Functional braces - different options help

[Rubixeight]

Hi! My DC will need braces to help with overbite and widen the jaw. Has your child had any experience with the MARA brace (a fixed brace/expander) or twin blocks or Invisalign ? How did they get on with it? Thanks for sharing your/their experience!

My DC had twin blocks, initially very uncomfortable and it took a while to get used to them. Results were remarkable and actually didn’t take that long, think it was around 6 months. We were lucky that we managed to get them started around age 11. Completely done and out of braces by 13 when many of their friends were starting to get braces fitted.

Speech & drooling were the main issues to start off with but you just have to persist it’s definitely worth it. Some manage to keep them in while eating which means they work faster but my DC took them out and they still worked well.

I had twin blocks the results were brilliant, like all brace they were uncomfortable to start but you soon get used to them.

The downside is I have a very clicky jaw which I assume is linked to the braces, it's gotten more annoying as I've gotten older. It clicks all the time when I eat and can feel like it's not in position properly, it doesn't hurt but does feel irritating and uncomfortable.

My dd was due to have twin blocks but after reading horror stories I spoke to the orthodontist and asked for another way. We are NHS but I was happy to pay privately to avoid the twin blocks!

He said they could take out two teeth and go straight to fixed braces and the results would look pretty much identical to the untrained eye but as a dentist he would notice it was slightly less perfect than having twin blocks first.

So straight to fixed braces, plus it’s shaved a year off of the treatment plan.

Just to add that I was against twin blocks due to the potential discomfort, look and speech issues. My dd had speech issues when she was younger and I also felt she’d be really self conscious going back to secondary school after lockdown when she hadn’t really had a chance yet to find her feet there due to covid.

I’m sure you’ll find positive stories of them!

Ds had twin blocks. Quite uncomfortable for the first few days but he was 100% compliant with the regime and they worked brilliantly and quickly

Thanks! I was initially leaning towards twin blocks, but then thought maybe the permanent one MARA would be easier since it’s not removable.
Sounds like the discomfort with twin blocks isn’t for too long.
@Notnastypasty that’s amazing you could skip the functional brace part. I think in our case there is a lot more space needed and the overbite so think we have to go through the functional brace first 😣

My DD had twin blocks at 11. She got on fine with them. They were so successful she only needed them for 7 months before having a brace. She was finished with that after another year so was all done before she was 13.

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime i have the clicky jaw too at times- really annoying !

@Rubixeight if you’re concerned it’s worth checking with the dentist. My dd had an unusually large overbite to be fixed.

I had twin blocks over fifteen years ago with an overbite of 1cm. It was measured a few weeks ago and it is still perfect. I've worn no retainers and my teeth have moved but the twin blocks did an incredible job at sorting my main issue. I wore them at night only and had no discomfort other than the first few days, it really was minimal. I found train tracks much more painful and invasive (though still worthwhile).

Thanks so much for all your comments. Looks like the twin blocks are really effective. The fixed brace seems to be as effective, but maybe more painful to put in 😬

@Notnastypasty I am too scared of the dentist!

I've no experience of the mara but looking at online images it looks quite chunky and like it would rub on the cheek significantly. I found the pain of train track braces far worse then the twin blocks as they rubbed on the cheek more, I had ulcers all the time and was in pain alot.

My daughter had twin blocks, they are initially a bit unpleasant but worked amazingly and the first results can be seen quickly, within a few weeks.

Thanks! It seems twin blocks are more popular than MARA fixed block. Just hope DC keeps them on - the ortho said they needed to be on for 23hrs a day.

Ds had twin blocks. There is a long running thread on here somewhere. I don't think invisalign corrects the jaw alignment,

Our DD2 had twin block braces for six months or so. Initially uncomfortable but she persevered with them wearing them constantly apart from teeth brushing. She then needed surgery for a supernumerary piece of tooth which was preventing her fist premolar from erupting. She's now into the last six months of fixed braces with bands and the transformation has been amazing.

My daughter was never able to eat with the twin blocks in but they still worked fantastically. She wore them very conscientiously the rest of the time. The first few days are quite difficult with speech and drooling but the transformation was absolutely incredible. She had an overbite and an open bite on one side.

Twin block braces
My daughter who is 12 has just got twin block braces. It’s a real shock and she is adjusted to them. She is doing really well, usual things like people have mentioned is drooling, soreness etc.
my biggest concern is school, I know how children can be, my daughter is so quiet and sensitive and so so shy, I know children will tease her. I don’t want her to go through this . In the past any little minor comment has hurt and upset her so much and this was nothing to do with her teeth. This will now absolutely hurt her so much if it happens and unfortunately I know this will as it’s a major change and the size of her braces.
I know she must wear hers as much as possible 23 hours a day . Has anyone ever not let their child wear them for the 6hours a day for school Monday to Friday but endured they were on. By he time for every other hour and weekends? I understand progress would be slower this way and I know that as her parent I should ensure we comply but I also know how bad it could be in school and I know my child and how so sensitive she is, this would just destroy her.
As it’s Christmas she will be wearing 23 hours a day fir the next few weeks but with school in the new year she is so scared and even though I don’t say this to her, I am so scared for her to.
Please let me know if anyone else went through this
Thank you xx