'm still learning to eat properly with the appliance, but it's not been so bad.
However - this morning I had a yoghurt with some granola in it for breakfast. I know for a fact that with the actual braces you're not supposed to eat granola, but the TPA is really thick and the ortho didn't mention anything, so I went ahead and ate the grains. I may be getting a bit (or even completely!) paranoid, but I'm afraid that the wire on one side looks a bit different than on the other now... But I'm not even sure if there really is a difference, or I'm making it up (so it'd be very small anyway, otherwise I'd surely notice). Also, one band of the TPA is fitted on my 7th and the other on the 6th teeth, so it's always been a bit "crooked".
If anyone's had this appliance, do you reckon it would get bent so easily because of granola or am I really making it up? It's fine for now anyway, but I'm getting the extractions in two weeks - I wonder if I should see my ortho before that but I don't want to be bothering them with silly concerns! :D
It was quite awkward at first and my tongue hurt for the first two-three days, but that's settled now. I'm still learning to eat properly with the appliance, but it's not been so bad.
However - this morning I had a yoghurt with some granola in it for breakfast. I know for a fact that with the actual braces you're not supposed to eat granola, but the TPA is really thick and the ortho didn't mention anything, so I went ahead and ate the grains. I may be getting a bit (or even completely!) paranoid, but I'm afraid that the wire on one side looks a bit different than on the other now... But I'm not even sure if there really is a difference, or I'm making it up (so it'd be very small anyway, otherwise I'd surely notice). Also, one band of the TPA is fitted on my 7th and the other on the 6th teeth, so it's always been a bit "crooked".
If anyone's had this appliance, do you reckon it would get bent so easily because of granola or am I really making it up? It's fine for now anyway, but I'm getting the extractions in two weeks - I wonder if I should see my ortho before that but I don't want to be bothering them with silly concerns! :D