Advice Regarding Braces

[Dmac77]

Hi,

I've had braces on for a month or so, and they really aren't bothering me. But today, I had a TPA (Transpalatal Arch) put in, and it is driving me nuts. I can't chew food, because it gets stuck between the TPA and the roof of my mouth, and if I finally manage to chew to food so I can swallow it, the food gets stuck on the TPA when I try to swallow. I can't talk properly (I have a massive lisp right now) plus I've cut my tongue twice already (in less then 6 hours) while attempting to disloge food that has gotten stuck between the TPA and the roof of my mouth.

According to my orthodontist, I'm supposed to have this in until the end of my ortho treatment (2 more years). I can't deal with this thing that long. It literally took me 35 minutes to eat half a sandwich, because every bite I took kept getting stuck. I can't do this for 2 years. Plus, the orthodontist told me that I'll most likely end up getting a permanent indentation on my tongue, because my tongue will constantly be pressing against the TPA when my mouth is closed.

Does anyone have any tips for me?

Thanks,

Don

[Knowlege Bomb]

Originally Posted by Dmac77

Hi,

I've had braces on for a month or so, and they really aren't bothering me. But today, I had a TPA (Transpalatal Arch) put in, and it is driving me nuts. I can't chew food, because it gets stuck between the TPA and the roof of my mouth, and if I finally manage to chew to food so I can swallow it, the food gets stuck on the TPA when I try to swallow. I can't talk properly (I have a massive lisp right now) plus I've cut my tongue twice already (in less then 6 hours) while attempting to disloge food that has gotten stuck between the TPA and the roof of my mouth.

According to my orthodontist, I'm supposed to have this in until the end of my ortho treatment (2 more years). I can't deal with this thing that long. It literally took me 35 minutes to eat half a sandwich, because every bite I took kept getting stuck. I can't do this for 2 years. Plus, the orthodontist told me that I'll most likely end up getting a permanent indentation on my tongue, because my tongue will constantly be pressing against the TPA when my mouth is closed.

Does anyone have any tips for me?

Thanks,

Don

If the ortho says it's there for two years, you're kinda stuck.

Seems to me like something that'll be awkward for a while but you'll eventually get used to it. I can't imagine they wouldn't alter the design if it was that inconvenient on a permanent basis. Sorry I can't offer any advice as I've never heard of what you're describing.

[SteveSparks]

All I know is tht when I see braces on TV and then they are taken off, the person is always HOT.

I don't know but it must be a side effect of the lead poisoning...

[kainjow]

Relax. Like with all orthodontic work, it will feel awkward at first but you'll soon get used to it. I've never had what you had, but have had plenty of other things done, and they all are frustrating at first but you'll soon adapt.

[Rodimus Prime]

You get used to it. That transplant arch that you have is not that bad. They are a hell of a lot better than an expander. An expander is a lot more than just a thick wire. It is a large piece of metal and the expander is nothing compared to dealing with a herps appliance.

An expander is by far worse for getting crap stuck in it. The transplant arch you get get away with chewing gum. A expander you would live to regret.

Now the herps is by far the worse. You lose the ability to move your jaw side to side and it makes a flat surface for you entire bottom row of teeth so you ability to chew is shot. You more just mash your food. On yeah and that include the front teeth. The only cutting teeth you can use are your top from teeth. You can not use your teeth at all to open any type of plastic packaging because the bottom row is to smooth to hold on to anything. Oh and if if you open your mouth too wide (yawning) the piston things fall out so when you close your mouth they end up cutting into your gums.

I had all that crap in my mouth. My crap in my mouth from when I was 13 to when I was 17 (over 4 years). Of those 4 years at least 3 of them were spent with a transplant arch or worse.

My answer is suck it up. You will get use to it. I had by far worse. Hell my orthodontist used me as an example to show future patients what he could do and wrote about me in dental journals. I was one of those fun cases.

[Dmac77]

Originally Posted by Rodimus Prime

You get used to it. That transplant arch that you have is not that bad. They are a hell of a lot better than an expander. An expander is a lot more than just a thick wire. It is a large piece of metal and the expander is nothing compared to dealing with a herps appliance.

An expander is by far worse for getting crap stuck in it. The transplant arch you get get away with chewing gum. A expander you would live to regret.

Now the herps is by far the worse. You lose the ability to move your jaw side to side and it makes a flat surface for you entire bottom row of teeth so you ability to chew is shot. You more just mash your food. On yeah and that include the front teeth. The only cutting teeth you can use are your top from teeth. You can not use your teeth at all to open any type of plastic packaging because the bottom row is to smooth to hold on to anything. Oh and if if you open your mouth too wide (yawning) the piston things fall out so when you close your mouth they end up cutting into your gums.

I had all that crap in my mouth. My crap in my mouth from when I was 13 to when I was 17 (over 4 years). Of those 4 years at least 3 of them were spent with a transplant arch or worse.

My answer is suck it up. You will get use to it. I had by far worse. Hell my orthodontist used me as an example to show future patients what he could do and wrote about me in dental journals. I was one of those fun cases.

I do realize that I could be a worst position. I'm just afraid that I'm not going to adjust to the TPA, I feel like a complete and total idiot; I'm having to learn how to eat again and how to talk again, and I'm just frustrated right now.

Sorry for my whining. I honestly just don't know if this is going to get better, because none of my friends who have had braces had a TPA, so none of them have been able to give me any advice regarding it, whereas I was able to get advice regarding spacers, braces, elastics, etc.

Don

[Rodimus Prime]

Originally Posted by Dmac77

I do realize that I could be a worst position. I'm just afraid that I'm not going to adjust to the TPA, I feel like a complete and total idiot; I'm having to learn how to eat again and how to talk again, and I'm just frustrated right now.

Sorry for my whining. I honestly just don't know if this is going to get better, because none of my friends who have had braces had a TPA, so none of them have been able to give me any advice regarding it, whereas I was able to get advice regarding spacers, braces, elastics, etc.

Don

You get used to it. Trust me you get used to having and adjust to it. In a few days it will be nothing more than a minor inconveniences. Personally I found the braces more annoying than the TPA in how they effected everything.
All that crap I had in my mouth I mostly adjusted to the. The herps I learned to deal with it but it sucked the entire 9 months or so I had it.

The expander and the TPA not to bad. Annoying at times but you get used to them pretty quickly. I went from the expander to the TPA so to me it was a huge improvement but I had a few months to get used to the expander but I got used to it.

[Melrose]

I had braces for five years +, and still wear my Hawleys at night (and I've had my braces off for.. oooh... about nine years)

Anything foreign that has to stay in your mouth will feel weird, for about a month. It never really stops being a nuisance, but you do get used to it. You'll have nice teeth if you do everything the orthodontist tells you.

The worst thing is accidentally eating your elastics.

[Gregg2]

Follow what the orthodontist tells you to the letter. Otherwise, you could end up needing braces again, or living with the migration of teeth that will occur if you "cheat".

[notjustjay]

Yeah, I remember going through all that. You really do get used to it. I wish you best of luck, though. I wouldn't wish to go through that experience again.

The thing I hated the most was when wires would dig into my cheeks, scratching and scraping away for days at a time before my mouth adjusted. They always gave me packets of wax to mould around the sharp edges. Which of course I would end up eating in my sleep.

[iOrlando]

just think of all the girls who you will get when your teeth are nice and straight. that might get through some of the pain.