This road is full of surprises!

Message

#1 Post by **Jesslzz 01** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 3:43 pm

Hi!

I went to the ortho's office yesterday...I was really happy! One of my spacers fell off

(trust me, a metal wire twisted between your teeth is not an easy thing to loose) so I had to go to get all of them removed a day early (my ortho said..."well, seems that the spacers did their job!") Guess my teeth aren't so slow to move after all

So it was the time for the molar bands. I can't deny that I was SOOO happy to get rid of the spacers that I didn't notice at all what was going on...All the bands were placed with no problems, my ortho was happy and me too, and then....what is this????!!!!
I don't know whay I didn't asked the ortho what that was!!!! I had a moment of pure stupidity

The two molar bands that were placed on my upper molars last week were so unnoticeable that I thought all of them will be the same.
But my new bands were a surprise. The upper two bands have this thing over the side were the tongue is (I read here that they are called cleats) and the lowers have a small "button". I can post pictures if you want.
Both of these things are making my tongue suffer a lot, they are so sharp!

On the outside of the upper bands there are these huge hooks that,of course, are killing the inside of my cheeks. Last night I felt so miserable that for the first time I thought "If this gets worse, I will stop this torture and take this darn things off!!!!!!" And I don't even have the braces on yet!!!!

Yes, this road is full of surprises, and right now it seems like a very LONG road to me...I know that I will get used to this but...How do you convince yourself that you will be ok? That you will not have to suffer in vain, and you will be able to GET USED to all this hardware in your mouth?

Sorry, I am being too

. I know this stuff is there for a reason, I surely will have to use elastics and so...I WILL ASK NEXT TIME!!!! But I wanted to know if any of you have a similar device in your mouth, and how do you cope with it...

Thanks a lot and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!!!

#2 Post by **gracie381** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 6:21 pm

I had the terrible metal spacers, and then they put the molar bands on, but just on my upper teeth. I too had problems with my tongue getting sore. Let's just say I used a lot of wax for the first couple of weeks. I had a lot of miserable days with the spacers and then with the molar bands, but since being braced everything has been much better. Every now and then I have to wax the inside of my molar bands just because they start rubbing, but then usually it's about 3 or 4 weeks before I notice it bugging me again. Here lately I've been about a month without any wax. The only time I have any problems is when I get an adjustment and then it's not bad. I just go through a couple of days where my teeth are tender when I try to chew. Before I got braced I was taking tylenol or any pain killer I could get my hands on all day every day, but since being braced I haven't had to have one single thing for pain. It's been great. You are now going through what is the worst part. After that it's all down hill. Trust me, it will get better. Enjoy your Christmas and New Year, and things will be looking up soon.

#3 Post by **gsx** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 7:08 pm

Same as me jezz, but I was placed both upper and lower brackets the same day as the bands.
Put some wax in your molar bands but don't put so much... I did it and my lips seem "inflated" from the outside and I spent hours leaving them out when brushing
Happy Christmas!

#4 Post by **KJM** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 7:38 pm

I remember how that feels Jezz. It sure isnt fun.

I have cleats on top and bottom bands and I can say that I totally understand how you are feeling. Those suckers loved to dig into my tounge! I used a ton of wax in the beginning- and eventually you will get used to them. I dont even notice them most of the time anymore. Occasionally they will bother me, and when they do I just slap on the wax and they are much better in a couple days.

I also bought some Biotene ( it is a mouth wash) it is very soothing and great to use before bedtime. KK always suggests salt water rinses as well to help.

Hang in there, there are ups and downs that you still will endure but it will all be worth it in the end.

#5 Post by **nimo** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 11:40 pm

At least you're getting the suffering of the bands out of the way. It sounds like everything with braces is just a matter of being patient (which is bad for me, I'm the most impatient person I know) and getting over that hill.

#6 Post by **Marzipan** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 1:46 am

Your tongue is going to adjust - give it time! Yes, I have those button things and at first I hated them. Mine have little "caps" put on them. It doesn't make them unnoticeable, but it helps a lot. Ask your ortho about that. I've had the molar bands on for 2.5 weeks. I still wax the buttons when they are annoying me too much, usually by the end of the day. Much of the time now I have no wax on them.

