worried about braces

lady26

Hi,
Need advice as I am having sleepless nights with worry, I have been wearing braces for 20 months, i am in my mid twenties, I opted for cermaic brackets on my top teeth to correct a slight overcrowding.
when I say slight I mean very slight my two eye teeth were slightly ontop of my front two teeth ( if that makes sense). Anyway my dentist removed two teeth, one either side the problem now is 20 months on the two teeth that were overcrowed have moved the fraction that they needed to but I still have the spaces where the two teeth were pulled as they have not closed at all.
I feel the two teeth should not have been pulled and can't see how the spaces will ever close. I was initally told it would take 18 months - I understand that most braces take longer but I am extremely worried that the holes where the two teeth were removed willl never close. My denist assures me that she will close the gaps from the back but I am afriad this will only add to the problem. I feel now is the time to act before she moves my back teeth - should I consider implants? The longer it drags on the more stained the brackets are and the more worried I get. any advice would be welcome

ballsymchugh

can you clarify something for me, was it the teeth behind the canines that were extracted and it's that gap that needs to be closed? are the canines now in the line of the arch? how big is the gap at the moment? compare it to the second premolar, the last small one before the molar teeth. is it, say, full size, half, quarter??
any problems that you have you should raise with the orthodontist, i'm sure she'd be more than happy to sort it out.

lady26

starting from the back of my mouth i have 2 molars on either side ( not including wisdom teeth they never grew) and then it is the next tooth on either side that was pulled. so again according to a diagram on net i think its called the 2nd bicuspid thats missing. The gaps are the size of the teeth that were removed ( can fit my baby finger in gaps!!!!)

ballsymchugh

lady26 wrote: »

starting from the back of my mouth i have 2 molars on either side ( not including wisdom teeth they never grew) and then it is the next tooth on either side that was pulled. so again according to a diagram on net i think its called the 2nd bicuspid thats missing. The gaps are the size of the teeth that were removed ( can fit my baby finger in gaps!!!!)

feckin americans.

anyway, are your front teeth all in line now?? it's not making much sense as to why the gap should be the same size still, if there was crowding at the front and sorting that out should've closed the gaps even a little bit.
if the orthodontist is confident that the gap can be closed then i'd have faith in her. the treatment wouldn't normally be completed until dentist AND patient are happy with the result.

lady26

One side is in line the other has spaces that were never there!! I am just worried about moving the back teeth to close the gaps from missing teeth -will they not just move back when braces are removed.? I know I can't get the teeth back now, I am just sorry I ever started the process as my teeth are worse and I can't see them moving enough to close gaps.

vishal

I am sorry to hear this but I am sure everything will be ok. If you can post some pictures of your teeth, maybe we can offer some advice. otherwise a second opinion might offer you some reassurance. i need to be able to see your first molars when you are biting together, see photos

lady26

Will get to work on photos but yes will look for a second opinion, need to get it right while I have the braces. Hindsight is a great thing if I could turn back time I wouldn't have got them at all and would still have my two teeth!!!

vishal

lady26 wrote: »

One side is in line the other has spaces that were never there!! I am just worried about moving the back teeth to close the gaps from missing teeth -will they not just move back when braces are removed.? I know I can't get the teeth back now, I am just sorry I ever started the process as my teeth are worse and I can't see them moving enough to close gaps.

teeth are removed not just for aligning crowded teeth but also to have ideal interdigitation when biting.
spaces should be closed in such a way that you will have a good bite. And no, the teeth should not move back if you have a good bite. Although 1/2 mm spaces can open if you don't wear retainers or if the roots were not properly paralleled.

lady26

Hi Vishal thanks for that reassurance hopefully they will work out fine. Bite seems to have improved - still didn't get round to photos yet, Christmas shopping and all that!!

chickenlegs

Are you attending an orthodontist? or dentist for treatment?

lady26

A dentist!!. Where do I go from here?

chickenlegs

Hi
Prob as earlier suggested you could get 2nd opinion from an Orthodontist just to clear it up and set your mind at ease

ballsymchugh

i'd suggest asking the dentist for a referral to an orthodontist, just so that she knows where she stands, and she should appreciate that you really are worried. is she a dentist that does braces all the time, or some of the time??

lady26

Im not the type of person that likes to cause trouble for anyone and while I am very worried about my teeth I don't want my dentist to think that I am questioning her ability, or her belief that they will be fine. I keep saying that I am worried and she tells me they'll be lovely and she can close spaces from the back. I am going to make an appointment with an orthodontist and then tell her that I have got a second opinion adn take it from there. I know she has other patients for braces so its not as if I am the guinea pig. After talking to others I feel the two teeth were taking hastily to make room, prehaps the slight movement could have been achieved without taking two teeth.

ballsymchugh

she'd want to be a serious string of shyte if she got offended by asking for a referral. you're obviously worried, so if she was confident in the treatment plan, the specialist view would confirm it. i'd only avoid saying you're looking for a second opinion if that opinion was somewhere in budapest!

lady26

Well I could see her fobbing me off if I asked for a referral and telling me they will be fine, but how long do I have to continue with no improvement or no movement!! was supposed to take 18 mths, now 21mths down the line. Also if I have to start with implants / veneers the cost is going to be a lot higher than I had initially budgeted for.

ballsymchugh

point out that things have not changed in the past few months (photos or models would be ideal), therefore she can't really fob you off. if she does, then in that case, i'd go to the orthodontist yourself. i don't think it'd end in a shouting fight or anything, so don't worry. you're putting in the time and the money, and you just want to make sure it's well spent.

mylittlepony

Just read this.
Do you mean your dentist has been treating you all along for this.
If yes, thats cant be right, they are not qualified for this.
Can only refer you to an orthodontist.
You should have been treated by a orthodontist.
But if im wrong, my aplolgies for misreading your post.
Best of luck.

Magenta

lady26 wrote: »

Im not the type of person that likes to cause trouble for anyone and while I am very worried about my teeth I don't want my dentist to think that I am questioning her ability, or her belief that they will be fine.

OP there is a big difference between getting someone in trouble, and looking for confirmation that you are getting the treatment you are paying your hard earned money for.
I don't think your dentist is going to take it personally if you are asking questions.

georgieporgy

mylittlepony wrote: »

Just read this.
Do you mean your dentist has been treating you all along for this.
If yes, thats cant be right, they are not qualified for this.
Can only refer you to an orthodontist.
You should have been treated by a orthodontist.
But if im wrong, my aplolgies for misreading your post.
Best of luck.

I know you mean well but your info is slightly inaccurate and in case it causes other readers undue worry it should be made clear that all dentists are qualified to provide orthodontic treatment, or any other type of dental treatment for that matter. The individual abilities or preferences of dentists may very well vary from one to the next.

Big_G

Agreed. Please get your facts straight before possibly causing undue stress.

mylittlepony

Please ignore my first post.
Hope not cause any worry.
Best of luck.

lady26

mylittlepony don't worry about first post, I'm waiting for an appointment with an orthodontist for my second opinion so fingers crossed someone can put my mind at ease.