Sagittal Appliance

Message

#1 Post by **mouse26** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:49 am

Has anyone had experience with a sagittal appliance? My doctor is proposing using one to move my upper, front teeth forward a bit. I will need to wear it 24/7 except for brushing for around 6 months. Please let me know how it was adjusting? Eating? Speaking? Pain levels? Visibility? rom the model she showed me it looked hardly visible. And length of time you wore it.

Thanks so much!
Mouse26

#2 Post by **ThatsMrsGeek2U** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 1:03 pm

I wore one for 6 months. Mine was for the opposite movement...moving my teeth back some. They are used for both, just made a little different depending on which direction the ortho wants to move things.

Talking...My normal tone of speaking was okay after a few days. If I spoke loudly, like to give a presentation, I still had a slight lisp that I noticed. When I asked others, they said they could not tell it was there at all.

Eating...When I first got mine, no teeth touched except for my front ones hitting the appliance. (You may NOT experience this...I had a deep bite that caused this.) It was really hard to figure out how to chew. I was pretty miserable, but not really from pain...it was just frustrating. It wasn't unbearable, though, just an annoyance. I finally did learn how to move my mouth around in weird ways and sort of chew by pushing food against my teeth and the appliance with my tongue. Sounds weird, but it worked. Despite temptation, do NOT remove it to eat. This is when it is working the most.

Pain levels...not painful at all for all except the first week or so of wearing it. It SOUNDS painful to think you are turning this key and making teeth move, but it is such a tiny amount of movement at a time that it is hardly noticeable. It really just feels like a fits a little snugger each time you turn it, but by the time you turn it again it feels looser again. When I VERY first got it there was a little pain...just like you get from an adjustment where you get a larger wire.

Visibility...I had my lower brackets on at the time, so I didn't think it was visible at all compared to that. It shows about as much as a retainer does, I think. The part in the top of your mouth doesn't show at all, so it is just a little bit of metal in the front.

If you want, I will look around on my hard drive and post some photos.

#3 Post by **mouse26** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:26 pm

Thanks so much for your reply. That's sort of what I was thinking based on seeing the model at my doctor's office. Mine won't have a wire on the front because they are trying to push my front teeth out and they don't want anything holding them back. Hopefully it won't be really visible then. I would love if you could send me a picture. I saw the one yesterday but I almost already forget how it looks.

Thanks again for the helpful information!
Mouse26

#4 Post by **ThatsMrsGeek2U** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 8:09 pm

I am sure the way they look will vary a little, but here is a random photo of one from the internet. I found it when I was looking for info in the beginning of my little adventure:

http://www.johnsdental.com/articles/ort ... gittal.htm

Here are some of MY actual appliance:

http://img51.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=i ... 0278bm.jpg

http://img73.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=i ... 0304eh.jpg

Here are some of the appliance in my mouth. I have seen some that have a wire across the front like retainers, and I have seen some with NO wire in the front. Mine had two small wires that went around my front teeth:

http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?loc= ... 0267va.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?loc= ... 0254ki.jpg

Here is one showing the spaces I got from wearing it. These spaces have since been filled by my front teeth moving back:

http://img37.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10005151oo.jpg

*******I have one IMPORTANT piece of advice for you...pay attention when you sneeze with it in. The first time I sneezed after I got mine I crunched my lower front teeth into it so hard my eyes watered and I had to go check in the mirror because I thought I might have broken those teeth. I didn't of course, but wow did it scare me. I seriously never realized that I clenched my teeth when sneezing. You can train yourself to sneeze with your mouth open pretty easily. I just wish someone had warned me about it before I did it!! lol

On a less important note...mine was easy to clean. I just soaked it with a denture tablet while I brushed my teeth, then brushed it, too. If you like strong spices like garlic and curry, it WILL hold onto those tastes/smells through a couple of soaks in the denture cleaner, so I'd put those spices off until the days you will not be on a date or anything.

#5 Post by **mouse26** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 11:59 am

Thank you for the pictures. I believe my appliance will look like the first picture you sent. The plastic will be over my back, upper teeth too but no wire on the front. You've reassured me a lot that it won't be too difficult to adjust. The thought of turning a key to move teeth sounded painful but it is great to know, from someone who has been through it, that the pain isn't too bad.

Thanks again!
Mouse26

#6 Post by **bluesky11197** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:43 pm

Hey guys...sounds like it wasn't too mad for you, MrsGeek...just took some getting used too. You seem to have a good attitude about it. How's your progress going now? Mouse, how are you doing? Are you adjusted to the appliance?

Well, I too just had the sagittals put on today, top and bottom...not sure if you just had the top. I think that is why I am so misearable!

I am not exagerating at all...I can't even speak a word properly! And I don't see at all how I can speak better. It's just horrible. If I put just the bottom one in it's not that bad and the top is a little worse but bearable. But both in, I just can't deal with it! I'm thinking about calling my dr tomorrow and asking if this doesnt work if they can just remove the 2 molars (that's why I needed this appliance). I rather do that at this point. any suggestions??