Metal Mouth Message Board

'kay, so here's a question...

Many of us have the heat activated archwires (I think I do)... so these activate with body heat.

In a comfortable resting position my teeth stick out and aren't getting as much of the heat.

If I close my mouth there would obviously be more heat around my upper teeth, which would (in theory) activate my archwire to do wonderful things quicker.

Does this make sense? Would keeping my mouth closed encourage more movement in my teeth?

Sometimes I overthink things......

No - I wondered about this too.

Yeah, I don't really know.

But stay tuned - I'll ask when I go in for my first adjustment on February 23rd!

(just adding it to my ever growing list of questions for my ortho... the funny thing is that I didn't have ANY questions during the consultation or the first treatment... must have been in shock or something!)

It sounds like your braces have only been on a little while. The first 2 wires I got were very flexible and would move whenever I ate something hot or cold. Once you move up to a rigid stainless steel wire this all goes away.

Bianca wrote:the funny thing is that I didn't have ANY questions during the consultation or the first treatment... must have been in shock or something!)

It was the same for me...I asked him absolutely nothing but now I have millions of questions...I have my first adjustment in 2 weeks so I cannot wait to ask him all my questions

KK - I thought all modern archwires were heat activated? Ie they are all naturally elastic/springing-to-shape, but that heat makes them slightly stiffer?

KK - I thought all modern archwires were heat activated? Ie they are all naturally elastic/springing-to-shape, but that heat makes them slightly stiffer?

Except for my very first wire, all that i've had is heat activated wires. Since your mouth is very warm, all your teeth are warm, even if your mouth doesnt stay shut all the time, and the brackets are on your teeth, and the brackets are warm, so that keeps the wire "activated", at least that sounded like an intelligent theory of mine. LoLz

I noticed a difference with my NiTi wire when I had my mouth closed for a long period of time (night). The wire was a lot tighter in the morning. I don't notice with now with my steel wire.

I just had my 6 week adjustment yesterday....and mentioned to the assistant that I noticed that whenever I would have a cup of hot coffee or tea that I could feel the archwires tighten up and put added pressure on my teeth.......she just gave me a blank look..... then mentioned that it was probably the NASA designed wires I have.....HUH!???

I do recall being told in the beginning about 'heat activated wires', but this whole Ortho. thing was just Greek-to-me, so didn't think too much about it.....

Anyone else 'tighten-up' when drinking anything hot?

deb

I got a heat-activated wire and also asked my ortho about this. "If I eat hot foods all the time will things would go quicker?" He laughed and said NO Just in case, I also asked the assistant and the receptionist, both said NO. A girl can hope...

WiredNana wrote:I just had my 6 week adjustment yesterday....and mentioned to the assistant that I noticed that whenever I would have a cup of hot coffee or tea that I could feel the archwires tighten up and put added pressure on my teeth.......she just gave me a blank look..... then mentioned that it was probably the NASA designed wires I have.....HUH!???

I do recall being told in the beginning about 'heat activated wires', but this whole Ortho. thing was just Greek-to-me, so didn't think too much about it.....

Anyone else 'tighten-up' when drinking anything hot?

deb

Sure do, Deb. Weird, isn't it?

Sorry to report I never noticed any change to the wires from drinking hot liquids. I didn't stay in that wire very long at all.

I have NiTi wires and I'm not sure if its related to the heat, but I do experience a tightness in the morning more so than other times of the day. Just got back from my first adjustment. I got a few wire ties to rotate some teeth on the bottom (dissapointed that I didn't get them on the top) Anyway, he was going on about how great NiTi is because he can wire tie them real tight and it will still maintain the limited constant force that he wants. Also, there was some discussion about ceramic brackets while a new assistant was being trained - the senior assistant said that they were harder to work with and were more fragile.

Bianca wrote:'Would keeping my mouth closed encourage more movement in my teeth?

I'd say this depends on the weather