Appliances created overjet?

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#1 Post by **metalmom** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 11:57 am

I'm almost 2 years into treatment.. I've had 2 appliances on the top, the expander and then another one that pushed the front teeth forward. I always assumed this was to make room for my impacted canine.. I also had my lower jaw expanded.
I'm closing in to having naked teeth. I've got elastics now. I'm just confused because when the appliance were removed I had an overjet. I think that's right. My top teeth are a little forward from my bottom teeth.
Anyone know how they're going to fix this? I go back to the ortho tomorrow I'm just curious if anyone has any idea.

PS I really need to post some pics on here I haven't done that in FOREVER.

#2 Post by **newsboysgrl777** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:09 pm

First, let me preface anything I say by saying I don't know all that much about any of this stuff, so whatever I say is part guessing and part repeating what I've read elsewhere.

I think it'd be helpful to know how much of an overjet you have? As our top teeth are naturally supposed to 'protrude' (for lack of a better word) over the bottom teeth. If that doesn't happen, you'll have what's called an 'edge to edge' bite which is basically where the bottom and top front teeth are in 'perfect' alignment and there is no overlap - this is NOT ideal.

Apart from that, I've read a lot of people talking about how their orthos say their teeth will 'settle' when they're in their retainers...so I'm wondering if maybe there isn't sometimes a little overcorrection done, and then they can continue to tweak some things with the retainer? For example, if the molds they take for the retainer aren't correct, your teeth could shift slightly...either back to their original positions, or they could move TOO MUCH the opposite way. If that's the case, then it makes sense that an ortho can intentionally make the retainer slightly 'off' from what your debonding day teeth look like to get them to be exactly where they want them to be??

Anyway, as I stated - these are just guesses...let us know what your ortho says!!

PS I know I just asked this question in another thread, but I forgot already, but I may be getting confused between overjet and overbite. (:oops:)

#3 Post by **metalmom** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:45 pm

I saw your question earlier! haha I was searching trying to find an answer. I know they should overlap some but this is a little much. They kind of poke out a little more then I expected. I guess I should try and get a pic on here so that people will know what I'm talking about. Thanks for trying! I appreciate it and you might be right!

#4 Post by **newsboysgrl777** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:55 pm

HA HA..yeah, it's very very complicated and obviously we're laypeople, not doctors, and in some cases, I feel like I NEED to be a doctor to understand the things people are saying. HA HA. I think it all depends on how in-depth you do your research and/OR how in-depth your ortho/dentist goes with you in describing things. For instance, I've seen people say "I'm a class II with a maxillary overbite and teeth 14 and 26 are impacted..." or something like that and I'm like "say what?!" LOL! Of course I could probably learn it, but I get confused VERY easily over some things..and this is one of those things!! I don't know why!

Anyway, I wanted to ask you - I re-read your original question and you said your lower jaw was expanded. Does that mean you had surgery? How was that? I mean, obviously it's not easy and it's rough, but how are the results so far and the 'side effects' and whatnot. And, if you didn't have surgery, how did they do that expansion? I'm definitely curious to know!!! (And, it's times like these that I just wish my lower jaw had grown into correct proportion with my upper jaw so there'd be no issues. HA HA)

#5 Post by **metalmom** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:31 am

I had 2 surgeries. It's fantastic. I haven't had any real issues.. I had my ortho appt this morning and looks like my bottoms will be de-banded in the next month!WOOHOO! No one in my "real life" seems to be excited at all about this. I did not have surgery for my upper expansion.. however, it can be noted that I had an xray done confirming that my fissure had broken apart so that I got true expansion. It was not a pleasant experience when it cracked but it was well worth it.

#6 Post by **newsboysgrl777** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 1:53 pm

Congrats on debanding!! WOO!!! I have to be honest and say that I haven't even GOTTEN my bottoms banded yet...that happens next Tuesday...but I'm ALREADY looking forward to the day that they're naked as they are now..but 'fixed.' LOL!!

Now, I need to ask...I don't understand exactly what you mean about your fissure had broken? Are you saying you had a palate expander (I think i'm remembering that from your initial post) that essentially CRACKED your upper palate apart?? or...am I totally misreading that? Also, you said you had 2 surgeries...so that was just for the lower? What necessitated you needing 2 surgeries, if you don't mind my asking?

And, on to the last thing...which is really the FIRST thing...LOL. What did your ortho say about the overjet?? How is (s)he going to correct that? Was it a concern? Etc., etc.