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Children's health

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Original poster

Twin block braces

30 replies

Mumtr · 29/08/2022 11:44

Can anyone tell me your child’s experience? Does the speech eventually improve? Do children adjust? My 12 year old has been recommended them.

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Original poster

Mumtr · 29/08/2022 20:22

hopeful bump

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Singleandproud · 29/08/2022 20:25

I had them, they did the job and you soon get used to them although you dribble ALOT to begin with.

As an adult my jaw clicks a lot and can ache if eating something really chewy or sometimes feels like it's not in position properly which I think is down to that brace. Still worth it though.

Original poster

Mumtr · 29/08/2022 20:57

Thank you. Bit worrying about the jaw clicking. Is it possible to get to the point where you can actually talk properly? As long as you persevere with wearing them. Or do you just forever talk weird when wearing them?

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Singleandproud · 30/08/2022 00:37

It's along time ago now (a couple of decades) but I'm pretty sure that I ended up talking fine in them, I think I was even able to eat in them ebentually

I have no idea if the clicking jaw is related but assume it is, I used to be able to have my little finger touching the back of my top teeth and still close my mouth so my jaw was brought forward quite a bit so it might be that too

Thestoppedfan · 30/08/2022 00:46

I had something very similar when I had my braces as an adult. I had them for 6 months and I found them awful to start off with as it is uncomfortable and feels wrong. It gave me an awful lisp. I would say the lisp never completely went but it was better after a few weeks (and lots of practicing of S words!). They were definitely worth it though it was amazing how much they corrected my bite.

Original poster

Mumtr · 30/08/2022 07:06

His teeth don’t really stick out but the top teeth almost completely overlap and cover the bottom teeth. It is to move the jaw forward to correct this .

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Joshanddonna · 30/08/2022 07:11

My dd had this exact problem. Hers was really severe and her braces were on for five years.
Yes speech adjusts. The first few days are grim but with paracetamol and soft food they're fine.
Her teeth are amazing now and her whole face shape has changed. She looks stunning. It's really worth it.

Dinnertime22 · 30/08/2022 07:12

I have them in currently. My bite sounds the same.
The first couple of months were hard if I am honest. Very difficult to chew. I have got used to it now and it works!
The blocks get smaller as time has gone on and eating is alot better. PM if you have any questions though.

Dinnertime22 · 30/08/2022 07:14

Just to add there are certain words it is harder to say. Nothing major though.

Original poster

Mumtr · 30/08/2022 07:17

Thank you that very kind- first time I have been offered a pm !

we have seen two different orthodontists. One recommends tooth removal then train tracks to straighten. One recommends twin block then tooth removal. So just weighing up these two options. It’s so hard to know which option is right.

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Original poster

Mumtr · 30/08/2022 07:17

Sorry twin blocks then train track - this avoids tooth removal if we did this

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GnomeyGnome · 30/08/2022 07:37

DS has just finished with his twin blocks, speech improved massively after a week or so. Bit sore for the first few days but nothing paracetamol couldn't get rid of. He was allowed to remove his to eat, do sports and brush his teeth. He did try eating with them in a few times as apparently this can speed the process along but he just never managed. To be honest I was absolutely dreading it, I'd read so many things about how painful they are, uncomfortable, distressing etc etc but they were nowhere near as bad as I'd imagined and he really did take it in his stride.
He had 4 teeth removed, twin blocks and upper train tracks. Now lower train tracks added for the last 6-8 months. Massive difference. If you can avoid tooth removal I'd definitely go that route.

icedancerlenny · 30/08/2022 08:21

My daughter couldn’t get on with them. She had them about a year and now they are doing the same job with fixed braces, elastics etc, which is so much better.

Bratnews · 30/08/2022 08:28

My DC had them, painful and lots of dribbling to start. The results were amazing - def worth it if your DD can push through the first few weeks. My DC started at 11 with the twin blocks and braces fitted about 6 moths later. All treated finished in 18 months whereas some classmates are just starting now (14/15). Better to get the dribbling done earlier!

Original poster

Mumtr · 30/08/2022 08:41

He is worried he will look ridiculous with his chin jutted forward. Is this the case?

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Bratnews · 30/08/2022 09:07

No he won’t look ridiculous, it’s just moving his jaw to where is should be. The hardest thing is overcoming the speech and dribbling in the first few weeks. Looking back at photos now I’m amazed at how severe my DCs over bite was, the change is remarkable and the longer term impact would have been far worse if not corrected.

