Room for lower jag braces

[Viking]

Hi all!

I'm a late 30s guy who will be getting braces for my upper jaw in a week. I was to the ortho today and got spacers (seven rubber rings) between my molars. I does not hurt, except when I chew. Ouch.... Soft food today.....

The braces on my lower jaw will go in late September. One thing that I'm thinking about and forgot to ask the ortho is how the braces will fit. I have the opposite to an open bite - the front upper teeth cover about 60% of the lower front teeth.

I cannot see how they are going to be room for anything on my six front lower teeth if I will be to bite together. Does anyone have any experience with this?

[catgyrl]

That's why your ortho is putting your upper braces on first - to give them time to move your teeth upwards, so that they clear your lowers enough to put brackets on them. What you have is an overbite, where your upper teeth cover your lowers (as opposed to overjet, which means the uppers stick out - like mine did).

Good luck! Spacers were not fun, at all...

[Viking]

Thanks for the reply! :-)

Ok, that sounds like a reasonable explanation. I would be surprised if they manage to move my teeth enough in just 1.5 months, but just to wait and see.

[catgyrl]

You're welcome.

Personally, I think that any timeframe they give you is always an estimate. My orthodontist always says "Teeth will move when they want to". So it may be a bit after September when they put your lowers on. You may be surprised at how fast your teeth move, though. I noticed mine looking better after just a couple of weeks.