Metal Mouth Message Board

Five weeks in braces now. Just had first adjustment and am due to get a spring. Ortho going to put it in early jan. Mean't to ask her what they are for???? I have over crowding.

Depending on how they are applied, springs can be for crowding or excess space. In my case I will be getting them to create some space in my very crowded lower jaw.

I'd love to hear from folks that have had them. How uncomfortable are they? Are they hard on the insides of your cheeks/mouth/lips?

I got a spring at my last adjustment at the beginning of the month. I didn't get it first but now I do - it is pulling one tooth over to provide it with some space so that it can be rotated into line.

I've had no pain with this spring - it is a the front of my bottoms and I have noticed that it is slowly moving the tooth - I can get floss in easier than before. For one day the spring irritated my inner lip but after that it was fine.

But this is just the pattern for me at the moment - little pain and few inside mouth issues. I am so lucky I am typing this touching wood to make sure this luck continues.

I had overcrowding on my top teeth and had a tooth extracted from each side 5 months ago when I got braced. The gap on one side is closing faster than the gap on the other so the ortho gave me a spring to help move the slower side. It has not caused me any pain and the gap has really closed up but the problem I have is that I keep getting floss caught on the spring....I have little "threads" hanging from it that I keep having to cut!

I have four springs-two top, two bottom to close gaps that the ortho created. Kind of annoying. Tear up the cheeks and if you have the habit (which I do) of checking around your brackets for food with your tongue it can cut up you tongue. Sometimes they slip and cut into my gum line too. But they don't hurt anymore than an archwire and in 8 weeks have done they job they were put in for. No more gaps thank goodness. I know most people get powerchains for this by my ortho likes the springs and feels they work a little faster. Good luck!!


Amy
Damons top and bottom
braced 12-16-04

Here is a pic. of how the spring is working for a lower tooth to move into place. It doesn't hurt, except for the irritation it causes to the inside of my lip. GOOD LUCK!

I had two springs across the space where my impacted canines would come down for a while. They were very irritating to my lips but they defintely do their job. Don't forget to use waz. One of my springs came totally off after eating a meringue!

Good luck!

-Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05

I had two springs across the space where my impacted canines would come down for a while. They were very irritating to my lips but they defintely do their job. Don't forget to use waz. One of my springs came totally off after eating a meringue!

Good luck!

-Hannah




Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05

viewtopic.php?t=8065

There is a pic of my springs I just got. One under the fang to push apart to make room and one on other side to make room to pull that one forward.

I don't even notice the springs. The last one I had though had a little pokey part on it that I would have to keep turning it away from my lip cos it hurt.

Sorry, double post

I have had 4 springs for 2 months, and only 2 of them have been annoying so far. Both of the ones on the right side of my mouth have bugged me from the get go, and I have to wax up the ends of them every day, and sometimes put wax right over the entire length of the spring too, as it has created a canker sore that I've had for over a month now, and it's not getting any better.

I've found the entire bracket (also my molar band) has contributed to my canker sore, but the sore sits right on the srping when my mouth is closed, so unless that spring is entirely covered, it rips right back into the sore anytime I move my mouth. NOT FUN!

But on the upside...... the springs are doing their job. I have lots of room between my upper teeth now, and the crowding is getting spread out. The bottoms however, don't seem to be making any room at all, yet I can tell my extraction gaps are closing. The only place on the bottom where I can see extra room now is between my molars, and I was under the impression they wouldn't be moving.

T-Bar and springs the first day:



2 months later:

Cool, It sounds like springs really get things moving. For me it sounds like my ugliest tooth will be pushed into where it should be with a spring....bring it on!!!

The otho gave me a choice as to whether to have it before or after xmas....in case I had lots of parties to go to.I said I would have it after xmas as i thought it must look horible if she is giving me such a choice but from the photos it looks fine so can't wait to get it!!

I have one pushing my teeth apart to make room for a canine that came in behind a baby tooth that didn't come out. It is annoying at first, but it is a lot better now. I've had it about 3 months.

It definatly will catch you lip and tounge. Don't try to clean it with your tounge, ouch. Just shove a finger in there if you have too. It HURTS!

Mine is shaped like this:

lll\lllll\lllll\lllll\lllll\lll
(with little spaces in between sets)

It's doing it's job. They should take it off Jan 4th and attach my tooth to the archwire to bring it up.

I did move my midline off some (just enough for me to tell) but I'm sure he'll fix that. (And by "I'm sure" I mean "I'm going to throw a fit until he does.")

When I first got my spring I was able to "spin" it around my archwire, therefore it became a constant habit, and I ended up treading some of it off. I had to "reverse spin" to tread it back on.

I sometimes scratch my boyfriend with it. It's right up front. Every now and then I get it caught on clothes (his and mine - We are very cuddly.)