Doubt

Message

#1 Post by **sarah2747** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:07 pm

So I've been going through with consults for ortho and feeling pretty unsure about what to do. Everyone I talk to about it (colleagues, mainly) exclaim surprise and tell me they never noticed anything wrong with my teeth!

This reaction has taken me aback because I have been self conscious about my teeth for over 15 years (I'm 28)! I never show my teeth when I smile and always worry that my teeth show when I laugh.

It's a significant amount of money (approx. $8000 for total treatment, including retainers but excluding cost of extraction of 1st premolars (top) and wisdom teeth (top)) (got the molds done and everything).

On top of that, I'll be changing jobs in less than a month and will be going to pretty senior meetings as a key part of my job. So that would make me feel a bit self-conscious...

And basically everyone is telling me I shouldn't do it, my teeth are fine...

So yeah... I'm just feeling a bit conflicted and not sure which way to go. It's a bit hard to reconcile what I'm feeling with what everyone is telling me I look like (and how they think I should feel!).

Did any of you go through something similar?

#2 Post by **tdawg7669** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:20 pm

People have a tendency to be nice when talking to you about things like that. However if pre molar extraction has been recommended there are likely functional issues that should be addressed.

You could post a picture of your teeth and I(and others) can tell you what we would do in your situation.

#3 Post by **Snowglobe32** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 9:02 pm

Your teeth may look fine but what about your bite?

Only an orthodontist can tell us what is wrong with our teeth. Would you take your brain scan and ask the common person what is wrong and how you should be treated?

Being a professional person who has braces is not a big deal. I work for my state's Supreme Court. I come in contact with different types of people all the time and no one cares about my braces. I certainly don't think that my having braces makes the Court look bad. After a while braces become something no one focuses on anymore after they know you. Kind of like my brown hair. I don't think my coworkers see so & so with brown hair, they just see me.

You said you are self conscious about your smile, you hide your teeth....do you really want to be doing that for the rest of your life? You are young, what is a possible 2 year time period of wearing braces going to do? It goes by really quick.

How about invisaline or the braces that go behind the teeth?

#4 Post by LB » Fri Oct 22, 2010 12:44 am

Lots of people told me they didn't think I needed braces, but like you, I would be very self conscious about my smile and when I laughed or smiled I would try to hide my teeth just like you describe. Since I've had my braces (I have linguals) I smile all the time and love the fact that I can show my teeth and not be self conscious. In fact, quite a few people have commented on how I smile a lot more now (without really relating it to the braces, because they can't see them) and when I tell them why, they laugh and just say they thought I just wasn't a very smiley person!

Anyway, my advice is to go for it. It's great to be able to smile properly and with confidence! And it will last you for life.

#5 Post by **sarah2747** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:17 am

Thanks for the comments.

There are definitely functional issue - severe overbite. Also, my top front teeth are angled to the back and my canines overlap towards the front (causing vampire-ish teeth.. IMO!). My jaw is also back, which prompted orthos to suggest orthognatic surgery.

The surgery is definitely a measure more drastic than I feel is appropriate so my ortho suggested the plan B - extract the first top premolars and shift my teeth with braces. This would improve my bite and, combined with physio, hopefully help my jaw as well. Not to mention, increase the esthetics of my teeth.

For sure, the 2+ year commitment is nothing to the 15+ years I've been self-conscious - or the 50+ years I may enjoy a better smile! I guess my main concern is - "is it really worth it?" Rationally, I know I shouldn't really listen to what others are telling me - they don't live with my teeth after all!

As for linguals, the cost is too much (my insurances covers very little) and the ortho I picked doesn't do them.

#6 Post by **VA5** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:53 am

If you don't like your teeth, then most likely you'll never learn to love them.. you'll always wonder, and wish that you got them taken care of. I'm in my upper 30s, and contemplated braces my entire life. I regret not just getting them done a LONG time ago. I could have enjoyed nicer teeth, for a longer time!

