My braces journey - correcting bimax protrusion!

[lawyerwithbraces]

Hey guys I'm new to the board (but have been enjoying reading your stories for a few months now!).

I am a 24 year old lawyer currently based in Australia with braces!

Since I was about 6 years old, every dentist I went to recommended I go see an orthodontist because they suspected I needed braces. I was adamant I didn't need them and when I was about 12 years old my mum took me to the orthodontist who said that I needed braces but in order for it to work I would need four teeth removed. I was so scared about extractions that I cried my way out of getting them! Mum took me to a different orthodontist who again said I would need extractions. I was having none of this and just refused to get braces because I never had a problem with the way my teeth looked. In fact, to this day, I still didn't think my teeth looked so bad that I needed to get braces to correct them!

Fast forward a decade and I started having major problems with my bite. Again, the appearance of my teeth did not bother me, but the lack of functionality did.

I've had an overjet my whole life so my incisors never touched unless I jutted my lower jaw forward - I didn't have a problem with this until recently. My upper and lower incisors flared out and with time, kept on flaring out to the point that I could no longer touch them (even after jutting jaw forward) and therefore, couldn't rip food. This was by far the biggest issue I had with my teeth and so I decided to see an orthodontist again.

Once again, I was told that I had to get four premolars removed in order to fix the problem. This time I didn't care and just said ok go for it! The aim of my treatment is to reduce my gummy smile (but not sure if this will happen as my orthodontist said my crowns are quite short so I may need gum surgery to fully fix the gummy smile issue), flatten my profile, correct my overjet and flaring, correct lip incompetence so that I can, for the first time in my life, close my lips without my chin looking wrinkly!

I was told that I was not a good candidate for Invisalign unless I was ok with sub par results. I agreed to have traditional braces (Damon metal self ligating on bottom and clear on top but not self ligating). They are actually pretty discreet and people didn't notice I got them until I told them!

I had my brackets and wires put in around March 2012. My orthodontist said that he was going to make my teeth straight first before extracting. My teeth were extracted at the end of September 2012 and I am now in powerchains to close the gaps!

If anyone has had a similar case to mine, I'd love to hear how your treatment is going! I can already see and feel a huge difference just from reducing the teeth flaring.

[artichokeenthusiast]

Hi lawyerwithbraces!
I just wanted to say welcome, and mention that my case sounds very similar to yours, except for the fact that my concern was mainly cosmetic (protrusive profile, overjet, lip incompetence) and my bite was fine, with very minimal crowding. I had my 4 first premolars removed 4 weeks ago and braces put on almost 2 weeks ago!

So far I haven't really noticed any changes whatsoever since I'm on the super thin archwire, so I'm really hoping my first adjustment will involve a new wire and/or powerchains so I can see some gap closure and retraction. My treatment plan will also involve TADs for maximum anchorage.

When did you start seeing major changes? I hope you continue to post about your braces journey!

[lawyerwithbraces]

Hey artichokeenthusiast! Glad to hear someone else with a similar case to mine!

I started seeing changes after about 2-3 weeks. Well it was mostly feeling changes as I could start to touch my teeth together again. Teeth flaring and protrusion lessened and so I could touch my incisors again if I moved my bottom jaw forward.

After I got my four premolars extracted, my orthodontist decided to close the gaps immediately and so the power chains have been working wonders. I returned to the dentist to get my wires cut as they were sticking out the back of my mouth after only three weeks! Two weeks later and I'm going back to get them trimmed again...I think my teeth are just moving at a ridiculously fast rate! I remember before I had my teeth removed my ortho commented at the rate at which my teeth were straightening and I actually skipped a wire level. I think I just have a fairly soft jaw bone? I don't know! I'm a bit worried they are moving TOO fast...root resorption and all...I can definitely tell that my gaps have closed by a third on my right side and its only been 5ish weeks since extractions. The left side is significantly slower though.

