Brand New Brace Face

[TechGirl]

Hi all. I'm so glad that I found this forum. It's comforting to read about the experiences of others and know that I'm not alone.

I'm very new to braces - just had my Damons put on yesterday. It's taking some getting used to as my gums are very sore. I also have two bite ramps on my two front top teeth. I think I mind the bite ramps more than the braces.

Anyway, my purpose for posting was to find out how long it took before you started to see noticeable improvements to your bite. Right now the awkwardness and discomfort hardly seem worth it but I know I will feel better once I start to see improvement.

[Denise]

For me it was about two months until I really saw some movement. I have been taking pictures at the beginning of every month and I always go back through the folders and look at the same spot from month to month. It's crazy how fast you can see them moving in photos, even if it doesn't feel like you can see them in your mouth The pain you're experiencing doesn't last long, I promise you will get back to having a day without tooth pain, though your eating habits will change a bit!

[Sunny]

Hi and welcome to this forum!

It usually takes a few days to a week to adjust to having something permanently attached to your teeth, but you will adjust ... so look forward to that.

How quickly you'll notice changes depends on many things and the main one is to do with how much alignment changes you need. The first phase of orthodontic treatment is to align the teeth, so those who have the most needs in this area may notice changes within days. For others it may be a week or two, or even a month or two.

Denise has written about having photos. This is a great way to see change and is a great way to follow your progress at home. Take photos of your teeth in their natuarl bite from the front and from the left and right sides. Then take a photo with the camera facing towards the biting surface of each arch ... so that you will see the shape of your upper and lower arches. By comparing these photos, you'll be amazed at how your teeth change without you noticing.

Another way to check your teeth movement is when you're taking care of your oral hygiene. When you floss, you may notice that some teeth are closer together or further apart ... another sign of movement.

Your bite ... when you feel changes in how your teeth come together, you know you've had movement.

Remember not all movement is visable ... but there will be something to let you know it's happening.

Bite turbos can be annoying and until your bite changes, you'll find they take a bit of getting used to. I'm sure you will adjust though ... and hopefully very soon!

Good luck!

[TechGirl]

Thanks for the encouragement. I feel a little better today. It hurts just mostly at the teeth that rest against the bite ramp.

When you say, "How quickly you'll notice changes depends on many things and the main one is to do with how much alignment changes you need," do you mean getting the teeth to line up correctly in the arch (like overcrowded teeth are no longer crowded) or that my bite needs to line up? I have both of these problems - crowding on bottom, severe overbite (class 3, I think)?

Again, thanks for all the help.

[mikeg]

weclome to the forum. overbite is a class 2 I believe... Good luck with your treatment.

[Sunny]

Crowding is the alignment phase of orthodontics. The archwire can sort alignment out quite quickly. Fixing the bite can take a lot longer and usually requires more than just the archwires ... although not always.

I agree with Mike ... it sounds like you have a Class 2 bite. A class 3 is an underbite ... where the lower jaw protudes forward.

Take care!

[Anny]

For me it took about a week to see major changes. My front two teeth protruded and there was a gap between them *cringe* The gap was gone by the end of the week! However it took a few months for my bite to be realigned enough to "feel better."

Its funny how I hadn't noticed my tops and bottoms didn't really align for 30 years but as soon as the ortho did his thing they just ... fit?

Anyway the first few days are the most annoying in terms of pressure. I have an overbite like you do (its a bone issue that would require surgery but doesn't really bug me so I've elected not to fix it) so when the bottom braces were applied I was miserable and tense for...one or two weeks before getting used to it. I blogged about it here.

You should start a blog too - its very useful for remembering exactly how you felt at different points in your treatment