Also, nobody really pays that much attention to your teeth. And, your flaws obviously aren't going to bother them, b/c your teeth are not their teeth. I dont' know how many people have told me (even my best friend!) that I didn't need braces. I just ignore them and I have no regrets at ALL. In fact, everybody I know who got braces as adults, I can honestly say I don't remember what was wrong w/their teeth to begin with, however I'm SURE there was something wrong, or something that was bothering them, so I don't think I ever tell people "why did you get braces, you didn't need them". It's such a stupid thing to tell people to be honest.

#7 Post by **luchababe** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:15 am

Is there a medical issue involved or it purely cosmetic? That can influence your decision. I really should have my TMD reduced and the start of an open bite stopped now to prevent all sorts of issues in the future. Straight teeth will be a result of that.

#8 Post by **sarah2747** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:29 am

luchababe - There's a medical issue involved, in the sense that my jaw does pop and has gotten stuck when open (always resolved within a few seconds, when the panic dies down!). That said, I'm not getting headaches or pain or grinding.

So the "optimal" ortho solution is surgery. Which I'm not interested in, given that I'm not really experiencing discomfort to an extent that I feel requires that drastic a treatment.

Of course, addressing the occlusion issue and doing jaw physio should improve my jaw function, although not to the extent that surgery "could".

Thanks VA5 - I appreciate your comments! Nice to know I'm not alone in getting feedback that conflicts with how I feel.

#9 Post by **luchababe** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 10:05 am

sarah 2747 - That's just like me! I've had popping and locking (and not the awesome breakdancing kind) for YEARS and had NO IDEA there was something actually wrong! I just though it was a thing that happened. If I hadn't gone to the ortho to find out about straightening teeth I never would have found out what was wrong. I don't have it severe but some of my stress headaches could be attributed to it.

I'm terrified I'll have to have surgery but I'm a grown up now since the last time I had braces, so I can say "No" and go for anything and everything that's non invasive. I think I'd only go under the knife it I literally couldn't close or open my mouth anymore.

I've been totally waffling back and forth about braces too. One day I'm pumped and ready to make a change and the next I'm depressed and freaked that I'm doing braces AGAIN. I just try to keep telling myself that the more severe symptoms of TMD and an open bite could be in my future if I don't do something about it now. The money part is the sad part. I could put that towards a downpayment on a house!

#10 Post by **sarah2747** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 10:34 am

Yeah the money part is tough. We're starting to finish our basement now -and the cost of the ortho treatment is basically the cost of finishing our basement!

#11 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 11:59 am

Someone else already said it, but I will say it again. If you do not like your teeth now, if you are self conscious now, you will never like your teeth and you will continue to be self conscious regardless of how many people tell you they look fine. Putting this off now means revisiting the issue in one, five, ten, or fifteen years, and when you do finally decide to do it, you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. There is never the perfect time to get braces. There will always be some aspect of your job not conducive to having braces. Home improvement projects will NEVER end. Trust me. I hemmed and hawed and made excuses for 10 years before getting braces. I went though treatment while holding down a professional job, paid 100% out of pocket (all total $7000), and came out the other end wondering why I waited so long.
Do it now. Really!
The money will work out. As for being self conscious of braces---once you have lived with your braces for a few months they will become part of you and you really won't care about them or what people think about them.

#12 Post by **sarah2747** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 12:23 pm

I guess the other thing that I'm a bit worried about it getting my first premolars extracted. Since it was kind of sprung on my ortho that I did not want the surgery at the last appointment (I'd met with surgeon that morning), I didn't really have too much time to ask questions and was a bit caught by surprise (as he was!).

Since then, I've been reading up on how it can change your profile, etc. etc. I think that worries me more than the braces!

Looking at the lig colours thread is encouraging, as so many (if not most!) are completely embracing your braces.

#13 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Fri Oct 22, 2010 12:30 pm

If it's any help, I was also told the SARPE was the best route for fixing my issues (severe crowding, crossbite, very, very narrow upper palate). I opted not to do the surgery so the only other option that I had was to have 4 bicuspids removed. Has my face changed? Yes. I don't know if it's from the extractions or the fact that all my teeth were rearranged, but never-the-less, I don't think the change is bad; it's actually quite subtle. Keep in mind that the horror stories you hear about are from the 2% of people who had a bad experience. 98% of the people who had extractions had fine outcomes, but they don't post about their boring normal experience.