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Original poster

Twin Block Braces - Any Advice?

440 replies

Shar0769 · 25/01/2012 14:28

Hi
First post to Mumsnet, so please bear with me Confused

Just arrived back from Orthodontist with ds (10) who has had twin block braces fitted to correct his overbite and adjust his jaw. I can honestly say I feel sick/upset, he looks like he's shoved a sock in his mouth; can't speak, can't smile. Im dreading to think how he's going to cope at school. Shock

If anyone has any advice/experience on these braces it would be great. Anything to ease my worries.

Thanks.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
23
Mumof2kittyy · 26/02/2017 18:03

My dad has had twin blocks for 4 months now and is doing really well with them, she brushes them every time she cleans her teeth and is really careful about doing everything properly. Her problem is that her breath stinks! I don't know what to suggest. She is desperate to keep the blocks in all the time including eating so she can move on to train tracks in minimum time but I'm worried people at school will start to give her grief about the bad breath... HELP

MollyHuaCha · 26/02/2017 18:39

Sympathies here. My DC spent a year wearing a head brace. Didn't wear it at sch, but put it on whilst at home and always overnight. It was hard! But ultimately worth it. Head brace was the same as the one in this pic:

Twin Block Braces - Any Advice?
seventhgonickname · 26/02/2017 19:12

My dd didn't wear them for eating,if that's the only time they're out it doesn't slow the process.She just rinsed her mouth with mouthwash after eating and popped them back in.

motherhenpecked · 28/02/2017 12:52

Hi there

DD was fitted with these braces last week. She takes them out to eat and play netball and I was told that once she is used to them she can eat with them in.

She has coped remarkably well and despite the dribbling, slurping, difficulty talking and the long looking chin............. she is happy enough in them.

I've been reading about other mums concerns about the long chin and its reassuring to see from the posts I have read that your children did not end up with a long chin.

We don't know anyone else with this brace so it is good to link in. I wondered if anyone could let me know how much change in mm per month these braces has made to children who are pretty compliant. I was told the most difference happens the first month as the soft tissues stretch and then it's baby steps after that as the bone grows in place of where the soft tissue used to be.

Thanks

ScarlettDarling · 28/02/2017 21:42

Hi Motherhen My son's overjet reduced 6mm in the first 10 weeks of wear. Within 5 months his 10mm overjet was completely corrected and he was told to wear his blocks only at night. They work incredibly quickly!

motherhenpecked · 01/03/2017 07:00

Thanks ScarlettDartling for your response.

6mm in the first 10 weeks is amazing !!!

They told us that there should be a big movement in the first 6 weeks, they estimated 5/6mm and I thought that sounded a bit drastic but it seems they weren't exaggerating !!

They said after that movement is a lot slower as the bone grows in were the soft tissue has moved?

I am really pleased and surprised at how well DD is complying with the brace and so I am hoping she has a quick result like your son. Did he eat with his braces in or take them out?

Sorry about all the questions and thank you :-)

ScarlettDarling · 01/03/2017 07:40

My son ate with them in after the first couple of weeks. We'd been told that it would really speed things up if he used his jaw lots (eating and talking!) whilst wearing them, so he really persevered and it paid off so very quickly! He would even 'pretend eat' whilst sitting watching tv in the hope that it would help!

I can't tell you how delighted we are with the results. He's gone from having sticky out teeth and a receding lower jaw (a real classic 'goofy' face,) to having beautifully straight teeth and a lovely strong jaw...the face he would have had if he hadn't been such a thumb sucker til he was 8!!

motherhenpecked · 02/03/2017 10:27

My DD was a thumb sucker too, they said it was a combination of what her genes had given her exacerbated by thumb sucking. She stopped sucking her thumb a year before they started treatment.

I got her to eat a few things with braces in last night, she is so compliant with them I am hopeful for a good result like your son's ScarlettDarling.

motherhenpecked · 02/03/2017 10:28

p.s DD gave up thumb sucking at 8.5 years after speaking to Consultant Ortho !

seventhgonickname · 09/03/2017 10:45

My dd took them out for eating as they came loose,however she talks a lot so progress was fast.The quick change at the beginning is great as it encourages them to keep going. She had to tooth base widening bit too.Dd is 3 months into train tracks has a total of about 2 years.She has overcrowding and impaction and it looks like she may not have to loose teeth.

Boulshired · 24/03/2017 12:32

So glad this thread exists, DD got hers yesterday and could not imagine the next 24 hours never mind the next 9 months. We read this together and both felt better. I said prior to reading that she could start wearing from tonight as it's Friday, so she had the full weekend to get used to it, but after reading she went to school today wearing them and has texted she has got through this morning. Has hardly spoke but got through it. Thank you to previous posters.

motherhenpecked · 08/04/2017 07:30

How is your DD getting on Boulshired?

