Braces help please

[davers79]

Today my DD got fitted with her braces for the 1st time! Shes got "twin blocks" which to be honest are awful and I totally wasn't prepared for what they would be like. Not only are they removeable top and bottom braces but they have plastic moulds above each molar to realign her jaw and correct the overbite. Means she can't bite her molars together at all and therefore can't speak!!!

Shes got to wear them 2hrs per day this week and then increase it to overnight next week with a view to her wearing it as much as possible! The more she weares them the quicker the treatment!!

These braces are a massive impediment to her speech at the worst time ... we're just starting assessment for possible aspergers and speech/language disorder!

DD has been in tears tonight because they are hurting her. I've tried explaining that it will take a few days to get used to them but the more she can wear them the quicker the process overall.

DD has taken the dentists words very literally "wear your braces for a couple of hours each day" has become "I've got to wear them for another 21mins today so that equals 2 hours in total"!

DD has had an eventful day, with the braces and also shes doing her SAT's this week too. This afternoon she looked completely exhausted, never seen her like it before? She was struggling to stay awake during dinner and looked as if she'd run a marathon?! Hopefully she has a good nights sleep and is willing to wear the braces tomorrow!

Has anyone else gone through this with an ASD child?

x

 

 

Edited May 11, 2010 by davers79

[emmasmum]

We've been through it, although at the time Em hadn't been diagnosed.

 

The removeable braces are awful and Emma was so upset. Her orthodontist said she had to wear them all day and night, including meals, from the off, but there was no way she could manage to eat in them.

 

I did let her remove them for meals, and if we were going somewhere special or if she wanted to have sweets/fizzy.

 

She took Ibuprofen for the pain and, in the early days, we combined this with paracetamol. She had to go and have them adjusted regularly and when they were adjusted it was painful again for a few days but not so bad as the first time.

 

The removeable braces did get easier - I mean she could hardly talk at all when she first got them but after a time she could speak pretty well in them.

 

Emma refused school when she first had them - she's been bullied and was worried this was another thing that would make her a target. We had to reinforce the message that it wasn't a choice of school or no school it was a choice of braces or no braces. She'd also been teased about her overbite so she did really want the treatment.

 

When she went back to school (after a week or so) the SENCO sent a note around to her teachers asking that they be sensitive and not ask her to speak in front of the class for a time.

 

Things that might help:

Before and after pictures of people who've had braces - maybe a social story about the treatment?

Some sort of planner or timetable showing how the time will increase from 2 hrs a day to so many hours in the evening to all day at school etc etc.

 

I wasn't prepared for how difficult it was so I have every sympathy for you and your daughter.

 

Carol

xx

 

 

[oxgirl]

This is why we've put off getting braces for our lad, who is 16. He was referred for them a couple of years ago, but there's just no way he'd cope, it would be a torture for him and I could see it taking over his whole life. With exams and leaving school and moving on, he's got too much to cope with already so we've put it off again. He'll be too old by the time we get round to it and then we'll have to pay, but, tbh, the thought is just too daunting for us all at the moment.

 

Good luck!

 

~ Mel ~

[Stella63]

Hi

 

We are going through the exact same process with OJ. When we first saw the orthodontist we explained all the sensory issues around AS, like not being able to wear mouth guard for rugby and all the tics from his Tourettes. He advised us to try with the brace because the only alternative would be surgery at 16/17 which I researched and is not very pleasant at all!

 

Initially OJ was told to wear them for 2 hours and increase an hour a day until it was 24 hours - he was wearing them all night but wouldn't wear them at school and when we went back after 2 months there had been no change and he told OJ that he had wasted those 2 months. He explained that the pain OJ was feeling was a good pain and meant that things were working (like muscle pain after exercise) and OJ understood this and has now been wearing them all the time apart from eating. His speech is severely affected and he has to wash them a lot BUT he is wearing them (helped I think because he has realised that loads of other kids have them!) and he knows he can take them out if he is singing or performing. I also sent a letter in to the SENCO to warn teachers about his speech and not to draw attention to him.

 

I am amazed at how well he is dealing with them along with all the other issues with puberty like spots and voice breaking - changing times!!!

 

Stella xx

[davers79]

Thanks everyone :-)

 

Well so far so good. She wore them for 1.5hrs on Monday, 2 hrs yesterday and tonight has had them in since 6pm and has gone to bed wearing them (with the pot next to her bed incase they bother her in the night!). So I'm really really proud of her

 

At the moment shes really keen to wear them to school, I'm quite reluctant to rush it though. Shes already a target for the bullies and I know with her speech the way it is with the braces things will get worse for her - although luckily (or unluckily?) she doesn't understand all the social context of some of the nasty things said to her.

 

I think I will send a note into school though like others have suggested asking for her speech not to be made obvious until she gets more confident with them.

 

Thanks everyone :-)

 

x