Intentional Relapse

[laps·ing]

Hi

It got my braces removed last month and have had nothing but problems since. I am not able to pin down what has gone wrong or where and neither has my doctor. I had them for 2.5 years and everything was fine upto maybe 2 months before debracing. To that point the bite felt awesome totally balanced and even then about 2 months before debracing it started to feel a bit different, then 1 month before debracing, a very slight spasm could be felt in or around the right jaw joint. Usually after waking up while still laying in bed. Told the doctor this checked out everything, everything looked the same. Went ahead and got debraced, mold taken for the retainer told to come back in a week to pick it up during which time still ever so slightly on occassion that spasm in the jaw joint region remained. Got the retainer every okay for about 5 days then all hell broke loose. Woke up with that same jaw region hot and stiff and the jaw joint popping and clicking with the most excruciating pain, like a pinched nerve when even breathing. Terrible terrible terrible, went back immediately got another retainer with a different bite position, wore that for a week, aleviated it somewhat, but still unhappy. Went back again got an Essix (those were Hawleys), which I am upto now trying to wear. While much better than the first two, the result is the same.

What I am finding is that not wearing anything, is the solution! So far 4 days off not wearing anything whatever the problem is definitely appears to be going away. As of writing its still slightly there, very slight hot spot in the jaw area, facial muscles balancing out, but I would say maybe 90% healed.

The problem is of course relapse. What I can feel is that the bite is slowly coming back to how it was 2 months prior to debracing i.e. perfectly balanced and without that spasm. When I put the retainer in or on, it moves the teeth to where they were the day the braces came off and the pain starts all over again. I got to assume it's not badly made retainers since I am on the 3rd one, rather its the bite itself. The bite wearning the retainer then removing it feels like the one side is open, there's no pressure when biting down at all which is causing the pain in the jaw. To me when removing it, it feels like after a few days the teeth relapse and meet and allow the bite to even out, however the doctor looking at it says the bite is equal and the teeth are not in fact moving, rather it is the muscles that have tightened up (TMJ) and after a few days they relax which is what feels like the bite is evening out. I don't know if this is true or not because it sure feels like the teeth or what feels like an open bite is closing and healing this horrible pain.

Frankly I have given up, the pain is miserable and debillitating walking eating drinking swallowing aggrivates it. 3 emergency trips, 3 different retainers, at this point I'm just happy to have a health jaw joint and not so worried as I first was about straight teeth or relapsing etc. From researching I see not all is wasted as at some later stage all the main orthodontic work has been done and a relapse of even 1 year, can be corrected with a removeable appliance or several months of invisilign etc.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

It's a pity as far as I am concerned because its all the back teeth that is causing this and as a result of not wearing the retainer the front teeth which were all crooked are of course relapsing as well. I was thinking of cutting the Essix retainer back teeth portions off and keeping the front 6 or even 7 to wear that and keep them in position as they're quite noticeably moving out of shape.

At the moment I am so fed up and sicking of going to the doctor I can't be bothered to try yet again. I'm prepared to let it relapse to the point that the jaw is fully healed and then in the future go somewhere else to try and clean it all up.

Would be interested if anyone has experienced the same or similar situation, what your solution and outcomes were and if any of the doctors here have any suggestions.

Thanks.

[Jewles]

I would wait until the pain has stopped and your teeth have found a happy position and have the retainer made then. There may have been slight movement but atleast it will prevent a full on relapse!

[59fifty]

when i got my retainers my bite changed too
i have to clench my teeth without retainers and the bite becomes better n teeth move back to when i had braces

but i put my retainers in they are super tight n move the bite back

i dont know if its my teeth or my tmj now that u mention it
but definately some of my teeth move back where i dont want them

maybe i can get new retainres

[laps·ing]

That's a good idea about getting retainers based on the corrected or feeling better bite. It makes me think what I will do is modify the very first retainer. It's getting better every day and for sure I can feel the culprits are the last 2 or 3 teeth on the one side in the upper arch. When I close down they are the first to touch. As of today is is slowly balancing out where both side contact simultaneously. Once healed, I'll get the original retainer modifed where those 3 teeth are on it. Probably just ground the openings wider. Then the rest of the retainer will match everything from the day I had them removed and hopefully straighten every back to the way it was. Quite irritated to learn that they (my doctor) does not keep the molds from the day they took them when the braces came off. Pretty stupid that if you ask me precisely in a situation like this. Everytime I went back they made new molds for each new retainer, and obviously the molds are made on crooked teeth.

At this stage I am just happy to get rid of the pain. Moreso it's incredible how delicate it all is. I would guess whatever the problem is is mere milimeters but it affects the entire muscle structure of your face and head. This I find more irritating than the actual pain. One cheek muscle is more dominant than the other, all the way up to the eye which was twitching endlessly. The entire skull muscle all the way to the back of the more dominant than the other. Just a horrible feeling. As I write this I tense up the face muscles and feel them evening back out. Wonderful feeling that.

[drrick]

the models are destroyed when rets are made plus your teeth 'settle' in (all part of the plan) when in rets so that is why you need new imps for new rets.

You may just need an occlusal adj to make you comfortable. Impossible to tell without seeing you but you would be amazed how a slight bite adj can work wonders.