Frustrated with slow progress

If your child is in any stage of orthodontic treatment, this is a place to connect with other parents in your situation. Please note: this is a forum for adults only -- kids may not post here!

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southerngirl1913
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:58 am

Frustrated with slow progress

#1 Post by southerngirl1913 »

Hi everyone, I'm new to the group and this is my first post.

My daughter G, is 14 years old and we have been on her dental journey almost three years with very, very, very slow progress. Being a 14 year old girl, now in high school her smile is a significant struggle.

We were informed she is missing her lateral incisors (both) and one wisdom tooth (who cares about him). We were told we need implants for the lateral incisors around her college age so she will be done growing. She had one oral surgery to expose and chain her cuspids 12/13 and this was the start of her orthodontic treatment. Well fast forward to Jan of 2015 we were told her primary teeth were not falling out and that she would need to have the remaining nine extracted! March of this year we had 12 removed surgically (we went ahead and had her three wisdom teeth removed while she was under).

We recently went in for an adjustment and were told there has been little to no movement. My daughter only has her two front teeth at the top and pretty much all gums until her last two molars. The bottom is somewhat better in that she has five in the front then nothing until her molars.

This has been such a painful process in all the ways that count and I'm sure you all know the feeling. I am at a loss as to what to do. Her orthodontist says she should be able to have a strong enough wire to add some placement teeth (fake) to help fill the gaps by Christmas time but I am so afraid she will be disappointed. And how many of those can you have anyway? I am just so tired of seeing her cry and giving advice to stay strong and this will all be better in the end..and frankly I don't know what and when the end of this journey will come.

I would love to hear any advice, suggestions you are willing to share.

Just for reference here are her xrays (oldest to newest LtoR)-I couldn't get it to show up in the post so let me know what I may be doing wrong.

http://i1035.photobucket.com/albums/a44 ... 1zo1xx.jpg

teeebeee
Posts: 211
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:26 am
Location: Norfolk, UK

Re: Frustrated with slow progress

#2 Post by teeebeee »

Please, please tell her to hang in there. It WILL be worth it when it's sorted. It is, frankly, horrible to be as I am, finally getting a lifetime's grotty smile sorted and to realise how much having bad, gappy teeth has spoiled so much for me. I know that, deep down, I shouldn't have stopped myself doing what I wanted to do but, well, I did. I also settled when I should've moved on.

If this had all been sorted as a teen, I know my life would've been different.

No matter how pleased and proud I am of sorting it now, there is a frustration that will never go.

I'm honestly not as negative as this sounds, really but, please do tell her to soldier on now because her slightly older self will be really grateful.

{{{Hugs}}} to her!

T xx

southerngirl1913
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:58 am

Re: Frustrated with slow progress

#3 Post by southerngirl1913 »

Thank you for the encouragement.

gglass
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2016 10:55 am

Re: Frustrated with slow progress

#4 Post by gglass »

How long has she been in treatment? Looks like baby teeth were pulled. Unfortunately the cards have been delt here and your just going to have to hang on. The clinician probably could have waited and shortened her treatment time and kept you from this stage IMO, but your here now so keep telling her to hang on.

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