Got Braces today!

Bendihorse

Going grand so far... I had considered invisalign but my ortho told me while i was a suitable candidate, he would get a much better result from one year of train tracks than Invisalign and it would cost less so i get a lot more bang for buck. My smile is narrow, he said invisalign would only straighten my teeth, not widen my smile. Anyway, have clear tracks on front top and bottom.

He said he would see me again in 6-8 weeks, his secretary gave me an appt for 7 weeks time. I would like to speed up the process as much as possible, is there any advantage to me asking for an appt in 6 weeks rather than 7, i mean, would it speed up treatment a little?

I'm 28 and to quote my uncle 'the bloom will be gone off me shortly (In jest ) so I would like to get them off before I'm old and decrepid :pac: .

ailbheg

What sort of train tracks did you get? The traditional kind, or the ones which have brackets which can move along the wire? The second type is much faster.
However, I don't think having appointments any earlier makes much of a difference, for me, a large gap opened up after about 6 weeks, and might not have been wide enough if I had had the appointment then. I'm not an ortho though, so I don't know for definite.

day dreamer

Hi there

I think you made a wise decision not to get Invisalign, the traintrack braces will work better, cost less and do a better job all round.

The teeth will move at about the same speed no matter what type of traintrack brace you have, there is no type that is much faster than another.

Just stick with the schedule outlined by your orthdontist and you will get there in the end

Bendihorse

I dont think my tracks move along the wire? On the top, I have clear clamps on the front eight teeth and silver clamps on the back. On bottom i have clear clamps on front 6 and silver on the next two rows back.

I dont have any clamps on my back teeth or my wisdom teeth which i thought odd? They dont feel tight and never felt sore, the most thing im having trouble is the bite blockers

I have got a little concerned than I may have paid too much, I spoke to a friend of mine who had pretty bad teeth, jaw was not aligned and she needed extractions. She had clamps on all teeth top and bottm (clear like me on front) and treatment lasted 18months. She paid 1500 for hers, mine are 4500 :eek:

I was happier paying extra because I didnt want a rushed 6month smile but it seems she got full proper treatment for a much better price Is it possible that there be that big a variation in the price of treatment? It seems that she had much more work than me done at a much better price...

Bendihorse

Definatly feel like I got robbed now... Just got finished speaking to another friend who said she has to wear her braces for 2.5 years and is paying 4100. She has a mis aligned jaw as well as extractions.

I now think that because I had enquired about invisalign initially, he must have priced me for the train tracks as per my budget. Is there anything I can do seen as I have already commenced treatment?

ailbheg

The clear brackets are usually more expensive, and I think the moving ones are a bit more expensive too. I'll have my braces for about 18 months and I'm paying less than you, but all my brackets are stainless steel. I think price might depend on where you go as well. Where's your ortho?
I don't have any brackets on my wisdom teeth or the ones in front either, which I was surprised by initially, but I think it's cause with the widening and whatever tiny gaps I have in between my other molars and premolars there's enough space for everything to move.
Are the bite blockers on the back of your front incisors? If so, they are a pain to get used to, I found myself using my canines if I had to bite anything, but they came off at my second appointment (they were surprised I hadn't knocked them off, and so was I, they got some serious whacks), so fingers crossed yours will too. I didn't experience any tightness the first time either, they used a very light wire, with a coiled section to push my teeth out, now they're tight to move teeth back around though, but the tenderness goes after a day or two.

Bendihorse

My bite blocks have not fallen off despite me attacking them with files, chipping at them with a screwdriver etc etc... They are def the worst part of the treatment so far (Even though i have a back wire protruding) I clench my jaw a bit with stress (and grind at night) so I have a lot of pressure on those points at the moment

Still feeling concerned that I have paid a lot over the odds for what im getting, I realise that treatment prices may vary due to Orthos experience etc, but that price difference seem to be extortinate... Both of the other girls i spoke to have clear clamps, the first girl that is paying 1500 has only got clear clamps on the top set.

