What was your primary reason for orthodontic treatment?

[sweetcynic]

Was it appearance, function, or both? For me, function was primary, appearance was nice but secondary.

[anarchy45]

Functional only - totally don't care about appearance. Actually, for as screwed up as they are, they are very useful for biting and chomping on things =)

My parents couldn't/wouldn't afford it when I was a kid, and over the past 15 years my teeth have gotten progressively worse. I sometimes get big canker sores on my cheeks and lips, some teeth have started to grow out of my gumline, I've got several chipped and worn-down ones in the front, a lot of them are very pointy and sharp, and my bottom front teeth scrape the back of my top teeth and have cut the gums away from behind them. I figured it would cost $10,000 to get them fixed - hell, just pull em all and gimme dentures! At least you can take them out to clean em.

Seriously though, I've chosen a functional orthodontist because I refuse surgery or extractions; he said 15-18 months and $6500... not cheap, but not as expensive as I was expecting. However I do think that it is a rather short estimate of time. With starting a new job in the next month or two, beginning treatment now will save me about $2000 via my health flex spending account.

[mollyluise]

Both, but I have to say appearance. I have a bad gap on the right side from a missing tooth, and that closing that gap is what sealed the deal!

Really though- that tooth was broken because my bite was misaligned! LOL!

I'm mostly looking forward to a perfect smile

[Ciara]

Functional - TMJ issues mainly but also I had a premolar pulled in spring (vertical crack to the root) and it had been acting as an "anchor" for all the teeth on that side of my jaw. They started moving once it was removed and are tipping inwards. The only way to correct this was to get braces to moved them back into their correct position. I have a deep bite which has been getting progressively worse and my bottom teeth are starting to irritate the gums behind my top teeth.

If I end up with straighter and nicer teeth and smile, it would be a nice bonus but that is not so important to me. What kind of braces was also not important to me - I have ceramic uppers and will be getting ceramic lowers next month along with a bite plate.

[MrsCharisma]

To close my diastema. And for a perfect smile.

[Saturius]

Function. I had an impacted canine. That's all i wanted fixed. I didn't really think I had any other problems with my teeth, but the orthos of course found things that needed fixing lol.

[junglejulie]

To close my diastema. And for a perfect smile.

+1

[helricha]

Both reasons, I'd say. I was having constant headaches from TMJ and I didn't like to smile in pictures. I usually had to take so many to get the ones that I thought looked ok. Absolutely ridiculous! But my headaches and pictures will be all good once this is over.

[SmileLikeUMeanIt]

Appearance and function. I had overcrowding on the top and my back molars needed to be pushed upright. They shifted sideways after having two lower molar removed.

[deessepeaubrune]

Appearance mostly but function was close behind.

I've been ashamed of my teeth for a long time.

[TMJJill]

Function for me. I developed TMJ issues and this is phase II of my treatment. I'm trying to re-establish a proper bite.

It is also a health issue for me. I had some major ear problems from my lower jaw pressing back towards my ear. I had stuffiness, ear pain and had lost a lot of hearing. I want to do anything possible to preserve the hearing I have left.

[midnight]

I think my reasons have changed over time. When I was first given the option of braces/surgery the primary reasons was appearance. I'd be made fun of so many times for my teeth I just wanted them to be 'normal'! However by the time the treatment started 6/7 years after I'd grown up a bit more and had finally accepted the way I look but had got annoyed with my bite, wearing down teeth, chipping teeth and constantly biting my lip so the reason I actually went ahead with the treatment was functional. I guess appearance still played a part but it wasn't my reason for signing the treatment form.

[Angel269]

To close my diastema.

I just needed to do something as I was too embarrassed to talk to anybody because of my teeth. I had a major dental phobia which was sparked by the thought of ortho treatment as a pre teen. Addressed my general dental phobia and now I am nearly done

[AM21]

I would say appearance mainly. I had low self esteem and wouldn't smile in pictures.
I also was picked on quite a bit because of my teeth, I just have always hated them.
My self esteem has sky rocketed and I smile like crazy now.

[OldBikerBag]

Function. My lower teeth were beginning to brush the roof of my mouth behind my uppers. They had shifted into a fairly severe upward arc.

When I discussed this with my ortho, he stopped me mid-sentence and made note of my downward-turning smile. He said that would be corrected, too. I hadn't really noticed, except that I always looked like I'd just bitten a pickle in most of my photos....so I simply avoided cameras.

I started observing other people with overjets similar to mine and realized the teeth were the problem. And so I came around to being excited about my new appearance as well.