I think that orthodontists typically straighten teeth first before attempting to close extraction gaps, so you might have to wait a little while before you get the power chains. Well, that's what mine told me anyway! He said he didn't want to extract teeth first so I don't have to walk around with holes in my mouth for longer than necessary.

[Chaotic Choppers]

Hey Lawyer

My story is similar to yours (see link below) and I'm from Australia too I have just had my premolars out and so far only have elastics. I'm looking forward to closing my mouth without chin strain also!! I look forward to following your story! Happy teeth moving!!!

[catj1981]

Welcome to the board, Lawyer! Look forward to following your journey!

[lawyerwithbraces]

Had my first adjustment after getting power chains today, and boy, was it difficult and extremely painful!

My ortho had significant trouble getting the wire into the brackets and was exerting SO much force that my eyes started to tear up and one bracket came off. Yes, it was THAT forceful I thought my teeth were going to fall out. Apparently I have a build up of calculus on the brackets which was causing my ortho heaps of difficulty in getting the wire in. Now I just did a google search and learnt that self lighting brackets are more prone to attracting calculus and it is near impossible for the patient to clean. If I knew this I would have taken extra care!

Anyway, all is good again and I am slowly feeling the powerchain pressure. Fun times!

[Chaotic Choppers]

Youch Lawyer!! Sorry you had such a painful adjustment!! I remember at my last appointment I was kicking my legs up and down and growling at one point and they just don't let up do they!!

It's a shame that the self ligating brackets are prone to attracting calculus - I thought that one of the selling points was that they were much easier to clean??

I hope the pain is starting to settle down again!

[lawyerwithbraces]

Hey Cc yes they can be brutal sometimes!

I think self ligating braces might be easier to clean cause they dont need ligature makes it easier.but add power chains on and it's like a breeding ground for plaque and eventually calculus I guess. It's really easy for plaque to build up around the power chains and almost impossible to clean too!

[Chaotic Choppers]

Ahhh I get it now Something for me to look forward to when I get powerchains!! Hope you're having a great week!

[lawyerwithbraces]

Had a wire changed and now one of my canines is ultra sensitive! I've never had sensitive teeth ever in my life but when I drank room temperature water it was soooooo sore. No idea what's happening but Im hoping it goes away fast!

[Chaotic Choppers]

Hey Lawyer! Sorry your teeth are so sensitive at the moment! I was getting really sharp pain shooting up from one of my canines and up through to my eye whenever I drank water last week but it has settled down this week (thankfully!). I'm not sure if it was just a phase or whether it was because I had a bit of sinus congestion and I started taking some decongestants and it helped out???... something to think about if you're blocked up in the nose anyway!

Hope you feel better soon!!

CC

[lawyerwithbraces]

Oh wow I'm glad yours has gone away. I don't have a blocked nose but I will see whether it does away by itself!

[Chaotic Choppers]

I hope your sensitivity has settled!!! Another thing I've found helpful is Colgate pro relief toothpaste if you're not already using it Take care!!

[lawyerwithbraces]

Had a couple of adjustments lately, one to put some bends in my upper wire to intruded my upper incisors, however I am not sure how effective it has been, I haven't noticed a marked difference and its been approx six weeks.

Have also received rubber bands to wear...they are not fun at all! Pretty sore at the moment so I just took some nurofen, seems to have eased the pain mildly.

I'm noticing that my bite is a bit messed up at the moment! My front teeth touch each other before the molars do, and so in order for my molars to touch, I have to move my lower jaw backwards to sort of re create an over jet, so the front teeth don't touch. I think it's cause my incisors have extruded which is why they are touching first. Hope it moves back to normal soon! My gummy smile is worse as well and my orthodontist is hoping to correct it

[Tobilei]

I'm having the same problem right now. All 4 pointy teeth hit at the front leaving a gap at the back. Chewing has become all kinds of fun (not that I can the last 2 days-yowch!).

Hope the pain eases for you soon and the bands stop rubbing a bit. My daughter hates it when she's in bands. I haven't had the pleasure of that experience yet.