My DD had her 6 week check and there has been a 4mm reduction in her over bite already. They are really pleased with her and said she can start eating with them in now if she wants.

I am really pleased with DD and the way the braces have worked.

ScarlettDarling · 24/04/2017 21:51

Glad your daughter is doing so well Motherhen . It's nice when they start seeing results isn't it?

My ds has an orthodontist appointment on thurs to see how the fixed braces are working. We're really pleased. The blocks had moved his jaw so far that his back teeth didn't meet at all. Now the back teeth seem perfectly aligned. Hope the orthodontist is happy with his progress.

How's everyone else getting on? vjg, any news on a date for your daughter's extraction?

ScarlettDarling · 27/04/2017 18:45

Well, ds was at the orthodontist today, everything moving well. Thinks the fixed braces should come off at the end of the year. They're going to put elastic bands on at his next appointment to close the gaps which are appearing.

The orthodontist gave me a shock today though when he said he couldn't promise that ds's bite wouldn't move back to how it was before he started all of this treatment! He said that in most cases (90%)it's fine and that the jaw doesn't go back to how it was, but that it can happen! Aaaaaaaaargh! Has anyone else been told or experienced this?

MirandaWest · 27/04/2017 19:38

DD had her moulds made today so well be back in June to get the braces.

vjg13 · 27/04/2017 21:53

Hi Scarlett, my daughter has another dental hospital appointment next week so hopefully will find out how long it will be. Unfortunately, surgical extractions for children have a long waiting list.

Sounds like your son's treatment is going really well Smile

ScarlettDarling · 29/04/2017 09:26

Hi vjg hope your daughter doesn't have to wait too long. Let us know how she gets on next week. Are her teeth looking good?

vjg13 · 04/05/2017 22:35

Her teeth do look a lot better but still do not bite together at the back correctly on one side. The latest is that the current waiting list is 11 months Shock so she won't be having the tooth removed anytime soon or be able to get her fixed braces.

vjg13 · 04/05/2017 22:35

Her teeth do look a lot better but still do not bite together at the back correctly on one side. The latest is that the current waiting list is 11 months Shock so she won't be having the tooth removed anytime soon or be able to get her fixed braces.

JessicaLove144 · 05/05/2017 22:25

Hello, first time poster. DD had a twin block brace for a few months - August to January full time wear then nightly until the end of January. She had a overbite of 9mm.

Tough time with tears, self confidence issues and a lot of other bad stuff that I'm forever thankful is in the past. Her main hatred being how her chin stuck out. Now we're onto train tracks and all has been good until she ran down the stairs in tears a half an hour ago.

Her overbite has came back slightly - by around 1/2/3 mm or so I guess. We've noticed this the past few months and I did call the ortho a while back (a couple of weeks ago) about it and they said all was fine - it was normak to slightly relapse and it could be back to normal in a week. (It just got worse though)

However now dd is under the impression that it's going to come back full force and that she'll have to get rubber bands/elastics? And that she'll be stuck with the sticky out chin again because of said elastics?

Honestly not sure what to do, ortho is closed all weekend and the internet has no answers. She's in hysterics however and I'm getting worried myself.

Anyone have any advice/knowlage or anything to say about the situation? Thanks Confused

motherhenpecked · 09/05/2017 07:46

Hi All

Scarlet glad DS is continuing to do well but what a shock about the possibility of jaw moving back. I was told that after soft tissue moved forward that bone would grow in it's place so that the jaw would not move back. I would be gutted to go through this and have the jaw move back ....

Jessica, sorry your DD overbite is coming back a bit. I was told my DD would need the brace full time for 9-12 months, do you think your DD could do with wearing hers for a bit longer (I'm not an ortho but it might be worth asking).

I am really pleased with DDs progress, her tooth look amazing and I hope this continues and lasts !!

Motherhen x

vjg13 · 10/05/2017 11:26

What did your orthodontist say JessicaLove? Hope it was good news.

MirandaWest · 12/06/2017 14:10

DD is getting her twin block braces tomorrow morning. Not sure either of us feels too prepared for it. Am going to read this thread to try and feel a little more prepared.

motherhenpecked · 30/06/2017 07:54

Hi all - an update for anyone interested or just starting treatment.

DD saw her consultant yesterday and they are delighted with her progress. She doesn't have an overbite at all any more !

She does have to keep the appliances in until September and has been given a key to turn the braces weekly to open them and widen the top arch of her teeth so I guess the top jaw needs widening a bit - anyone else had to do this? It looks fiddly.

We are over the moon, I just hope that the jaw does not get out of line again when she stops wearing the braces as in others experience....

DD has been good for day 1 and really complied with the braces and worn them all the time. She did have some comments at school about the way she spoke with the braces in but her teacher nipped all that in the bud right away and had zero tolerance of teasing over the braces.

:-)

motherhenpecked · 30/06/2017 07:57

Mirandawest - how is your DD getting on ?