Currently in Braces After a Year - Brampton, ON
I had a 5 mm overjet and a tooth on top that stuck...
I had a 5 mm overjet and a tooth on top that stuck out from the rest. Also my lower teeth were slightly crowded, although they didn't really bother me. I just didn't feel I loved my smile like I once did so I took the plunge. I'm currently 16 months into my treatment and my orthodontist says I'm pretty close to taking them off because my overjet has decreased to 1.5 mm so it's very good. My bite has improved. Currently my lower midline is off centre by a bit, but he said that my bite is so good that it's best not to compromise it by trying to fix something that cannot be noticed anyway.
Over the course of my treatment my teeth have moved in ways that really bothered me. I had to keep in mind that this is absolutely normal and any tweaking can be done near the end of the treatment once my bite was fixed. Also I am much more aware of the shape of each individual tooth. I've always felt my teeth didn't finish growing up top so seeing myself with braces in the mirror everyday really bothered me. It has nothing to do with my treatment at all. Braces do not fix the shape of the teeth, they just straighten how the teeth sit in the mouth.
Also, your dental hygiene is extremely important. Flossing is much more difficult and time consuming but it is still a necessary step at least once daily. Also, making sure the area behind the wires are free of plaque is also crucial or you will end up with discolored or damage teeth once the brackets come off. The first few days after having them put in and having had an adjustment is painful, but not unbearable. Eating is different and you have to be cautious of what you eat. Anything hard or chewy can damage the bond that holds the brackets on the teeth. I gotta say I can't wait to have them come off. I hate smiling and I miss taking good pictures. I look different in a bad way. I hate how meat and greens just get stuck behind the wires and around the brackets. I'm always having to clean my teeth after a meal. But I know the end result will be worth it!!
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Absolutely love the pictures you added! It really helps to see what the different stages look like. Your lavender lig. ties were very cute! :)
Braces are coming off February 5th, 2013!!! That...
My next appointment they will be removing my braces and then placing a lingual bonded retainer on the top and bottom of my 6 front teeth on top and bottom. This appointment will take approximately 2 hours. My teeth are so ready!! I am so done with canker sores and bracket hooks getting stuck in my cheeks. Flossing with lingual bonded retainers will be no different than flossing with regular braces on. I'm just so happy to be able to floss my molars normally again and to be done with food getting stuck in my brackets. 19 months is a relatively short amount of time compared to the average 2 year treatment time for most patients. I know someone who was in braces for 5 years!!! So I'm relieved it's only taken about a year and a half. :)
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Woohoo for a scheduled deband day!! That is so exciting!!
I'm glad to hear you are getting bonded retainers if your teeth tend to shift open.
Just a few more weeks!! :)
First of all, let me say that I am so happy to have found this foorum...Here is my delima.. I am 50 yrs old, and I guess I am getting vain in my old age :-) I had a consultation with an ortho, not quite sure if I was going to get braces or go the veneers route. Once I was told how much veneers would cost (22,000,00) I almost chocked! I do not have dental coverage, therfore must pay out of pocket 100% I am leaning towards the braces route, and I have done some research comparing ceramic braces...invisiline......still not sure what route to go... I have read on a few different sites the negatives if I chose to do the inviline way.. Guess I am leaning to do the traditional metal on bottom, and get clear ones for the top..... Is there anyone on this forum from Ontario, Canada?? Any recommendations....can u help me figure out what way to go... p s havin the look of metal in mouth doesn;t bother me....or at least I say that now!! thanks a bunch to all, and pls keep up the posts :-)
I am 47 years old and just got a full set of ceramics. I did a ton of research ahead of time and made the decision in partnership with my ortho. I also got two consultations to be more confident I was making the right choice. I wasn't confident with the first at all and it was really impacting my decision. Once I had the second consultation with a different ortho, I LOVED her and got the braces on within a week. I'm happy to talk about my experience researching and getting braces as a 47 year old woman.
So after 19 months I finally got my braces off....
I have bonded lingual retainers on the top 6 and bottom 6. The bottom ones are fine but the top ones feel so bulky. It took a day to get used to them but it will always feel like something stuck in my teeth. I also chose a Hawley retainer. Maybe I should've chose the Essix. I thought the Essix would be too bulky but it turns out the Hawley is bulkier on the roof of my mouth and makes me wanna gag.
I don't know how I feel about my teeth. I guess I'm relieved to have them off. I wish that both sides were symmetrical but it was so hard to tell with the brackets and wire in place. I probably would have lived with them another month if I had known they'd look this way.
In hindsight I really wish only one ortho was overlooking my treatment the whole way through. At about 6 months to 10 months into treatment I had the senior ortho for a some of my crucial visits and I really believe he may have compromised my treatment somewhat. One was the repositioning of that one tooth I feel is unsymmetrical. That bracket was taken off when it was not needed to and when it was replaced I feel it was replaced poorly leading to an off placed tooth. So if you go to a shared treatment orthodontist it is best just to see one provider. It keeps things consistent throughout treatment.
So I'm still on the fence about whether this was worth it. Maybe I could have gotten better results with invisalign but my overbite would not be corrected. Perhaps down the line in the future I may opt for that treatment. I'm just not so confident in my smile anymore. Maybe I just need time to adjust. Who knows....
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Good job wearing your elastics! You bite came down a ton. It isn't easy to commit to wearing them - well done! I can see the tiny bit that your midline is off (thanks for uploading such great pictures btw), but I sincerely doubt that would be noticeable to people not staring at your teeth & looking for it.
Has your orthodontist given you an estimated de-band date yet?
Oh yeah, sometimes things definitely get worse before they get better. It can be hard to watch that and not get all worried that things are going awry. BUT...you are almost done!! Its great that you are open to keeping them on into Feb. if needed. I'll be crossing my fingers that they look amazing come January and that extra month won't be needed though. :)