Re: Braces question for those who are further out...

August 17, 2004

Hi Cori,

I have had braces for 10 months now-and am 13 days post-op :0)-yaya!-

but my original braces situation was similar to yours-some of ous

have teeth that seem more willing to " get in line " ...they moved me

into my 3 different wires ahead of time too-my surgery didn't get

bumped up because I had to get wisdom teeth out adn wait for that to

heal before the surgery-so for a couple of months, my ortho

just " held " my teeth where they were. The 19 wire is just heavier

steel as compared to the ligheter wire, that is usually titanium. The

steel holds and moves more than the titanuim as its stronger.

Generally you'll get one with " lugs " on it -little loops-prior tot eh

surgery-I had mine 2 months prior as my ortho wanted to give me time

to adjust to it, before the surgery...all is good, if your teeth are

moving quickly, you'll get through all of this faster!

Connie

> Hello, I get the priviledge of having surgery for an open bite and

cross bite.

>

> So I've been in braces for 3 months now and I think things are

going well, but I've never

> had braces so I was wondering where I was in the scheme of things.

So far I've been in

> thermo flexible wires for a month and a half, and then they put me

in a stronger thermo

> flexible wire. My teeth are pretty much lined up and my upper is

already MUCH wider than

> it was before. I never realized how narrow my upper palate was, I

do have the crossbite on

> one side, but since comparing pics from before, you now see MANY

more teeth on top. I

> was at the ortho last Friday and I snatched a minute of his time

while he was checking out

> my mouth after the retie.

>

> I asked him how it was going, was I on track, ahead of the game,

behind? He took a look

> into my mouth, looked at my chart, looked at me again and

said, 'Yeah, things look great.'

> He kinda looked puzzled, checked out my mouth again, then my chart

in depth, then my

> mouth again and said, 'It's been three months? Yeah, you look

great, on schedule. Ahead

> of schedule actually, MUCH ahead. We'll change your wires next

time and start working on

> your arches, some detail work, (something else I don't remember)

and then get your ready

> for surgery.' Then he started highlighting things in my chart and

told the assistant to put

> me in steel 19s next time.

>

> Any one know if this is good or what that means? I know it varies

for all, how long have

> others been in thermo wires before moved to steel and/or what are

steel 19s and are they

> good? I was too surprised by all this to ask just HOW FAR ahead I

am and what it all

> means. Of course I'll ask when I go back in mid Sept for the

wire change, I was just

> wondering what you guys think. Thanks for the advice, this site

rocks! And hello to my

> fellow MN ladies!

>

> Cori

August 17, 2004