Finished, but UNHAPPY with results.

[Clarinet]

I was "braced" for about two and a half years. My braces were removed in March of this year.


My teeth from the front: notice my right front tooth is slanted inward and darker. Also, most of my teeth have yellow spots where the braces were.


again:


My overbite. It was "corrected" with elastics, but they didn't move my chin.



This is how my overbite was corrected. My top teeth slant inward and my bottom teeth slant outward.




How should I talk to my ortho about these problems? I don't think going to another is worth it, since my parents paid out of pocket for my braces the first time. How do you think he would fix it? Braces again or something else? My main concern is my overbite, since it looks as bad with my mouth closed as the day I got braces.

What should I do if my ortho refuses to fix it?

Sorry for all the questions..but thanks!

[JayC]

the dark tooth probably needs a root canal.. the nerves are probably dead. that is what happened to my bottom left tooth near the end of my treatment.. if you have concerns about your chin, its what happens when you get your bite fixed with braces only and not surgery.. your profile can be comprimised. the spots can be cleaned up by a regular dentist.

[Clarinet]

[JayC]

My tooth wasn't painful either. It was just dead. You get a root canal to prevent an infection. Most of the time ppl get root canals due to infections because they didn't notice the tooth being dead. Root canals done on dead teeth which have yet to get infected is a preventative measure. When the nerves die there is a large chance it will become infected/ abcessed.

As for the spots, you'll prob need to see a cosmetic dentist to get them professionally cleaned/whitened. They were probably just stained from having brackets on.

[AF104]

Your mandible needs to be surgically advanced. That will change the position of your chin.

[b]

Try searching a MARA appliance. I just got one to fix my overbite. Ask him about this, I like it because you can't see it, its only cemented on your first molars. Its quiet uncomfortable for the first few weeks, but you'll get used to it, especially since you've already had braces. Its designed to pull your top teeth back, and your bottom jaw forward.

[GiverSSJ]

[Bellalalala]

My front tooth looked exactly the same, I had no pain, and it needed a root canal.

I now have a crown on that tooth, but I got a veneer on the tooth next to it so that the colours would match perfectly.
However, I was told that you cannot put braces on crowns and veneers, so make sure all of your ortho work is done before you get anything porcelain.

[Snowglobe32]

I had a root canal many years ago and I have a bracket on that tooth. I would ask your dentist.

[switchblades]

The spots on your teeth where the brackets were is likely a result of plaque buildup around where the braces were. My first ortho warned me about that and said the only way to get rid of that is with laser whitening.

As far as the darkened tooth goes, I agree with what everyone else said, it's likely that the tooth is dead and they need to get in there and take out the dead nerve, or your tooth will get infected. I had a molar that it happened to and I didn't know until my whole right side of my face swelled from the infection. Talk about painful!

If you were offered the option of surgery and refused, the ortho has no obligation to do anyhting about the overbite, as that is really the only true way to change the overall structure of your jaw/chin.

[anne dublin]

Wow, I'm so shocked people are suggesting major reconstructive surgery on your chin. Your chin is absolutely fine. Anyone can post a close up of an area of themselves they dislike in close up and it can appear more of an issue than it it. Who looks at a chin from below in close up. People look at eyes etc. and wow even more shocking are interested in that thing called intelligence, sense of humour, personality.. (obscure stuff like that)

Secondly, it's a mistake to think that the only way to 'deal' with a dead tooth causing no pain is to have a horrendous root canal. Do you know how many profound health problems are thought to be caused b them ANd how painfull they can be.

With the rest of the body we accept that if you give it the right condiditons it won't become infected. And worse case scenario you can fight infection pretty easily and naturally (herbs,clove oi, garlic, topical applications and). internally. It really isn't difficult.

I know someone who just has it bleached every few yrs. No pain, no problem.

Though it's worrying to me how many people are reporting dead teeth after this process.

I'm also personally worried about the amount of movement in my fillings and about having got mercury poising from that occurring during this inman process.. (but that's a wole other post:)

Anyway, take care,

Anne

[Faerydust]

Little late responding, but it seems like my treatment was quite similar to yours. I had the premolars extracted to make space to retract/retrude the front teeth, but my lower anterior teeth are tipped forward like yours. My chin also looks similar. I think you could get a chin implant if it bothers you that much.

I even have the same problem with having a dark right central incisor. Years ago I hit that tooth and it died. I will get a root canal eventually. Yes you can get abcesses, infection, root resorption, and all that, but the tooth is also weakened and if it gets bumped, more susceptible to chipping/breakage.

Even if you whiten your teeth, that tooth will always be darker than the rest. If the tooth is already dead, it's possible to have the root cleaned out without even needing anesthetic since there is no live nerve to cause pain.

As for what the ortho can do about the tipping, mine says he can correct it with Hawley retainers and I'm hoping it will work.
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My Braces Story:http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=25137
4/23/08 - Upper 1st premolars & lower impacted wisdoms extracted