why do wires come later?

[lilone]

I'm looking at time frames and it seems that there is a chunk of time between when people first go in and when they actually get their braces. I'm assuming this is due to the braces needing to be made in the lab. What I don't understand is why everyone seems to get the linguals on and then goes back more than a month later to get the wire? What is the point of having the brackets with no wire? Isn't that 6 weeks of being uncomfortable with no movement possible? Does anyone know the reason for this...do they have to set for a few weeks or something?

Lil

[lu lu]

Hi Lil

It depends if you need extractions or not I think.
I needed extractions. So I had my brackets fitted & then booked in for my next appointment when I would have my wire fitted & in between that time I needed to have my extractions done. You could probs get it fitted sooner but you'll find your ortho is busy for a fair few weeks & you won't be able to get in. That was my case anyway.

The reason for this is because you have your brackets designed to fit your teeth as they are & then your treatment will fit around what is designed. If you have your wire fitted before extractions then the teeth can start to move straight away & you don't want this.

Hope this helps.

Also I think it's easier to get used to the brackets first without the wire

x

[lilone]

Oh, that makes sense. Thanks for replying.

I managed to get some price approximates and I will be going for my consultation next week. I'm still debating whether to go for top and bottom linguals o top linguals and bottom ceramic. How do you like your bottom linguals? Are they any more painful or any more of a nuisance for talking, eating, brushing than the top?

[lu lu]

I haven't got bottom linguals. I have ceramic on the lowers.

I couldn't of had lower linguals becuase my 2 canine teeth are so twisted that he would of struggled to get a bracket on them as there isn't any surface showing really at the back. They're leaning in towards & against my teeth next to them. No room in my mouth & very crooked.

I'm glad I didn't have the option though to be honest because I would not of known which way to go. I know it's a lot of money to have top & bottom. I think at a guess it would of cost me £7000 - £8000 for both & i'm paying pretty much half of that. So glad to have saved myself some money because you don't see your bottom teeth all the time & ceramic braces are pretty discreet. Yes you can still see them they aren't hidden but from far away you can't see them it's only close up & they don't always show when speaking (I have very narrow lips as well)

I had to cough a fair bit up initally as well so I would of thought those first 2 inital payments that I made would of been even more & they were alot anyway. I pay off a much smaller amount now.

Also to spend all that money & for people to be able to see them if I yawned, laughed etc. & not to be completey invisible seems a little pointless. If the price wasn't so much more it wouldn't matter so much I don't think. Then again I don't know how often people would notice it or if they would.

The top lingual is completey invisible though & if I opend my mouth really wide & got people to look it just looks like gold fillings unless you see the wire.

I don't have any regrets with my ceramic brace though. I had more doubts about my lingual brace at first as my speech was affected & it was uncomfortable with pokey wires etc. but was Ok once i'd adapted.

Hope this helps a little.

Anything else just ask away

x

[lilone]

Thanks so much lu lu...that was really helpful. Depending on price, I think I'm leaning toward ceramic bottoms now. If they are virtually the same price I might still try lingual but I could really use the money for other things.

I'm eager to get to mu appointment to find out more about what the reality will be. At the same time, I'm not to eager for reality to actually be here!

[Linnie]

I had everything put on on the same day: upper, lower and wires. I guess every orthodontist works differently.

[upthebracket]

I had upper and lower a week apart, both with wires at the same time. Lower linguals probably aren't as bad as upper, although i have swallowed one lower bracket which came off while eating. They are a bit more visible than the uppers (although I'm 4 months in, and still nobody has commented), so if you're getting them for discreetness that's worth bearing in mind.