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Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2019 5:36 pm
by desertd
After about a decade of waffling about getting braces or not, my bite was starting to go off at an intolerable level. Got a consult and was originally planned 8-10 months of bottom braces and a top splint. Went in today & the ortho decided to put top braces on as well. Currently only have the front six on bottom braced; my bicuspids and molars are in crossbite & he will use a series of lingual arches to upright those & get them in place. Wasn't looking forward to the splint though I had prepared myself to be able to get used to braces on the bottom before I got them on top but this way the top teeth, which are more crooked in front, will get started.

T+9 hours, no pain to speak of though I can definitely feel some pressure. Had some pudding for lunch and didn't hurt to eat it though definitely some lip incompetence, which I imagine will pass.

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 4:15 pm
by desertd
Got the first of the lingual arches (on the first bicuspids) in today along with brackets on the other bicuspids, along with a .018 NiTi wire. T+3.5 hours & I'm already feeling it, probably even more than when I got the braces on to start with. The arch will take some getting used to. Pics to come!

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:49 pm
by desertd
Pics as promised.

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Wed May 08, 2019 2:35 am
by desertd
Update time! Got a couple of weeks until my next appointment but thought I'd share a pic of my progress. My top teeth have moved a bunch & though I got braces mostly for my bite, I love how they look & feel right now! The upper side incisor has always stuck out & now it is just about in place; maybe a touch crooked but hey, I've only been wearing braces for about a month and a half. Pardon the wax on my bottom bicuspid...
20190508_032654_Film4-2-1.jpg

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 8:06 am
by jem
That looks like good progress! It took me over a year to get a wonky lateral incisor into place.
I see you started of with coloured ligatures. I didn't think ligatures were necessary for damon braces . Did you get them just or fun?

What is the purpose of the lingual arch?


Good luck with your treatment!


Jem

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 6:49 pm
by desertd
Thanks! Yeah my ortho's office will put them on under the wire if you want. I decided I didn't like the color so I went without them.

I've got a bicuspid and a few molars that are in crossbite in the back and he's trying to use the lingual arch as anchorage to try to bring them in line. Right now he's got them on my first bicuspids to bring the second bicuspids where they need to be (the one on my right, left in image) is in crossbite. Once he has them where he wants them he'll take that arch out and put one on the second bicuspids to bring the first molars in line, and so on.

Yeah I'm really stoked about my lateral getting in line this quickly. I wonder if it helped that it had already moved quite a bit from my teenage years; it had just stuck out before but it started moving in front of my front tooth when my wisdom teeth came in. It was causing pain & one of the main reasons I got braces.

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Tue May 28, 2019 10:40 pm
by desertd
Got new wires a week ago. 0.018 NiTi both top & bottom. Actually hurt for a couple of days but that has subsided. Still hard to chew at times but doing fairly well. Too lazy to put pics up right now but I'm already getting to the point the changes are slowing down but then again a lot of my work needed is towards the back of my mouth. That said I'm still excited on the progress already made.

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2019 2:44 pm
by desertd
Another adjustment about two weeks ago. Upgraded to .018x.018 square NiTi wires top and bottom. Ortho says he's happy with the movement in my second bicuspids, so I'm hoping I'll get the next lingual arch next appointment. I'll admit I'm getting a little more daring food-wise, getting easier to eat (those 10 lbs I lost have come back). Very happy with the progress though.
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Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2019 12:13 pm
by desertd
Decided to upload a clearer pic from the other day.
20190716_001105(1)(2)~2.jpg

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 3:02 pm
by desertd
Finally got braces on my top 2nd molars, so now I have braces on all my top teeth. Back down to a .018 round wire with the new brackets. Upgraded to a .020x.020 NiTi for the bottom teeth (originally they were going to try to get a .019x.019 steel wire but they couldn't get it in). Bicuspids on bottom are about where the ortho wants them. If they are in two months at my next appointment, I'll get the arch moved there and braces on the 1st molars on bottom to move them in.

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:03 pm
by desertd
Update pic time!
20190819_135124(1).jpg

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:14 pm
by desertd
Six months in! Starting to get to the phase where the changes aren't big but I'm still pleased with the progress.

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:44 pm
by desertd
Appointment about a month ago. Back to .018x.018 square up top, rocking a .021x.021 on bottom. He even put bends in to get the bicuspids where they need to go & it seems to be working. If they are where they need to be, then he will take out the current lingual arch, put one on those bicuspids, then braces on the first molars. The wire up top continues to straighten out ever so slowly in back but the gaps that were forming between some of the teeth towards the front are closing up even without power chains. The easily visible stuff is getting slower but I can definitely continue to see and feel the progress. The pain I had in that formerly wonky incisor is basically gone, which is why I sought braces in the first place. How straight my teeth are getting is just icing on the cake. Only bummer is that I saw that they are expecting 32 months now. I hope no longer than that; I really don't want to be in braces 3 or more years.

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 12:43 pm
by desertd
Another appointment. Not much change; the wire actually popped out of the brackets on my lingual arch bands. They retied those back in with steel wires this time & rebent the wire. Good news: I will be getting my new lingual arch on my second bicuspids next time & brackets on my first molars! More pics to come of course.

Re: Finally doing it! Damon braces for bite issues

Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2020 12:39 pm
by desertd
New arch is finally in! Also now have brackets on my first molars on bottom. 10 months in and the orthodontist is feeling pretty good about how things are going. Haven't heard any more if he's going to take teeth out so I'm hopeful that won't be needed now.