Noname99 · 30/08/2022 09:18

Hi
Similarly to Bratnews I’m now amazed looking back just how bad my son’s overbite actually was. I didn’t really notice at the time as I guess he just looked like that. But I’m so so glad we did it. As an adult he really would have looked odd. As everyone else has said, it was awful for the first few weeks … they look odd there is no doubt about it. And they are uncomfortable and take lots of getting used to however my son got used them. It’s not great but I would say worth it in his case as the alternative would have been an overbite and huge sticking out front teeth as an adult. If your son doesn’t have that problem and tooth removal will solve it, I’d probably go for that but with my limited knowledge I’d be questioning why you’ve got two different ‘solutions’ as twin blocks move the jaws. Train track / tooth removal just move teeth?

Original poster

Mumtr · 30/08/2022 09:21

Yes it is worrying me that I have two solutions. I am just a mum with no knowledge on these things. And it’s really difficult to know what is best. But I am erring on the twin block perhaps is the best solution

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Ladyoftheprom · 30/08/2022 10:05

icedancerlenny · 30/08/2022 08:21

My daughter couldn’t get on with them. She had them about a year and now they are doing the same job with fixed braces, elastics etc, which is so much better.

We did this for my son too - it worked really well x

Madboys2 · 30/08/2022 10:40

DS has recently had twin blocks and now has train tracks. The blocks moved his jaw and corrected his bite. The top of the twin blocks had an extender which widened his top teeth (overcrowded). It was worn constantly including sleeping but taken out for eating, sports and brushing. This meant it was only worn for 6 months and then 3 months nighttime only rather than the expected 12 months minimum. At this point, DS could close his mouth with no overbite. He no longer looked like a Simpsons character!

The train tracks are now correcting the position of the teeth and fine tuning the bite. They are looking amazing but a pain to clean.

We saw our family dentist who recommended teeth removal and a extender at age 9 and then train tracks later. Second opinion at a well respected orthodontics, said twin blocks/train tracks later on when adult teeth were coming through. We saw them yearly (at no cost) to determine when treatment would start. Started at 11 and now 18 months, will be done by early next year. Really glad we chose this option, we were told it was because the jaw was immature and hadn't fully developed. So correcting the issue means less bite problems in the future (less dental problems) rather than masking it by taking teeth out.

RedHelenB · 30/08/2022 11:19

Mumtr · 29/08/2022 11:44

Can anyone tell me your child’s experience? Does the speech eventually improve? Do children adjust? My 12 year old has been recommended them.

Mine had them and couldn't get on with them so had 4 teeth removed instead before her other brace was fitted.

Original poster

Mumtr · 30/08/2022 12:11

Teeth look good now redhelenb?

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expandabandband · 30/08/2022 12:17

DD had twin blocks but they worked very quickly - it's about getting them in at just the right time for the start of teenage growth. She only had them in during the daytime for 5 months, then at night for another year or so, then train tracks, now has a retainer.

Her teeth look great, and her chin is fine, just normal (!). But her overbite was so severe that this was all done on the NHS (we had the professor at the teaching hospitals so felt in very safe hands).

funnyoldonion · 30/08/2022 12:25

My daughter had a 10mm overbite and got twin blocks when she was 9, and now has train tracks! Definitely go with the twin blocks option if possible as I think removing teeth is quite intense! Her speech and dribbling was there during a couple of weeks but it’s been amazing. her best friend learnt to decipher what she was saying. They said she maybe was going to need headgear which we were nervous about but the twin blocks worked so well she didn’t need them in the end.

Like previous posters it’s completely altered her face shape and she has perfect teeth now, due to come off completely in a few months then just a retainer at night! She looks absolutely gorgeous! Just persevere with it a day at a time!

Fizbosshoes · 30/08/2022 13:15

My DD had them age 10. I'm not going to lie it was pretty hard going for her. She needed pain killers for the first few weeks and was v self consciousness. But by 3 months her overbite had gone from 8mm to 3mm and she then only needed to wear them at night, which was a lot easier. She had them for a year, and then had train tracks for 18 months and was all done with braces by 13.
It had the benefit of stopping her sucking her thumb although that possible was the cause of the overbite to start with

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