I got out the digicam and took some pix, not very good but you can see the caps, which are shaped like little donuts:

#7 Post by **missing_tooth** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 6:02 pm

Doh!! Ortho told I'd need 3 of those molar bands

Yes, this road is full of surprises, and right now it seems like a very LONG road to me...I know that I will get used to this but...How do you convince yourself that you will be ok? That you will not have to suffer in vain, and you will be able to GET USED to all this hardware in your mouth?

Although I don't have braces on yet, I believe it will all be worth it. My niece was over and her teeth were amazingly strait. Previously here teeth were hidious. Makes me feel that it will be worth it all.

#8 Post by **TuZZi** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 1:48 pm

Ah Molar Bands...... an orthos own torture device. haha My uppers bugged the hell outta me for the first month, with the square cleats digging into my tongue, and cutting up the end when my tongue went searching for lost food. The bottoms didn't hurt so much on the inside because I have a lingual arch that is totally smooth.

What I found the worst part was the part of the band that sits beside your lips, and digs into your cheeks. I've had wax on my upper and lower right side bands for nearly my entire treatment so far.... I can only remember 2 days where I felt good enough to not wear the wax. The rest of the time the hooks have been digging into my cheek and making nasty sores... I have a canker the size of my index-finger nail right now, and I've had it for a month and a half. Because of that, the wax is on 24/7 except when I brush my teeth, and even then, I only take the wax out when I'm doing that side as it's instant pain when my naked band hits the sore.

All I can reccommend is to use a whole lotta wax. I go through a letter sized envelope of wax between appointments.

#9 Post by **missing_tooth** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 2:39 pm

What!! the whole treatment for you so far? 3 Months!! Just how bad are these things? I'd need them for the whole 2-3 years!!

Most unhappy

#10 Post by **TuZZi** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 4:03 pm

Just because it's been like that for me, doesn't mean it will be the same for you. Everyone's treatment is different, and we all react in different ways. You may have no problem at all. The way I figure it.... I'm getting the problems for at least 4 other people who don't have them!

#11 Post by **Jesslzz 01** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 5:06 pm

Yes, Tuzzi, I feel the same! 4 lucky people don't have to suffer the cleats right now. After 2 days with these molar bands I still feel like I can't stand the cleats and the buttons... I'm using a lot of wax, but eating is terrible. Exactly as you said, I'm noticing more and more all the movements the tongue makes when I eat...the cleats are in the way all the time, and my tongue gets confused and...AAuchhh!!!

I don't know why, but the outer part of the molar bands, with those huge hooks, don't bother me at all!

I still notice them but they made themselves a comfortable place into the inside of my cheek that has healed now and feels ok.

But in the tongue side...
The small Kingdom of the Thongue has been invaded by 4 unfriendly Objects and they are really mean!!!!

(Sorry, too many fantasy books for me...)
Lucky me I didn't choose the linguals!!! (I considered that choice before)
It seems to me that my tongue side is extremely sensitive: every person is different, that's right. My mouth feels full and like I can't swallow what I ate. Besides, I can't figure out what these things are for...

Anyone knows what the cleats and the buttons are for? If they are for elastics...how are they placed on the tongue side??? I can't understand how this stuff works, any info will be helpful until I can visit my ortho on January the 2nd...

Thanks for the suggestion, Marzipan! That looks exactly like my buttons and in the same teeth too! I will ask my ortho for a couple of those caps. I'm surprised that the manufacturers can't come up with a better way of covering these things, at least make them less sharp...

Meanwhile, I am eating pounds of wax since sometimes I forget to remove it when I go to eat

As someone over here said...they should put vitamins in this thing!!!

#12 Post by **Huon** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 9:57 pm

Your ortho will be able to help you with the discomfort of the cleats on your bands. Mine put ligatures on them and that smoothed them considerably. Others have posted about having them ground off or covered with bracket cement.. Your ortho might do that for you, assuming that they are not going to be needed, later.
Orabase is good for lacerated cheeks, give it a try. If your archwires are not on, yet, you may find that they keep the cheeks away from the bands and brackets. I found that the thicker the archwire, the more comfortable the brackets were.
Huon

#13 Post by **TuZZi** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 11:17 pm

I forgot to mention that after the first month, my upper molar bands were joined to a T-Bar, or TPA that fit nicely into the cleats. So now that I had a T-Bar and a lingual arch, I wasn't getting "stung" by the cleats or buttons anymore.