So it begins...pendulum + braces

[noodles]

Hi guys, I'm new here and super excited to have started this journey. Currently, I have a pendulum installed and registered here mostly because I did not find many stories out there so I thought I'd share mine with this weird gizmo.

So the pendulum will stay for about 6 months (I'm ~2 months in), and then the braces I have not yet chosen the type of braces, I was leaning towards Damon, but I will need more convincing that they really are more special than the traditional ones to go for them. Decision number one was extractions or pendulum, but I went for the pendulum since it was explained to me that the results will be better with it. And then I had an "oh, sesame, what have I done?!" moment, cause, yes, this thing is quite the nuisance

A bit of context, I have crowded upper teeth, overbite and overjet, underdeveloped lower jaw, sort of okay lower teeth but they have shifted to meet the upper ones to compensate for the bite. To top this off, I have quite bad discoloration on, well, all my teeth, and also inflamed gums. The gums have finally been fixed after a battle of several months.

The pendulum is a pain, no doubt about it. Doesn't mean I regret it or anyone should, if it does its job of course. The best thing about it is that it's always working and it's completely irrelevant whether I complain all the time or I'm a stoic hero (I brag by complaining, sort of, I keep showing it to everyone). I have been given a small key to turn its screw and I always find myself looking forward to those days, because I can already see my teeth moving. Also, I feel like a cyborg. Now, my personal list of facts:

* Yeah, you can't eat at first. The mechanics of it are different so you have to figure this thing out. It gets better but I found myself walking around being cranky all day cause I was hungry. Ice cream is king

* As a foreign object in your mouth, you get used to it quickly. If it wasn't for the eating, it would be even quicker. Eating is a problem not as much for the mechanics, but because the wire never stops poking it and it can't heal.

* THE TONGUE. The major part. It's always sore. This devil digs canals in your tongue to find its place and it just can't heal because every meal irritates it anew. It is better now but I have two major cuts in my tongue, one of it is a bit swollen and I even wonder whether they'll heal completely.

* The lisp. It gets better but doesn't really go away completely. At least not for 2 months, I'll see how it goes later. The funny part is that my closest friends and family laughed so hard at how I sound, and other people have been really polite saying they don't notice anything.

* It doesn't hurt when it's activated. No, seriously, you feel some tightness but no real pain. When I went to the ortho after a month, I said I could handle more so they prescribed me more turns per week. I was quite happy cause that will speed up the process. And, it still doesn't hurt! So don't worry about this part.

* Cleaning is not a huge problem now, except that I still can't figure out how to clean under it. I managed to stick an interdental brush underneath but it's just too short to reach everywhere. Any advice is welcome here

* Braces can't scare me now because there is no way they're worse than this thing

Wow, that was long. Thanks for reading

[VioletStubbs]

Maybe try a waterpik to clean under it? It'd squirt water under where you can't get with the interproximal brushes. I'll be buying on in the next couple of weeks and I'm pretty sure anyone with a waterpik swears by it

[erin5550]

I just googled a pendulum. What is the major difference between that and an expander?

Also, I agree with the Waterpik for cleaning. I'd never make it without mine. My son uses it for his expander and I use it for where I can't floss. Luckily, my bite plate is removable and I can easily clean it.

[noodles]

My first two replies! Hi guys

So the back of the pendulum just bridges the molars together and it doesn't touch the roof of the mouth. The waterpik works well there, but the front of it tightly presses on the palate and I have to forcefully stick something underneath for success By the way, I know most people love the waterpik but I don't see a huge advantage over flossing with interdental brushes, maybe I'm missing something.

erin5550, the pendulum and the palate expander have a different purpose, but they have some things in common, like they're both fixed appliances and operate with a screw (ok, after googling it, most operate with springs, but mine has a screw). A pendulum is used to push the molars back to free some space for the crowded teeth. It's an alternative to teeth extractions. It has a screw that, when turned, pushes the molars backwards by anchoring itself on the front of the palate and also on the wires that are cemented to both premolars on both sides. The screw is perpendicular to that of a palate expander so the force pushes front and back rather than side to side

[noodles]

Today is exactly two months since the pendulum has been installed. It's not two full months since it was activated though, cause that happened two weeks later. But I wanted to mark some sort of a milestone yey!

