Orthodontist Help!

LLcoolJ27

Hi all,
I've been wearing brackets (Train-tracks) for the past 18 months, and I've been told I have to get them taken off in 10 weeks. I feel (at the moment), my teeth aren't completely straight yet.
If, in 10 weeks time when it is time to get them taken out and I still feel like this, do you think I should raise this concern with my orthdontist?
I don't want to insult him or anything, but at the same time, I spent alot of money on these and I want to see perfect teeth!
Hopefully in 10 weeks, they will be fine though!
I'm not sure if anyone has gone through this kind of thing before, but anyone who has, do you have any advice?!

Thanks in advance

kkth0360

You should definitely tell your orthodontist if you have any concerns at all, before the braces are removed. Don't worry about insulting him, he'll be glad to be able to address any problems while the braces are still on - once they're taken off it's very difficult to make any changes.

You might find that he has already made some adjustments to correct any problems and they might improve over the next few weeks, but if not it would be a good idea to make an appointment for a couple of weeks before the day you are scheduled to have the braces off. That way he might well be able to make the necessary adjustments and still take the appliances off as planned a couple of weeks later.

But even if it meant leaving them on for another few weeks, you've put all this time, money and effort into the braces so it's really important that you're completely happy with the result.

LLcoolJ27

Hi
Yeah you're right but I guess I need to have some trust in my orthodontist too! I heard that the final stages are quite subtle, and maybe this is all that I need. Today he didn't tighten the bracket at all, which I was a little concerned about!
Is it true that the changes are quite subtle or can the braces still close gaps in these final 10 weeks?

I'm particularly concerned about one tooth at the top, but hopefully this will be corrected in the next 10 weeks.
If I don't see any improvement in week 8, I'll give him a call and arrange another appointment. Afterall, I've spent alot of money on them so I really would not like to see it wasted, if I'm not happy with the results.

Thanks again

Orthoman

Hi Llcoolj,

Your orthodontist will be a lot happier if you discuss your concerns before the braces are removed. Once the braces are off very little can be done. You may have a long appointment booked for the next visit so it might be worth phoning a week or 2 before if you are still concerned so that the appointment length can be changed if necessary.

Provided your dentist is a registered orthodontic specialist and not just a general dentist doing ortho, then I would not be too worried. He is anxious to keep the reputation of his practice and his general dentist referral base so will accommodate you as best he can within the limits of your particular case. You've had your braces for awhile so it's worth getting the best result you can for the sake of a visit or 2.

All the best

dumbblonde122

Hey there,

I had the tracks and felt the same thing. I confronted my orthodontist, who was delighted I was asking questions btw.

He said the teeth move the last few weeks quite discreetly.

However is it possible some of your teeth just can not straighten fully, even with the braces? My bottom teeth cannot and did not straighten fully with the braces and there is nothing that can be done about it.

Best of luck getting them off, it's a fantastic feeling!

Orthoman

Provided your dentist was a specialist registered chap, and you had fixed braces, in general teeth can be straightened.
However if your teeth were crowded, your orthodontist will have to take into consideration, whether extractions were required or not, and of so whether that would have some influence on your profile. It may be that if extractions were required on the bottom, then further extractions would need to be done up top, to get your bite correct. This then might have had a negative effect on your profile so a compromise decided upon.

It's hard to say, as each case is different. Total dedication to your retainers from the day the braces come off is a must or else the teeth will move.

All the best.:)