coil springs

[oimysizex]

Are they meant to hurt? they're hurting a little but I've heard theyre meant to proper bad and painful??? oh and how long 'roughly' does it take to close gaps??
whats more efficient in closing gaps, power chain or coil springs?? ive got a power chain going across the bottom and 2 springs on my top

thanks guys

[chichi]

I thought springs were meant to make more room? My understanding of them is that they're supposed to open a gap, not close one.

Perhaps you could post a picture of what you have and where the springs were placed? It might give us a better idea of what's going on.

Powerchains should close your gaps. Time will vary.

[oimysizex]

My springs are where my SECOND pre molars used to be, its a 9mm coil spring and its tied onto my FIRST pre molar and onto my FIRST molar. She said this is going to close my gap and slightly pull my top teeth back ( to create a bigger under bite in prep for my lower jaw surgery)))

[chichi]

That's interesting. I haven't heard of springs being used like that. Usually, it seems people have powerchains just spanning across the gap, connecting the two teeth.

Now that I think about it, I guess a tight spring would work... and would probably work longer than a powerchain, as powerchains probably stretch and lose strength the way ligs do.

[oimysizex]

I'm sort of worried why she's put them on!! She did say this is what would close it up. I already feel a bite difference I'm sure my orthodontist wouldn't have put them on if she didn't know what she was doing hmmmm ill post a picture as someone requested

[chichi]

I'm sort of worried why she's put them on!! She did say this is what would close it up. I already feel a bite difference I'm sure my orthodontist wouldn't have put them on if she didn't know what she was doing hmmmm ill post a picture as someone requested

Don't worry... I just never heard of the springs being used to close a gap, but if you just think simple physics, it makes sense. If you have a spring that's tightly coiled and you stretch it out, it's going to try to return to its original tight coil. So if you hook it up to 2 teeth, it should pull them together. It's definitely possible to do this. The springs that we normally see are more loosely coiled so it would be compressed between teeth and push the teeth apart as it returns to its original shape.

[oimysizex]

Thanks for reply !!! It's working I think because I'm getting abit of a gap in my front top teeth. Hope I don't get a massive gap now though xx

[xanidu2012]

My coil springs were to make a gap because my two front teeth and bottom 2 front teeth were overlapping each other. They actually separated in about 2 months then coils were removed and brace adjustments continued.

[SunshineRay]

I had one for closing the gap.....that is until I swallowed it. Mine came off while brushing my teeth after 12 hours of having it on so I think something was wrong from the start.

[xanidu2012]

Oh my SunshineRay. But things like that happen.

[BracesB4Thirty]

I had coils and 2 coils as a matter of fact on my top teeth to make space. But I guess a smaller coil can bring teeth together. The day I got the coils, I couldn't sleep because of the unbelievable pain which resulted in a headache as well. But the pain and sensitivity will subside after a few days...

[samoorelaw]

If I were you, I would call my ortho to inquire, informing her that you gleaned from your research that power chains are used to close gaps so why is she putting on the coils? It never hurts to ask: for instance, this past Monday, the assistant took the wrong bracket off the wrong tooth (one of my top front teeth had to have the bracket repositioned to straighten out a slightly crooked root) and if I hadn't questioned her about it, the ortho would have been pursuing treatment that was unnecessary and may have set the treatment back even further.

I often find I have to be in charge of my treatment sometimes more than the ortho. Another example: I had several gaps in my lower teeth that just weren't closing despite the power chains. Through my research, I discovered that for stubborn gaps, double power chains can be used. So when I asked my ortho whether the double power chains could be used to close them up sooner, he agreed and told the assistant to add the second power chain. If I hadn't done that, I firmly believe that my gaps would have taken longer to close.

[28monthjourney]

There's more than one type of coil. The most common type (and the type I'm getting) is an expanding coil, but you seem to have a contracting one, meaning it is used to close gaps. Yours are used to put pressure between teeth to speed up the time it takes to close the gap, but they are extremely uncommon.