Upper vs. Lower Braces; Also, Developing Overbite?

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#1 Post by **fluffybottom** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:31 pm

Topic One: Upper vs. Lower Braces
I've had my upper arch braced for a little over five months now and I'll be getting my lower arch braced at the end of this month/beginning of next month most likely.

I am wondering if there is any significant difference in comfort and pain between the top and lower arches?

My upper braces have really not bothered me at all thus far. They haven't irritated the inside of my mouth and I haven't needed to use wax ever. So I am wondering what people's experiences have been with their lower arch braced.

Less pain? More pain? Same amount of pain? Mouth discomfort? Let me know! Oh, for the record, I have Damon brackets.

Topic Two: Developing Overbite?
I have an adjustment tomorrow so I will ask my orthodontist but I also wanted to put this out here too. When I started, I had a deep bite but not a particularly significant over bite. After five months, it seems that I have a bigger over bite than what I started with.

Is this normal and just part of the process? Has this happened to anyone else?

#2 Post by **Megan11** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:51 pm

It is different for everyone, but for me my lower braces bother me ALOT more than my uppers. I am also wearing damons. It's weird my bottoms are nearly perfect but they hurt way worse than my tops which have A LONG way to go.

#3 Post by **iBorg** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:52 pm

Fluffster:
Hate to say it but my first month of bottom braces would have been my last month if they had been put on first. I don't know quite why but I had a whole lot more issues with them than the tops. Once I made the one month mark, I was fine.

As for the overbite issue, I think Meryaten is right. In correcting your tops, the overbite may become bigger. That may be a product of creating space for the lowers.

Mike

#4 Post by **CactusZAF** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:41 pm

Well on your first question, the above responses prove to me that everyone is affected differently as I found the top arch to be much more of a big deal (perhaps part of it was psychological, being a new experience and having to adapt) than the bottom arch. My bottom arch was braced about a week and a half short of a year after my top arch, so perhaps knowing to expect sore teeth and chafed lips and cheeks made the impact of it much less. I have found in the past six weeks since getting the bottom arch braced, that the molar build-ups have been much more of an issue for me than the actual brackets/wire.

On your second question regarding the increase in overjet size, I think, as iborg says, Maryaten is right, it does have to do with the top arch unraveling and making space for the lowers to do the same. In my case I was supposed to get bite turbos when my lowers were braced, but the tech called my ortho over and said she couldn't put turbos on because they would be ridiculously long just to reach the lower teeth due to the size of my newly acquired overjet, so they gave me molar build-ups instead.

All the best, and I hope that the your lowers will not give you too much discomfort when applied.

#5 Post by **acd** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:15 pm

I'm with iborg on the lowers being worse than the uppers. There was a lot more gum/cheek irritation with the lowers at first than the uppers and they felt sore and numb at the same time. It was much better after a month and worth every minute of it when they finally became straight for the first time ever. Ditto for me on the overjet--I'm almost ready to get my braces off and it is gone.

#6 Post by **mary.** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:38 am

I had a similar schedule as you with my uppers on 5 months before my lowers. It's different for each person, but I have the uppers to be much more of a shock to my system than the lowers. I adjusted very quicky when my lower braces were put on.

I too had a widening up my bite when my upper teeth moved around and it created a significant overbite. The overbite has been decreasing slowly with my lower teeth adjusting and with the treatment to "pull it all back". My orthos completely satisfied that all in right on track. Do ask you ortho about it, but I'm sure that he or she will tell you that it's normal and further adjustments will follow over time to get everything to line up.

#7 Post by **seattleite** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:00 pm

Hello there,

well for me the bottoms were definitely more painful than the tops. I had my uppers braced in May and the bottoms put on in July because of a deep overbite and the need to create space between the two arches. The tops didn't really bother me at all but the bottoms did hurt, and they still cause more/longer pain after adjustments. uckily by the time I went in to get the bottoms put on there was already enough space between the two arches so I didn't need the bite turbos...yay!

On your second topic I have a similar thing going on as well. My teeth stick out more over the bottoms and it looks like I have the braces on because I had an overbite or something, when originally it was just a deep overbite. I'm assuming he is planning to "reel" them back in again at some point:?

#8 Post by **dfac001** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:30 pm

Hey FluffyBottom, your experience sounds like mine. And also others who had commented on having similar treatment plans. I'm more relieved now. I have serious deep bite. No noticeable overjet. My ortho started on my upper. And then after like 7 months he braced my bottom as well. And right now the overjet is very very noticeable.

Do you have a hard time eating?

Since the overjet, my upper and lower incisors do not meet. Only my molars touch. So I cannot tear food efficiently. I cut my food into pieces and chew with my molars. But eating noodles and spaghetti is very challenging. I can't break off the noodles and almost choke myself.

The only thing that annoyed me was some of my unsupportive friends commented on how bad the overjet had become since I got braced. They felt like I got braces to make myself look uglier.

Just know that this ugly duckling stage will pass eventually.

#9 Post by **dfac001** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:31 pm

Double Post sorry