Metal Mouth Message Board

To me this makes sense, since there is somewhere for teeth to move to under those forces, so it's a predictable movement. If heavy forces were applied in non-extraction cases the results are likely more unpredictable, and in between appointments you may end up with new problems that can be difficult...

I just mentioned the specific case with extractions to make an easily understandable point. Regardless, elastics mostly move teeth. You can can even see this explained in wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastics_(orthodontics). Now, that movement may change slightly the way the mandible fit...

It took several months. My molars were extruded a few mm and also slanted inward to the point they would only touch on the outer edges. A couple of months after removing my bite plane the (stupid) work that was done over 6 months lost. Then, after removing braces it took about 3 months without reten...

I think that if your bite is just about there, once braces are off it will likely correct itself. My bite was way off (in many ways still is, as I'm 3/4 class II on one side, 1/2 class II on the other) when I removed my braces prematurely but it has now settled to it's initial, mostly comfortable, p...

I really think you guys are confusing the FEELING of having the jaw pulled forward or backward with what are actually the lasting effects of elastics, which is to reposition teeth to close the extraction gaps: you pull top teeth backward with class II elastics anchored in the bottom molars (giving t...

Extractions are sometimes needed (severe crowding or protrusion) but many cases can be fixed without them, depending on each person's objectives. From my own (bad) experience I always tell others that, in doubt, don't do it! You can always go down that route if the results are unsatisfactory, but on...

Pretty sure I read in scientific articles that elastics don't reposition the jaw. Not directly, at least. But by re-positioning teeth they may change the way the mandible is placed for proper tooth "fit" hence effectively moving it. Was I clear on that? For example, my mandible is a bit re...

I suffered quite some major relapse when I debraced, but not total relapse for sure. I wanted the relapse in some ways, as my front teeth had been leveled by their tips making for a horrible, half-visible smile. But they also got crooked again. All this happenned in like 3 months! The funny thing wa...

Elastics have mostly dentoalveolar effects, ie., they move teeth. Any jaw repositioning effects should be temporary while elastics are being worn since they will be pulling on the jaw, on one direction or the other.

Yes, when you have a protrusive profile extractions are very likely to improve your profile/face in general. But when, like me, that's not the case , when your nose is already a bit large and you only miss 2mm of space for your teeth to align in the arch (leaving some overjet but nothing exaggerate)...

Hi tiffingirl, I debraced with her out of site and frustration, told her I had had enough. After all these bad things happened I spent almost 1 and 1/2 years asking her to JUST please close the extraction gap as best as possible (as I would NEVER EVER remove the contralateral tooth) and to put my sm...

I'n funny how everyone seems to know that molar extrusion is a terrible idea in adults, EXCEPT for my former ortho, or course! She was such an idiot, un freakin believable! And I'm suffering the effects first hand, just as described in the literature: full relapse and TMJ problems. I just got the re...

Had something like this for several months due to a badly placed bracket, that caused the tooth to also confict with the upper ones. This tooth died... Get it checked and don't settle for a quick "seems fine"...

I think it depends from person to person. I've heard of people who never wore their retainers after debracing and their teeth did not move. But have also heard of people who experienced relapse even when wearing their retainers faithfully. I guess that's why it's usually not advisable to just remov...

It is of course more than ok to get braces just for aesthetics, and I suppose a great majority do it for just that. However, in my case, even that was made much worse, because all my front teeth were leveled by their tips when they have large differences in their vertical dimensions. Basically my sm...