de-bracing anxiety/are they really ready?

This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!

New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.

DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.

Moderator: bbsadmin

Post Reply
Message
Author
allisun
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:44 am
Location: Austin, TX

de-bracing anxiety/are they really ready?

#1 Post by allisun »

Hi all,

I'm due to get my braces off on June 1 and there's a couple things I'm nervous about.

1. What does the ideal bite look like from the inside, ie, how are the molars supposed to line up on the lingual side? I can't find any diagrams of this. I'm asking because I when I bite down and run my tongue along where my top and bottom molars meet, I can almost poke the tip of my tongue in there. It feels like they're a few mm apart on the lingual side. Obviously they are OK on the cheek side. Is this a problem? Will it cause uneven wear? Or am I being crazy? (PS--I am in elastics for three weeks that hold my teeth/jaw in a clenched position 24/7... I can barely open my mouth a few mm. Been in them for 1 week so far. Their purpose is to "pull everything together" before de-bracing. I had a few days of initial elastics tenderness but haven't really seen anything move.)

2. I have my debanding appointment for June 1 and no mention was made of x-rays. I get retainers the same day. I forgot to ask about the lack of x-rays, in my excitement of getting a debanding date! I would assume that he would have told me if I were getting x-rays, because I had to get my initial x-rays done at a different place and I haven't seen any x-ray equipment in the ortho office.

I pretty much do trust my ortho, especially considering his two office staffers both have braces--I don't think they would have done that if they had seen people unhappy with their results. I'd like like to know if I'm crazy or not before I call him.

Thanks!

Andromeda
Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:29 am
Location: Southern California, United States

#2 Post by Andromeda »

Hi allisun, my molars feel like that too. I actually just noticed the same thing where I can fit the tip of my tongue inbetween my molars on the inside of my mouth but they look fine/closed from the outside. As long as your bite feels good I think it's fine. I don't really know what to say about x-rays. I am getting my braces off the day after you on June 2 and I have my appointment scheduled but he didn't really go over everything that they'd be doing in detail so I don't know if I'm getting xrays either or what. I assume I get molds taken for my retainers because I go back to pick them up a couple hours later that day. Good luck!!

allisun
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:44 am
Location: Austin, TX

#3 Post by allisun »

So I called my ortho today with my concerns and he is confident that the elastics will move the wayward canine in time.

BUT since I last looked, my last molars on my left side are barely touching anymore, argh!! :? My doc de-bracketed my last molars so they are currently not hooked up to an archwire or wire ties or anything. He told me to come in tomorrow at 9 to see what's going on. I really hope this won't impact my debanding date. I won't be devastated if it's pushed back a little, just annoyed with myself for not keeping a closer eye on things!

Andromeda
Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:29 am
Location: Southern California, United States

#4 Post by Andromeda »

Well there's still a little time before your debanding so hopefully your ortho will have an idea when you see him tomorrow. Some things can be fixed really quickly. Sometimes my teeth have moved super fast, especially when I got a powerchain or elastics or any other type of major adjustment. Good luck!

beachbum
Posts: 95
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:56 pm

#5 Post by beachbum »

Just wanted to chime in. I can poke my tongue almost in a lower molar too. My de-band date is June 16th.
My bite feels ok but I was wondering about that, myself.

allisun
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:44 am
Location: Austin, TX

#6 Post by allisun »

Thanks for your responses! I did see my ortho and he confirmed that my last molars have moved, but doesn't seem to think this is a problem..? Anyway, he didn't do anything to address it and my debanding is still set for June 1.

He did give me a little lecture on not sticking my tongue in the space, because the force of it will move the teeth (in spite of the fact that my jaw is pretty much wired shut with these elastics I've got). He showed me the side of my tongue where it looks like I've been chewing on it, and said "I promise you you're checking it with your tongue more than you think you are." I was a annoyed by his lecture because obviously I'm not sticking my tongue in there all the time... I was just trying to explain to him over the phone that there was enough space for me to stick my tongue in IF I WANTED, in order to communicate to him how big the gap is. Grr... plus I can't help what my tongue does while I'm asleep, which is probably when it happens. :x I'm pretty sure I do a tongue-thrust thing while I sleep, squishing my tongue against my molars.

He does tend to talk to me like a kid sometimes. :(

Rant over... as long as my bite is functional, and I feel confident that it is, I don't really care that there's a little space between my back molars!

Hooray for June debandings! :D

beachbum
Posts: 95
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:56 pm

#7 Post by beachbum »

Hmmm, so your not supposed to be able to do that?
I don't even care. I just want these things off.

Amen, Allisun- Hooray for June debandings! Image

Andromeda
Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:29 am
Location: Southern California, United States

#8 Post by Andromeda »

beachbum wrote:Hmmm, so your not supposed to be able to do that?
I don't even care. I just want these things off.

Amen, Allisun- Hooray for June debandings! Image
Haha I second that, beachbum!! I just want these things off lol. I have no idea how mine will look - I know they aren't perfect but they never will be "perfect" in my mind simply because I have strangely shaped teeth... I am set for June 2 and seems like there are several other folks on here due to deband in June. I can't wait to see everyone else's pics and also to be able to show mine off too!

GracieG.
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:52 am
Location: Florida
Contact:

#9 Post by GracieG. »

I'm set for debonding this Friday, May 29th and I too wonder if I am really ready! Everyone else thinks I am crazy noticing the little things that I do notice, but they are obvious to me! Anyways, after almost 2.5 years I am just ready for them to come off! They look a heck of a lot better than they did when I started this journey!!
Image

Post Reply