[erin5550]

My first two replies! Hi guys

So the back of the pendulum just bridges the molars together and it doesn't touch the roof of the mouth. The waterpik works well there, but the front of it tightly presses on the palate and I have to forcefully stick something underneath for success By the way, I know most people love the waterpik but I don't see a huge advantage over flossing with interdental brushes, maybe I'm missing something.

erin5550, the pendulum and the palate expander have a different purpose, but they have some things in common, like they're both fixed appliances and operate with a screw (ok, after googling it, most operate with springs, but mine has a screw). A pendulum is used to push the molars back to free some space for the crowded teeth. It's an alternative to teeth extractions. It has a screw that, when turned, pushes the molars backwards by anchoring itself on the front of the palate and also on the wires that are cemented to both premolars on both sides. The screw is perpendicular to that of a palate expander so the force pushes front and back rather than side to side

I have places where interdental flossers won't work. That's what I use my pik for. That, and it helps dislodge stuff that I cannot see, especially the back of my mouth near my molars.

I knew the pendulum and expander look very similar but had to do something different. Thanks for the explanation.

[noodles]

Hi erin5550, that is mostly my experience with the waterpik as well. I rinse and rinse and particles keep coming out it keeps dislodging stuff after I think I'm done

[erin5550]

Hi erin5550, that is mostly my experience with the waterpik as well. I rinse and rinse and particles keep coming out it keeps dislodging stuff after I think I'm done

It's pretty gross but I use it until I don't see anymore coming out. Better in the sink than my teeth.

[noodles]

I have given zero explanation of what a pendulum is and why I even have it installed. *facepalm*. I have crowded upper teeth and an overbite and not enough space to line the teeth up. Two ways to open up space wee suggested, via extractions or by pushing the molars back using this appliance called pendulum. I chose the latter

[noodles]

And here is the beast:

[noodles]

Ok, two full months since the pendulum was activated. It was installed 21st april, but was not activated until 5th may. I'm officially 1/3 in. I have around 2mm distance on one side, maybe even more, but a lot less on the other side. I wonder if that will slow down the treatment. Also, the ortho told me today we're aiming at 6-7mm which *should* be achievable within those 6 months she told me initially, so according to my wonky calculations, we're on track. Appointment got pushed to next week so I'll get to ask my questions then

[22at26]

I am less than a week in with Damon braces, and based on my research I am really glad my orthodontist chose them for me.

They provide less stress on each individual tooth. This means they don't hurt as bad as traditional braces, and it lessens chances of resorption; they are easier to keep clean; and they are smaller brackets (if you go all metal).

[noodles]

22at26, sounds cool, my ortho told me the same things about Damon.

I had my appointment this week and things are going well. The distance is now more than 2mm and we have around 4 more to go. Interesting to think there will be a big hole there at the end of this treatment. A whole tooth worth of hole Last week I did one extra turn on the screw, just to see what happens, but except for a bit more tightness, nothing really happened. Ortho explained that if I overdo it, the teeth will start rotating more than moving, so I should stick to my current routine and go slow but steady My tongue doesn't hurt as much anymore, in fact it rarely does, I can eat everything (except steak) and I might have made a breakthrough about the cleaning, but I need to test it Now it's just waiting and turning, waiting and turning...

[noodles]

Today I have a pendulumversary, exactly three months since it was activated With luck, I only have three months more, although I know that luck is rare in orthodontics This stage of the treatment is rather uneventful but I continue to get excited for the small stuff because of my impatience So here is roughly what happened:

* Tongue doesn't hurt anymore at all and I can eat everything. Eeee-ve-ry-thing! It took two full months though, and not just one like I thought initially. I don't even peel the tomatoes anymore The cuts are still there and there as well as the swollen part but they don't hurt and ortho said that goes away as soon as the irritant goes away. So no permanent damage here, yey.
* Lisp got a lot better, albeit not perfect and as I see it, it's not getting any better before I take this thing out. But who cares, really...
* By now it's clear that one side is a lot faster than the other which is a bit frustrating since we're only moving as fast as the slowest in the group...I think this will add a few weeks up to a month more to the treatment.
* My calculations show that I have a bit more than 3mm made on the faster side. And by calculations I mean sticking coins between the teeth Seriously, I haven't found any better way than sticking small objects that you can find the measurements of between the teeth to measure the progress. And for all of you googling the speed at which the pendulum works - there you have it, ~1mm a month if there are no complications.

Also, do any of you have a problem with brown spots on the teeth? Are you treating them? Ortho said we're gonna fix them after the treatment with the braces, meaning two more years of having to stare at them...is there anything I can do in the meantime? Except brushing my teeth religiously so it doesn't get any worse? I also wonder how they're gonna treat them once we're done..teeth whitening? The one that strips your enamel down?

[noodles]

15 weeks progress pic! The gap is actually bigger than it shows here, because the photo is angled. Excuse it's grossness, but..it is what it is The bar has moved quite a bit, I can't catch the curved wires in a photo anymore. Also, is it just me, or my saber tooth is even more crooked now? I definitely felt pressure on my front teeth the past few weeks, I guess it's only normal since it's trying to use the cemented teeth as an anchor and it's pushing both ways. Bottom line is...wooow teeth DO move!