Some more doubts and concerns

[pcspinheiro]

Ok, if you read any of my previous posts you will know that I'm freaking out about several things (extraction related) and now another has come to my attention. I noticed that my ortho's placed the bracket too high up on my upper second incisor, particularly on the same side where my canine was sitting a little too high. Now what happened is that this incisor was pulled down and is now the same hight as central incisor. Is there a specific orthodontic reason for this? Functional, I mean? My upper second incisors were always smaller than my central ones and I loved my smile like that, despite the croocked central teeth! Can this be undone, ie, get that tooth pulled in again? Last time I asked about this assymetric bracket placement and got a no-answer kind of answer... ( We move brackets during treatment). My only reasoning is that she just wants to give me the same smile I see on every person around me that wore braces, but I want MY own smile. I looked at old pictures today and I have lost a part of my identity... That's why I'm asking if this can be undone and whether someone can think of a functional reason to do it. Im seeing her again next week and I will have to speak my mind loudly to see if I can get heard about what I WANT done or changed... If this is just a cosmetic change she has no right! Not without my consent. Period

[pcspinheiro]

Over 50 reads and no comments... Has nobody been in the situation of wanting teeth back at where they were because the changes were for the worse and uncalled for?
I know read that you CAN intrude teeth but looks much harder than extruding them...

[djspeece]

I think most of us are scratching our heads over this one, with all due respect. There seems to be a question about how much you are willing to change your "identity" with braces, vs. the treatment plan. I don't think anyone here can answer your question with any authority. I assume that in most cases the end goal is to ensure that teeth basically are at the same level at the business end for chewing and other functional purposes, but I imagine your ortho can explain the rationale in terms of function vs. cosmetics. I am not certain this warrants being loud with your ortho, as I generally urge civility. It could be a very informative conversation. Best of luck to you.

[pcspinheiro]

Hi djspeece,
I think you hit the core of the question. I went to the ortho with ONE very specific reason: stop my lower front teeth form wearing out against the top ones. Now I notice that she's moving teeth in directions that make no sense except to change my smile's aesthetics, and that's not OK, as I never said I didn't like it. Quite the opposite, I'm pretty unhappy seeing my second incisors being pulled out to the same size of the first ones when this has NOTHING to do with addressing a deep bite, crowding or whatever. I really liked my smaller second incisors and this is pretty much gone. So you are right, my "identity" is being compromised without any apparent reason related to the treatment. That's precisely why I asked if someone could have a reason for this kind of tooth movement that was purely functional in addressing an overbite, overjet and crowding, as I really can't find one... When I said speak loudly, it was figuratively... I just need for her to understand that she cannot: 1) change my smile without even asking and 2) go beyond MY treatment goals using misinformation. She is clearly aiming for perfection but I'm happy with good and that's the amount of effort I'm willing to put in... I mean, could you really not solve less than 3mm crowing without removing teeth? Sure you could, but not fix my overjet, which I don't care about and it's just too much to ask of me for things that I don't care about. Never bothered me for 38 years and most likely will not bother me for the rest of my life. Sorry for being long, I'm just REALLY frustrated with how she deals with me. I have a PhD in neuroscience for God's sake, she could talk to me 1 on 1 without the bullish. Example: she assures me that my mouth space won't be reduced (I'm already a poor nose breather) because she would close the extraction gaps by moving the teeth laterally along the dental arch and not backwards. WHAT? That would open the gap in the middle... I know I have a protrusive (convex) profile and AESTHETICALLY I could benefit from going her way, but again, if I don't care why would she lead me down a treatment path that I don't want and which I clearly stated on appointment 1?

Sorry, just found myself letting steam out again...

[Rebeccasmells]

I think perhaps your ortho knows better than you, because you have a degree in neuroscience, not dentistry and Orthodontics. So perhaps trust her/him.

Secondly, you may think that every other person has a carbon copy smile, they don't. Everyone has a different mouth and everyone's teeth are all different shapes. A dentist wants to stop a possible relapse and also give a person a nice smile.

Perhaps you need to understand that to stop your teeth from wearing away (original aim) you will also have to forfeit the quirks in your mouth that you like, because it's not in the best treatment plan.

[pcspinheiro]

Just got back from my appointment and cleared that one out: I WAS being "standardized". There was no real orthodontic reason for the changes she made (nothing good or bad about having second incisors slightly shorter that central ones), so I politely said "no thanks" and she agreed to start intruding my teeth a little next time by re-gluing the brackets a little further down. It will be something in between what I have now and what it was before, but that makes me much happier.

I know a degree in neuroscience does not make me a dentist/orthodontist, but I do know biology very well and can rationally process things IF they are explained to me in proper medical/scientific language.

[Rebeccasmells]

... who goes to the ortho for s.h.it teeth

Did she tell you not to tell anyone that she did your teeth?

Ok I might be a little harsh and take it in good humour.

I'm glad you got what you wanted.

[djspeece]

Wonderful outcome, glad that both are now singing from the same sheet of music!

[pcspinheiro]

... who goes to the ortho for s.h.it teeth

Did she tell you not to tell anyone that she did your teeth?

I don't really get your comments and whether you're joking or not... if there was no reason to change my smile why is this "going to the ortho for s.h.i.t teeth"??? Why is it not OK that I fix my teeth WHILE keeping my individuality if there was no reason to mess with it? Should we all really have same sized incisors, as per their measuring gauge?

[Rebeccasmells]

... who goes to the ortho for s.h.it teeth

Did she tell you not to tell anyone that she did your teeth?

I don't really get your comments and whether you're joking or not... if there was no reason to change my smile why is this "going to the ortho for s.h.i.t teeth"??? Why is it not OK that I fix my teeth WHILE keeping my individuality if there was no reason to mess with it? Should we all really have same sized incisors, as per their measuring gauge?

I did write to take it in good humour. Your teeth, your idea of beauty. Spending five mins on this board will show you the complaints people have.... but on other threads you tell people not to care what other people think of their teeth, so why compare yourself to others teeth. Im spitting hairs.

[pcspinheiro]

I think you're getting this all wrong and your "attacks" are certainly uncalled for... so I'll try to explain a little better. I don't compare my teeth to other's teeth. I compare my teeth with my teeth. They were changed for no reason, just standardized (they actually have a measuring gauge for placing the brackets so everybody will have their teeth looking the same, tooth size and shape apart), don't like it, want old look back. I tell people not to care about what OTHERS think of them wearing braces (and that applies to their teeth too) because I also truly don't care about what OTHERS think about my teeth or my braces. But I do care about what I think of my teeth and wasn't happy with having them changed like that. Period. Nothing to do with other's opinions, just true to myself. I had red rubber bands put on this time.They show like tail lights in the dark. DON'T CARE.

Hope that was clear and enough to stop you accusing me of hypocrisy and whatnot...

[Rebeccasmells]

What do you mean a measuring gauge?

Not an attack, good humour as I said.

I'm sure you know you are in the minority that don't want your teeth completely straight and "the best" they can be.

Anyway, pictures please?

[pcspinheiro]

OK, sorry if I mistook your humorous comments with attacks to my posts. I don't have pics and my phone's front camera sucks, can't get a single decent, focused one... so I'll try to remember to ask the wife to take a couple tomorrow. And find an old one for comparison, I guess.

Cheers from Portugal.

[Rebeccasmells]

British humour

[djspeece]

British humour

That's funny; well played.