Changing bite... why??

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#1 Post by **wating4braces** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:14 pm

Since i have gotten braces, I cannot bite down at all on the entire left side of my mouth. The tooth farthest to the left i can bite down on is one of my two front teeth on the left side! The largest gap between the upper and lower teeth is about 1mm. Is this normal? It is getting really irritating, im so used to being able to bite down and feel contact on all of my teeth!

oh also, on one of my brackets, my lig is in a figure eight kind of. Like instead of going around all four points, it goes around two and then twists and then goes around the other two. I would post a pic but I'm terrible at taking pictures.

Katie

#2 Post by **ricardo2** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:31 pm

I couldn't bite down properly for the first few weeks..... nearly 2 months on, I'm finding it's getting easier though (although ask me that again after my first adjustment next week!)

Re: the figure of eight thing.... they've done that on one of my brackets.... I don't think there's any particular reason for it, coz my original ortho put all my ligs on normally.... it was only when I went for an emergency appointment coz a bracket fell off a week later, that I asked them to change the colour whilst they were at it - and the emergency ortho put two on randomly in a figure of 8. I tried to change it afterwards.... I had success with one, but the other had stretched too much to put on normally.

Good luck

LUCY xxx

#3 Post by **altinure** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:29 pm

the figure eight is called a power chain. it's used for closing gaps normally or pulling teeth in a certain direction.

Website · #4 Post by **alexa** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:44 pm

The figure eight is not a powerchain....I had them when I first got braces. It's when they twist a regular ligature around one single bracket into a figure eight pattern.

From what i understand, they do that when they are having a difficult time keeping the wire in place....like if your teeth are really crooked, and you have a thin wire and it wouldn't be secure with the lig on regularly. Or if your teeth aren't completely straight yet and they're trying to force a stronger wire on and they're having problems. It's a way to make sure the lig is on very securely and won't slip off.

#5 Post by **wating4braces** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 11:49 am

Ok thanks everyone! I had a feeling thats what the figure eight was for but I thought it might have been a mistake or something.

Luceyloop: that means you weren't supposed to change the figure eight!

katie

#6 Post by **wating4braces** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 11:50 am

Ok thanks everyone! I had a feeling thats what the figure eight was for but I thought it might have been a mistake or something.

Luceyloop: that means you weren't supposed to change the figure eight!

katie

#7 Post by **ricardo2** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 5:26 pm

......Yeah but my original/usual ortho didn't put ANY ligs in a figure of 8 when my braces were fitted the week before, and I trust him a lot more than the emergency/amateur guy who changed 2 of them. I guess I'll know whether I messed up next week! LOL!

PS - Alexa - my teeth are straight already!

LUCY xxx

Website · #8 Post by **alexa** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 6:04 pm

Lucyeloop -- But perhaps the emergency guy was having a difficult time fitting the wire just in those couple of brackets? Either way, I don't think it's that big of a deal as long as your wire is secure by your ligs.

#9 Post by **ricardo2** » Thu Oct 06, 2005 8:59 pm

.... I agree Alexa.... I'll find out on Tuesday if I've buggered things up! LOL!

Can't see how it would though!

LUCY xxx