My next appointment was scheduled for November 5th. But today after lunch, the ceramic bracket on my prosthetic tooth broke. The prosthetic tooth gets pushed all over the place when I eat, and that puts strain on the bracket which eventually breaks. I called my orthodontist, and they were able to get me in today. I just expected to have the bracket fixed. But with my next appointment so close, he decided to go ahead and do the adjustment today. He checked my teeth and was happy with the movement of the top teeth out over the bottom teeth on the left side. He said I only need to wear the rubber band at night when I am sleeping. He had the assistant install a powerchain on my bottom teeth. A powerchain is like a whole set of the little ligatures all linked together. It kind of looks like “0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0″. The power chain was installed instead of the ligatures.
Apparently the powerchain is used to close any gaps between the teeth (not that I have any major gaps). I think it may help pull the lower teeth back so that the upper teeth will come out over them.
I am a little concerned about staining. The ligatures get stained easily, but they are somewhat obscured being wrapped around the bracket. But the powerchain will be much more visible.
I visited the orthodontist last week, and my appointment went great. At my last appointment he was a little discouraged because the two teeth on the upper left hadn’t moved enough to make it over the bottom teeth. He bent the wire almost straight, and put it back in. I asked about stronger rubber bands, but he said I was using the strongest they had. I asked about doubling up the rubber bands, and he said if I could do it, go for it.
Well it was tough getting the second rubber band to stay on. First I had to work at even getting it on. It kept slipping off the button mounted on the inside of the upper tooth. But I would put one rubber band on, then hook a second rubberband on the top button, and carefully hook it on the hook on the bottom. Often the second rubberband would pop off later in the day, usually if I ate anything.
Then I discover that some of the rubber bands in the bag were stuck together. I had been pulling them apart. But then I tried installing one of these double rubberbands, and found they stay in much better.
I noticed that the teeth were moving. And at my appointment, the doctor was pleased with the progress! He asked what had changed, and I told him about doubling up the rubberbands. He was thrilled. The top teeth or finally out past the lower teeth. I though I might be down with the rubber bands of that, but he wanted me to keep them in for another month. I am still doubling them up. Now instead of installing one, then the second one, I either use the double rubber bands, or with some effort installed two single rubber bands at the same time. This is tough trying to hold two rubber bands by my finger tip, and hook them on. But with practice it has been doable. My teeth are looking straighter!!!!! 