AndrewP has tripled his melt value.

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#16 Post by **Lisa65** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 11:37 am

What a pain Andrew.

From personal experience they can sometimes continue using loose screws for a while. In fact I had one come loose which my ortho tightened back up, and which is still being used 18 months later.

As you say, they don't have a 100% success rate. I was told it was more like 1 in 4 fail.

As a screw veteran, I guess you wouldn't be too fazed if you need a new one put in, but maybe, with luck, it won't be necessary.

#17 Post by **andrewp** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:09 pm

Yeah I'm undecided how I feel about it at this point. It was hard to tell before where it just felt "funny" and where it actually hurt, but now I can definitely call what it is producing pain. From what I've read loose screws can be normal and nothing to be concerned about, unless there's discomfort or worse, pain. I made an appointment Monday morning with the oral surgeon who placed them to have him check it out and see what he thinks. I'm guessing he's going to recommend removal and replacement. Maybe they'll put it a few mm forward where the bone is more dense. I just don't want there to be any lengthy interruption in treatment because my expectation is to be finished by spring 2010.

Funny, reading around the web on loose screw options I find other ortho offices advertising their use of TADs. "Completely pain free!" HAH! Maybe if they use the short screws. The 8s and 10s I got were excruciating once the anesthetic wore off. The loose one is one of those.

#18 Post by **andrewp** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:25 pm

On the plus side there has been unquestionable progress in just over a month.

Today, 1 Nov:

28 Sept:

#19 Post by **Lisa65** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 6:14 am

I think the first 2 I had were 10mm, and they hurt like f***

But you've had some great progress there, notwithstanding.

edit - just found the pic I took of the one which fell out - it was indeed 10mm

#20 Post by **andrewp** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 6:04 am

I wish that's what my screws looked like! On mine the anchor is more rounded but being so small it mimics a point... shredding flesh. The ortho has switched me from powerchains to normal elastic bands that I replace daily to compensate for loss of elasticity which may have contributed to the screw loosening, and being thicker they blunt the anchors a lot better. But now that there's nothing going from the loose screw to its mate the latter is back to tearing up my cheek. Hopefully I'll be putting them back to work soon.

#21 Post by **andrewp** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:57 am

Yup, screw removed. Get it replaced next week. Horray for eating normal again!

#22 Post by **andrewp** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 4:39 pm

Two screws replaced today; Another one had loosened. Those orthos that say it's painless really should try it some time. I'm just glad I still had a couple vicodin leftover from when they were installed.

Progress has persevered however. Now when I first wake up in the morning I can not stick out my tongue without opening my jaw. I used to meet little resistance as can be seen in the picture above. As the day goes on my bite opens back up a little but this point keeps getting later and later in the day. I'm excited that I can now resume full treatment.

#23 Post by **Foxface** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:27 pm

Wow, and I thought I was screwed (hur...). This seems even crazier than SARPE. I can understand opting out of surgery if there's a quicker and less invasive method, though, and your bite is also a lot more regular than mine apart from the open bite issue. I hope this works for you, if not, I can personally attest to it that surgery may not be as bad as it sounds.

#24 Post by **Lisa65** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:08 pm

Great you are now back on track Andrew. Hopefully you won't have any more loosenings!

#25 Post by **Clo** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 10:30 am

I hope the new screws won't loosen before the job is done. Funny thing you did
mention your tongue as kind of a measuring tool to examine your open bite. I
do that too from time to time. Only difference, up to now I can stick my tongue
out more and more without opening my mouth. Not good I guess ...

#26 Post by **andrewp** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:14 pm

Foxface wrote:I can understand opting out of surgery if there's a quicker and less invasive method, though, and your bite is also a lot more regular than mine apart from the open bite issue. I hope this works for you, if not, I can personally attest to it that surgery may not be as bad as it sounds.

Except for the bite opening back up my teeth never really got too far out of line from the first round of braces. When my wisdom teeth came in my bottom incisors got crowded and one upper popped out, but that has been almost completely corrected. Plus one is a crown that my dentist fabbed into line despite my protest (I wanted to let the ortho do it... grr).

I'm fine with the consequences of surgery just not the option. I don't want to take it that far. Fortunately I really don't think I'll have to. I'm coming along great! Now that I'm back to normal capacity I'm replacing the elastics twice a day and the extra oomph is noticeable. I'm using a hemostat to hook them up and I'm releasing the tension in such a way that the elastic equalizes in a clockwise direction across the anchor, so in theory this should provide a slight tightening action. Even if it does nothing at least it's not helping to back the screw out. I think even if I lose another screw or two along the way this is going to work great and treatment will end earlier than expected.

#27 Post by **milliondollar** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:50 pm

Hello all,

I guess I am officially joining you in the open bite club. I dont yet have a date for braces (should be next month sometime) but have been told to seriously consider surgery. I'd rather have the TADs and am so happy to see your success story, andrew! My Dr. has never actually worked with TADs on anyone so that concerns me but I'd still rather try that than the surgery. I hope you're still seeing progress. Good luck!

#28 Post by **andrewp** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:36 pm

I've even had the surgeon who placed my tads say he recommends them over his doing the surgery.

Good to see the forums are back online!

I think I'm almost done with the tads. Here's a current blurry pic.

It's been rough with them the past cpl months. One came loose again and the doc replaced it higher to get into denser bone but a bit too high as the fold of my cheek swallowed it up and healed over. He then cut it back out with a laser and made a little pocket around it which the elastic held open. After a cpl weeks the flesh had regrown to the extent that it was taking me upwards of a half hour to get the elastic on the anchor. The screw loosened again, likely a result of the inflamation from me working with it, and was cut out and removed this week. We're waiting for everything to heal up before putting another one in a little lower. Praise be to herbal pain killers.

When my bite closed down far enough my upper incisors and lower were touching. My lowers were polished a bit to open up gaps and then tied together to bring them inward to clear my uppers.

I expect to only have the tads for another month or so. The ortho has also started a pair of elastics up front to finish things up. Last visit a heavier wire was put in which has also helped to push my molars up even more. I think the elastics up front are actually transferring leverage down the wire.

#29 Post by **milliondollar** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:10 pm

Your results with the TADs are amazing! Congratulations!!

#30 Post by **Dani1983** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:33 pm

Glad to see TADs are working for you! I'm expecting to get a TPA next week and then TADs down the line for my open bite as well. It's a little disturbing to think of the screws coming out though. Did your ortho suggest a TPA to hold your molars in place? I was told I'm getting TADs on the outside only (side closest to my lip) - It looks terribly uncomfortable to have them on the inside.

Very encouraging results...good luck as you round the stretch