Power chains - latex???????

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#1 Post by **JoviFan** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:00 pm

I just started elastics Monday - and, well, my mouth has been feeling a little 'different'.... a little bit of a 'burning' sensation on the inside of my upper lip mostly.... was wondering if this could be a prob with the latex.... so I stopped in the office today and got 'non-latex' elastics- so I'm gonna wait a few hours or a day and try them.... but what about the powerchains?????????

I called and the girl couldn't tell me if they were or not ...... she said to see what happened over the weekend, with the non-latex rubber bands.. ..
I had a short powerchain once for a couple weeks a while back, don't remember the same feeling that I have as now... but now I have 2 short sections of power chain over my extraction gaps and then 1 looong one over the entire top...
aren't they made out of the same thing as the 'o-rings' that go over the brackets???????????? At least she did give me an 'emergency' phone number for over the weekend!

#2 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:28 pm

Oooooh.......latex allergy. Any of my allergic reactions usually itch instead of burn. My cheek is getting awfully raw and I'm going to stop by my ortho's office tomorrow to see if they have any non-latex elastics. Usually the raw doesn't bother me but it is getting pretty raw and actually getting sensitive when I run my tongue over it. I've been drinking tons of water so I know I'm not dehydrated. Kind of like when I had my reaction to my powerchains. But that also made me physically sick and my lip and tongue started to swell up. Never hurts to switch to non-latex if you think you might be latex sensitive.

#3 Post by **JoviFan** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:34 pm

Miss Smiley wrote:Oooooh.......latex allergy. Any of my allergic reactions usually itch instead of burn. My cheek is getting awfully raw and I'm going to stop by my ortho's office tomorrow to see if they have any non-latex elastics. Usually the raw doesn't bother me but it is getting pretty raw and actually getting sensitive when I run my tongue over it. I've been drinking tons of water so I know I'm not dehydrated. Kind of like when I had my reaction to my powerchains. But that also made me physically sick and my lip and tongue started to swell up. Never hurts to switch to non-latex if you think you might be latex sensitive.

ouch!! I hear ya on the rawness! LOL

So it was you that had a reaction to the powerchains -- what exactly were your symptoms??? and how long did they take to show up ??? My lips are very dry and today I've started with a sore throat -- no lip or tongue swelling yet...and it is 'cold season'!

Wish she could have told me about the power chains!

#4 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:50 pm

Basically, I thought I was coming down with a bad flu except the runny nose and coughing. Sore throat, migraine, swollen glands, dry mouth, heat flashes, fever, loss of appetite, gums were peeling, and itchy bumps like dermatitis running along my lower lip inside and out. But then I remembered reading somewhere about latex allergies taking a while to appear, if any from ligatures. And it ended up being from the turquoise powerchain. The office uses silicone ones in clear so that's what I've had lately. I would love colors but I'm afraid of triggering another reaction. I called my ortho and told them my symptoms, they told me to come in right away. He told me that in his 25 years of practicing ortho, I'm his 3rd patient to have a latex reaction, especially where it was only from one set of colored powerchains. He proceeded to change out my lower wire to gold and tucked the powerchains onto the brackets before putting the wire on. He then secured the wire in with regular o-rings.

#5 Post by **JoviFan** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:56 pm

Miss Smiley wrote:Basically, I thought I was coming down with a bad flu except the runny nose and coughing. Sore throat, migraine, swollen glands, dry mouth, heat flashes, fever, loss of appetite, gums were peeling, and itchy bumps like dermatitis running along my lower lip inside and out. But then I remembered reading somewhere about latex allergies taking a while to appear, if any from ligatures. And it ended up being from the turquoise powerchain. The office uses silicone ones in clear so that's what I've had lately. I would love colors but I'm afraid of triggering another reaction. I called my ortho and told them my symptoms, they told me to come in right away. He told me that in his 25 years of practicing ortho, I'm his 3rd patient to have a latex reaction, especially where it was only from one set of colored powerchains. He proceeded to change out my lower wire to gold and tucked the powerchains onto the brackets before putting the wire on. He then secured the wire in with regular o-rings.

WOW - thanks! I'll keep those symptoms in mind!!! and so once you got rid of the turq ones - how long did it take for your symptoms to go away?
I'll see what happens over the weekend - hopefully nothing! and will keep in mind and ask about silicone powerchains/o rings in Dec when I go back!
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!

#6 Post by **JoviFan** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:42 pm

Well, so far so good with the new 'non-latex' rubberbands! I'm soo glad I called the ortho office last Fri and was able to try these! Fingers crossed things continue to get better

Can't wait to start seeing these ext gaps start closing!!!!

#7 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:19 pm

Most of the symptoms were gone the same night. I just had some of the bumps left and by the next morning, I was eating again like my old self. That just goes to show how different everyone is and how fragile our bodies really are!