The pain of shutting doors on braces!

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#1 Post by **zabine12** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:08 pm

Hello, well I have been braced since November 4 of 2009. I have damon 3. Well everything has been pretty good!
Not very much discomfort except for those 3 days with horrible canker sores that first week. No need for wax anymore!
Eating well I got used to cutting things up and being able to chew on only one side. I had my 4 bicuspid extracted
the same day I got braced (that was a surprise, thought that would have been down the line). The gaps haven't bothered me
you can't really see them. Well like I said everything has been pretty good! I started seeing movement and it's
noticeable now yay!

Last week I went in for an adjustment, oh boy!! So they put in thicker wires, I think these are now my third new wires!
At my last adjusment I had 2 teeth my canine on top that were really sensitive when the doors where being opened
& closed. So I was prepared for those same teeth to have some pain. Nope this time it was like all my front teeth top & bottom!!
It was torture! They all hurt sooo bad when they were trying to close the door shut over the new thick wire! To the
point I was like aaaah just leave it open or take out that wire it's not possible to close! She had be bitting down
on gauze & was finally able to close those doors on the brackets.

So is this normal for it to hurt like this? Well that day went home took a pill was a little sore next days, but all
is well now. But yikes I'm scared to go back and have wires changed!!
Thinking rubber bands on regular braces don't come with this pain as self-litigating braces.

#2 Post by **braceface418** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:44 pm

My first few months were my most sore and yes, those doors did sometimes hurt when they were opening and closing them. I'd recommend taking ibuprofen about half an hour to an hour before your adjustment. That should help with some of the pain.

Thankfully, it'll generally get better. Sometimes, I'll apply some counter-force with my tongue on the front lower teeth (they tend to be most sore) and they don't seem to mind when I do that. Might be more peace of mind than anything else.

I did have one door get permanently stuck open (Ormco DOES NOT put that on their marketing website

), but they just put a wire tie around that particular bracket to hold the archwire in now. Had to build up a pretty good callous in that spot though.

#3 Post by **evilnel** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:37 am

I had to go in to get a wire trimmed the other day, 3 days after my adjustment, and opening the doors to pull the wire out was BRUTAL. I thought my teeth were going to fall out and I actually squeaked in pain (NOT something I usually do!). It doesn't generally hurt at the adjustment, but when my teeth are already tender, hooooboy! It's not fun. Have you been taking your ibuprofen beforehand? That might help!

#4 Post by **kilikena311** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:41 pm

You guys are making me kind of glad that I have the regular brackets with ligs

I have seen on here though similar to where the pp mentioned counter pressure with the tongue that they ask the DA to support the teeth from behind while closing the brackets. It couldn't hurt to ask if they will though.

#5 Post by **braceface418** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:32 pm

Honestly, I'd say 90% of my adjustments are absolutely fine, but those don't stick out in my mind. I do like not having to worry about food staining my ligs. The smoke grey powerchains I'd get for four weeks at a time tended to not stay grey, despite frequent brushing.

#6 Post by **zabine12** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 11:54 pm

Thank you guys for the replies.
I actually have been doing so well I haven't needed to take ibuprofen for
pain. Next time though I am! I'm also going to try putting pressure back against my teeth with my tongue. Good tip, thanks!

So I guess everything has pros & cons. It would seem easiar to have
ligatures instead of these doors. But then again I have powerchains on
to close my extractions and they get switched every month. By that time
my clear ligs are not clear!!! Oh well see how my next adjustment goes!

#7 Post by **DrJasonKTam** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 6:10 am

Interesting to read this thread. It does go against the "pain-free" treatment that is advertised by the company. To be fair, it may have to do with the technique of the person working with the bracket.

It does remind me of a friend of mine, and recent orthodontic graduate, was planning on using Damon in his practice. He decided to treat himself during his training program with them and described the pain at adjustments as the worst he has experienced. He wondered if it was just himself, but realized he wasn't alone when the adjustments brought one of his army patients to tears. He decided he couldn't put his patients through the same experience and now practices with a different bracket!

#8 Post by **slharding** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 10:34 am

For anyone shuddering in horror at these stories, don't turn away from them yet!

I've been in them for over a year now and have been (obviously!) lucky not to have had any pain with them - just a minor push/pressure feeling when they open and close the doors.

Evilnel's story about opening the doors 3 days after adjustment - yeah, I agree that would hurt! I was adjusted just yesterday, and if they went poking around today, I'd be feeling it!

#9 Post by **evilnel** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:42 am

Haha, yeah, that was fun. I have power chains and another set of elastics pulling gaps shut so there is all sorts of pressure going on, and the doors weren't fun. I have ceramic SL innovation-C (or something), I think. Normally it's okay, just feels like pressure. Maybe it's the tech? My normal tech is different from the one who trimmed my wire, and she was definitely not as gentle. I haven't tried countering the pressure with my tongue, but I think I will next time I need work on tender teeth.

#10 Post by **PiscesFish1969** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:56 am

Just came from an adjustment - I have Damon 3's - and there are a couple of doors on the bottom that don't like to open, and no, it's not nearly as pleasant as the when they slide right open. But, then my ortho pulls out a different tool for those - not sure what the difference is, but it doesn't take much more effort to get them to budge with whatever that tool is.

#11 Post by **NYG2007** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 12:04 pm

I have In-Ovation C brackets and they too are self-ligating with the doors. I don't find them painful when the doors are opened, but at the start of my treatment they were painful when they opened them. My orthodontist did have to rip one of the doors off one of the brackets because it was to hard for him to make a bend in the wire that he needed to make. So that bracket is tied with wire. It seems that the self ligating brackets aren't all that they're cracked up to be. They can cause pain when the adjustment is happening with door openings. They don't guarentee better results or shorter time frames. I did choose my orthodontist not the bracket.

#12 Post by **NYG2007** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 12:06 pm

I also have two-three doors that don't like to close. They always need to be tied. It seems like self ligating... especially Damon are all hype.

#13 Post by **evilnel** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 12:25 pm

NYG2007 wrote:I did choose my orthodontist not the bracket.

Same here, I didn't even know what type of brackets they used. I went based on treatment plan and recommendations from friends. I was just happy they had ceramics at all. I think SL is probably favorable for ceramics because you don't have to worry so much about staining ligs (unless you have power chains, which I do >.>). I don't really care for either way on the metals. I almost wish they weren't SL so I could have colors!

#14 Post by **NYG2007** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:00 pm

Is In-Ovation C still the only ceramic self ligating bracket?

#15 Post by **wycket** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:52 pm

I have Clarity SL (ceramic) on my uppers, and Damon Q on my lowers, and have been braced for nearly a month. I went back to the ortho roughly 10 days ago for a popped bracket (it didn't want to stay on a crown), and didn't notice anything other than pressure while opening/closing the doors. I would say that if you have a tech that is not as skilled or gentle, it could be an uncomfortable process. Also, if you are already experiencing sensitivity, any pressure on the teeth would be amplified. However, I've read recommendations to take some pain reliever 30-45 mins prior to adjustments, and think that this would probably help alleviate any discomfort. I have been extremely pleased with my treatment so far, and find that not having to worry about staining is nice, too.