I am getting my treatment in co.Wexford.

ailbheg

Bendihorse wrote: »

My bite blocks have not fallen off despite me attacking them with files, chipping at them with a screwdriver etc etc... They are def the worst part of the treatment so far (Even though i have a back wire protruding) I clench my jaw a bit with stress (and grind at night) so I have a lot of pressure on those points at the moment

Still feeling concerned that I have paid a lot over the odds for what im getting, I realise that treatment prices may vary due to Orthos experience etc, but that price difference seem to be extortinate... Both of the other girls i spoke to have clear clamps, the first girl that is paying 1500 has only got clear clamps on the top set.

I am getting my treatment in co.Wexford.

I agree with you about them being the worst part. I woke myself up several times by closing my mouth abruptly in my sleep, the pain was awful. They are difficult to get off, my ortho seemed to really have to convince them it was time for them to go.

Maybe talk to your ortho, and see why it's so much more than what other people are paying. I don't know if you could do much seeing as you've already started, but it's worth a try.

helimachoptor

Bendihorse wrote: »

My bite blocks have not fallen off despite me attacking them with files, chipping at them with a screwdriver etc etc... They are def the worst part of the treatment so far (Even though i have a back wire protruding) I clench my jaw a bit with stress (and grind at night) so I have a lot of pressure on those points at the moment

I do hope the part in bold is a joke

decob

Bendihorse wrote: »

I have got a little concerned than I may have paid too much, I spoke to a friend of mine who had pretty bad teeth, jaw was not aligned and she needed extractions. She had clamps on all teeth top and bottm (clear like me on front) and treatment lasted 18months. She paid 1500 for hers, mine are 4500 :eek:

Pretty much paying the same myself, clear brackets on top and metal on bottom and no extractions.

Bendihorse

The last two days i have woken up with the WORST iron type taste in my mouth and despite thorough brushing (5mins +) and using a flouride mouthwash its stays there until late in the day... Its gross I really didnt think braces were going to be this much of a pain in the hole, i thought id forget about them and get on with things but so far they are never off my mind

How long does it usually take to get used to them? My teeth arent even sore its just the bite blockers and the bulky foreign object in my mouth and the TASTE errugh!

I was prepared for pain but not this I dont think i could go through with this for 12 months, i havent even had them a week now and it feels like an eternity. I would strongly consider going back to my original idea of invisalign right now.

ailbheg

I had similar problems the first two weeks or so, the inside of my mouth also got quite irritated (I think I was talking too much), but now I barely notice them, it's only when I bite something tough that I really notice them there, and I only have mine since March.
I didn't get totally used to the blockers, but got to the stage where I wasn't bashing my bottom teeth off them every couple of minutes, which was enough for me, as they came off at my second appointment.

ennis81

Keep the faith, it takes about a month to fully get used to them. I wanted to rip mine off after week 1, am 16 months into treatment now and teeth nearly perfect:D also got jaw widened with jaw extender, I paid €4000.
You'll be delighted when you see your teeth gradually changing, its well worth the money and discomfort

Bendihorse

The jaw extender sounds interesting, i must enquire about that on my next visit... Thanks for the reassurance, im almost at breaking point here

btkm8unsl0w5r4

You cannot really compare the price or dental treatment with other people, braces for you are not the same as for somebody else even if the brackets are the same. The work, retainers, number of visits, tooth movements required are individual to you and the price will be individual to you also.

Its like complaining that your house cost 1000 euro to get painted white but your friends cost 600 and was painted the same colour....its cause you have two different houses, different sizes and different painters.

Oral Surgeon

Lachlan Brief Insect wrote: »

Its like complaining that your house cost 1000 euro to get painted white but your friends cost 600 and was painted the same colour....its cause you have two different houses, different sizes and different painters.

Very good, I like that one.....