Power chains, oh my!

This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!

New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.

DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.

Moderator: bbsadmin

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Felina Grimm
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2014 1:44 pm

Power chains, oh my!

#1 Post by Felina Grimm »

Hey, guys! Today, I got full power chains for the first time (top and bottom) but forgot to ask questions. Do they snap easily? Am I supposed to brush extremely slow? They concern me because they look extremely stretched from the back molars. And are the appointments going to be more often now? They were every 6 weeks but scheduled in 4 weeks.
Age:34
Sentence: 24 months, months served: 35 months
Traditional Full-Metal Brackets
Top: 9/9/2014
Bottom: 10/15/2014
Debonded: 8/7/2017

Image

deathorglory
Posts: 117
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 9:28 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#2 Post by deathorglory »

I wasn't extra careful with my powerchains - I just kept on with life as normal. Except my teeth hurt. For like, a week straight. And I couldn't bite into anything for like 2 weeks. But other than that, no special treatment for the powerchains. I did manage to break a powerchain square (...thingie?) one time, but I don't know how. But that was once out of... maybe 4 months of having them? They look super stretched but they're pretty sturdy, so no worries :)

I had a few closer than 6 week (my usual) appointments, but I think it was because my orthodontist was monitoring some things a little closely while trying to get me ready for surgery. I don't think the powerchains themselves actually had much to do with it. They DO close gaps REALLY fast, though. I have one powerchain on my bottom teeth right now due to a gap having opened up again, but my next appointment is scheduled for 6 weeks from the last appointment still. :)
Braces on March 7th, 2014
Lower Jaw Surgery (BSSO) March 30th, 2015

teeebeee
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:26 am
Location: Norfolk, UK

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#3 Post by teeebeee »

I'm pretty sure the dentist fits me with powerchains and they're the only things I managed NOT to break so far! :)

T xx

User avatar
djspeece
Posts: 2095
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2012 9:36 am
Location: North Canton, Ohio USA

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#4 Post by djspeece »

I've had powerchains for 32 of my 33 months in braces and have not had one break yet. My ortho has them placed under the arch wire, which may protect them somewhat. I don't brush any differently. You'll see posts here of a link breaking from time to time, and that generally means a return visit to the ortho ASAP.
Dan

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. -- Buddist saying

deathorglory
Posts: 117
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 9:28 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#5 Post by deathorglory »

Link!!! Thats the word I couldn't think of at midnight... :-*
Braces on March 7th, 2014
Lower Jaw Surgery (BSSO) March 30th, 2015

kelly88
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:05 am

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#6 Post by kelly88 »

I am yet to experience the joys of power chains but they are to come. I remember from my first time in braces that they didn't break. I think I had them for the majority of the time I had braces and not one broke.
Image

EWUgal15
Posts: 655
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:18 am
Location: Spokane, WA

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#7 Post by EWUgal15 »

Appointments are usually closer together when you have powerchains because they tend to lose their elasticity much faster than regular ligatures. My appointments went from every 6 weeks to every 4 weeks when I got powerchains.

User avatar
Felina Grimm
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2014 1:44 pm

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#8 Post by Felina Grimm »

So far, I have not had a bracket break on my end (two broke but one was on the dentist's end and the ortho assistant broke another). So hopefully the power chains don't break on me. *knocks on wood* If they're that sturdy, does this mean I can brush normally then? I figured the appointment was shorter because of the power chains losing their elasticity.

As far as pain goes, it's the same amount as when I got braced and manageable as long as I'm not biting down. Back to blending my food I go! :-/ And taking all the food out that the waterpik doesn't remove is no fun either.
Age:34
Sentence: 24 months, months served: 35 months
Traditional Full-Metal Brackets
Top: 9/9/2014
Bottom: 10/15/2014
Debonded: 8/7/2017

Image

teeebeee
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:26 am
Location: Norfolk, UK

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#9 Post by teeebeee »

The dentist gave me a soft but quite large-headed toothbrush to use to brush manually round my braces and that's fine. I use gentle pressure and short, mainly downward strokes (as I was taught at school!) and that seems fine. :)

T xx

Featheryy1221
Posts: 474
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:12 am

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#10 Post by Featheryy1221 »

Yes, you can brush normally. They are not fragile at all. I never, ever broke them and I brush sometimes too hard (which is bad because its caused gum recession in some areas).

I would not worry at all about them breaking. :)

Make sure you floss with them in! Waterpiks are nice or whatever but they don't get everything out. Or I wouldn't think they would (I never had one, I just flossed and I always got great reviews back about my hygiene).

I also used those proxabrushes dipped in listerine and it kept my teeth very clean.

You'll get used to the pain from the powerchains in no time. Good luck.
Image

Estimated treatment time: 18 months. (6 months- expander, 1 year- braces)
Bonded Rapid Palatal Expander: 10/1/13 - 3/31/14
Upper and Lower Metal Braces: 4/22/14 - 7/14/15
Total treatment time: 21 months

teeebeee
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:26 am
Location: Norfolk, UK

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#11 Post by teeebeee »

If you can floss with them in, that is brilliant but, for the love of god, I cannot get the angles right! :roll: I really have tried but my teeth are quite small and there just isn't space to do the job...hence the waterpik which I use morning and evening and brush, too. It's working for me but, then, gaps are my problem (not so much now, though :) ) so it may not be a solution for everyone. So long as you do your best and check with the dentist regularly, i'm sure you'll be fine.

T xx

Featheryy1221
Posts: 474
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:12 am

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#12 Post by Featheryy1221 »

Whenever my teeth were tight, I just switched floss brands. Some are way thinner than others, so they fit in very tight spaces.

I guess it depends on the person or the preference. The OP said that she was having difficulty getting all the pieces out with the Waterpik so that's why I suggested that along with proxabrushes.
Image

Estimated treatment time: 18 months. (6 months- expander, 1 year- braces)
Bonded Rapid Palatal Expander: 10/1/13 - 3/31/14
Upper and Lower Metal Braces: 4/22/14 - 7/14/15
Total treatment time: 21 months

User avatar
Felina Grimm
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2014 1:44 pm

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#13 Post by Felina Grimm »

"Yes, you can brush normally. They are not fragile at all. I never, ever broke them and I brush sometimes too hard (which is bad because its caused gum recession in some areas)."

I also had the same issue. I brushed too hard and have gum recession. In the beginning I brushed so slow because I was afraid to break any brackets. I'm very paranoid about these things. :-P

"Make sure you floss with them in! Waterpiks are nice or whatever but they don't get everything out."

I use Glide floss. It works nicely in tight places especially right now. I sometimes have to use a toothpick to get the rest out prior to brushing and flossing.

"You'll get used to the pain from the powerchains in no time. Good luck."

I was expecting it to be excruciating like many have said here. But then again, I have a high pain threshold. It only bothers me when eating. It's the not-chewing part that annoys me the most. :-/
Age:34
Sentence: 24 months, months served: 35 months
Traditional Full-Metal Brackets
Top: 9/9/2014
Bottom: 10/15/2014
Debonded: 8/7/2017

Image

deblo
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2015 7:25 pm

Re: Power chains, oh my!

#14 Post by deblo »

Hi,

I've had power chains for about 8 months and never broken one. If anything, I brush harder with them on because food gets stuck soo much easier than with just a wire. I agree with everyone else- flossing is a pain. Even using a threader (which I could not do this without), it still took ages to get good at it.

They do lose elasticity quickly. I have had to go in about 2-3 weeks after getting powerchains put on, and it felt much tighter after they replaced them, but not painful.

Post Reply