This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!
New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.
DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.
...or anyone. I have a gap in my front teeth, besides that my teeth are pretty straight. How long does it take for a gap to start closing? Is this usually done with a powerchain or one of the thicker wires?
Right now I have the thinest wire they had (I saw all of them)
I know its too soon because I have only been braced for one week, but I dont even have any pain... I want my teeth to move!!!
I've read many times how everyone start noticing changes right away and I just can't wait until I start seeing changes..
so how long does it take or how is it done?
Please help!!
Im getting desperate!
(oh and can anyone explain how thick is 1mm or 2mm, I have read how some gaps are 4mm wide, but I really don't know how wide that is. I think I can fit a quarter really snuggly in my front gap, how wide is that?
I find that gaps close really quick. I had tons, with out any braces and they are all almost closed up. They werer all made from extractions. So I believe with braces or powerchains or what ever it would be pretty quick.
My two front teeth had a serious space issue and were crooked. Well, I say serious, of course my mother and friends "didn't notice"....yeah whatever. Anyway, I got braced April 19th of this year and have had one adjustment. When I got braced and at my first adjustment, the ortho put a power "tie' behind the wire right at my two front teeth. Additionally, at my adjustment, I also got a power tie. Yippe. Luckily, not too painful Anyway, with the powertie, I noticed movement right away. After my adjustment, my teeth were touching and have been every since. YAY!!!
I had a 2mm gap between my front two teeth when I started treatment back in March 2007. The first wire did nothing for closing the gap, general alignment improvement was the first objective. After 8 weeks the wire was changed and an elastic chain was put across the front 4 teeth, my ortho said it was time for me to see some improvement. The gap started to close but only a little after a couple of weeks. The next appointment was 5 weeks after the wire change and the wire was changed again, both these were square section wires, the last was a 16 by 25 if I remember correctly. A new elastic chain was put across the same front 4 teeth. This time the movement was more dramatic and the gap closed in about 3 weeks and has now actually resulted in the front teeth crossing slightly. My next appointment is on 16th Aug, it will be interesting to see what happens next?
Keep the faith and be patient it will all work out in the end.
Tim
Clarity ceramic uppers, In Ovation metal lowers, 18 by 25 archwires and powerchain on top front 4
I only had the powerchain for one month..starting the adjustment after the uppers were put on. After the month or so it closed most of it. I'm losing the memory at the moment but I think i still had a bit left after the powerchain was removed. The following month it was closed. It's a for sure for me that it's closed now uppers done in Feb so 6 months later if not less than that.
I also had thicker wire when the powerchain was put on as well. I did start the uppers with the thinnest.
Yep - my front gap closed pretty quickly (click my www for details and pics).
Right now we're moving some other things around and "holding" the two teeth together and then we'll start pulling the rest of the teeth over to meet them.
A lot of Ortho's close gaps closer to the end, but as mine was hereditary he wanted to be sure that it could close without getting snipped
I probably had a 3-4mm gap. never measured it but it was enough for me to whistle between it LOL. My 2 front teeth were also crooked. They were straightened after about 7 weeks and after my first adjustment a piece of power chain was placed on the 2 teeth to start closing the gap. Its not completely closed (had my second adjustment last week) but its closing up pretty well. I think my teeth are moving pretty fast as I keep getting my wires clipped
Brace date: 5/2/2007
Debanding date: 1/14/2009
Ceramic Braces: 20 months
Currently in clear Essix retainers at night
I have both an extraction gap and spacing in my teeth. Neither the extraction gap nor the spacing in my front teeth has budged. I am almost a month into treatment. I have a peice of rubber tubing that is across the archwire on the spot where I had an extraction so that the archwire wont irratate. I hadnt expected much movement due to the estimated treatment time, but I have notice slight movement, and I mean very slight. Hell I have 2 yrs to go so I am in no hurry
I have gaps too..a 1cm gap on the top after extraction....also had 2 extractions on lower jaw on the premolars... each extraction space is abt 2.5mm wide .... the adjacent teeth have nearly covered up the hole already..
My front tooth gap was pretty wide (never measured it but could stick my tongue through it sideways with ease) and unfortunately my gap closed within a month and a half of putting my braces on (i wanted to keep my gap).
About 4 months ago I had a pretty sizeable gap between my 2 front teeth and lots of spacing on the bottom. It's almost all gone now. The space is really, really small now. I'm so excited. They didn't start closing space until I got rectangular wires and then after that just my 2 front teeth were chained on the inner most hooks and the chain skipped a loop. The next month no skipped loops and then I think the next month I got chained 6 to 6 top and bottom. It all closed so quickly it's like it snuck up on me before I realized it!!! But I'm glad things are going quickly and smoothly. I go every 4 weeks and at this rate I'll be looking at getting debanded next summer or next fall sometime...YAY!!!...Good luck to you Bellita!!!...
LiFe iS A HoOt iF You arE aN oWL...O.o
Sept. 28 ~ Consult with Orthodontist
Dec. 5 ~ Spacers In
Dec. 12 ~ Braces On!!!
I've always had a gap between my front two teeth (around 1 or 2 mm - I never measured it). It closed after about two months of braces (no powerchains or anything). But now, a little over four months, I've noticed there's a tiny gap there again. On Tuesday I will have my third adjustment and the ortho will start using my mini-screw implants to bring my front teeth back and close the gaps on the sides.
I had gaps all over my top and bottom teeth when I started this journey in Feburary 2007 - Now just 7 months later my gaps are all gone!! I can't exactly say when they went away, it was gradual for the top and the addition of power chains at my 1st adjustment started them moving very quickly after that. My bottoms closed up literally over night when I got a posted wire and elastics put in at my last adjustment
Last edited by SnowSara on Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
All Metal Uppers and Lowers - brackets placed with OrthoCAD
Braces on 2/1/2007, Removed 2/13/2008, now in Essix retainers.
I had a 5mm gap between my front teeth. My ortho waited several months until I had strong rectangular wires in place, as he was concerned that my teeth would tip in together. As it turns out, that sort of happened anyway - I had springs on to close a molar gap, but once the gap closed, the force continued forward and closed the front teeth gap over 6 weeks or so.
Anyway, with the powertie, I noticed movement right away. After my adjustment, my teeth were touching and have been every since. YAY!!! 
