open bite in DC

[Jbroder123]

Hi:
I live in the D.C.-metro area and I am looking to find a great orthodontist anywhere in Maryland, D.C. or Virginia.
I have a complicated case. I am over 40 and I have about a 4 mm open bite and cross bite. I won't be doing jaw surgery and so I need a non surgical option. Basically my biggest problem is that it's hard to talk and chew. I don't need a perfect result, but I want a better result.

I want to find someone who is technically excellent, creative, kind, patient, willing to alter course if need be and who understands TMJ so things don't get worse. I have about 10 names I have collected from various people and other dentists. Has anyone had personal experience fixing an open bite non surgically in this area and can recommend an orthodontist?

Another one of my concerns is that by intruding the back molars I will actually make my situation worse. (TMJ increase, just an uncomfortable bite). Anyway have thoughts?

Thank you so much,

[djspeece]

I recommend my orthodontist, Dr. Andrew Schwartz at Capitol Orthodontics: http://www.capitolorthodontics.com/ . He has offices in DC as well as Shady Grove MD. He is very capable, has a nice dry sense of humor, and did a good job for me (I just got debraced and need to post a photo.) Like you I was not seeking perfection, and fortunately did not have a lot of cosmetic issues going on. He's very straight-forward and does not give the "hard sell" for braces. In fact, when I had the choice of braces vs. an implant after a crown had to be extracted, I initially decided on the implant and he was fine with that. It was my general dentist (Dr. Krantz) who shares office space with him who sat me down and explained why braces were the better option. If you are looking for a general dentist I would whole-heartedly recommend her (her office is in Shady Grove, http://www.fallsgrovedentistry.com/. Best of luck to you!

[Jbroder123]

Hi Dan:
This is really helpful. Thank you so much. Can I ask, did you have an open bite? If so, how did Dr. Shwartz go about closing it? Are you happy with the result? Are you willing to share before and after pictures?

Thanks again for considering. I really appreciate it.

[djspeece]

No, I really did not have an open bite. I have never posted pictures of my teeth here; in fact I'd rather walk down the hall here at work naked. I don't know why it bothers me, but when some of the photos featuring gigantic whiskers or nasal hairs (of the men, of course) it just bothers me. You'd think as a nurse nothing much would bother me.
Talk with Andrew, he'll provide a realistic assessment. He's very low-key so don't expect him to give you a sales pitch or promise the moon.

[sirwired]

Why not surgery? If you have difficulty talking and chewing, you would likely be eligible for coverage, if your medical insurance offers orthognathic coverage at all.

Deciding that you won't utilize a particular treatment option no matter what removes an important tool in the orthodontist's toolbox.

[Jbroder123]

Hi Dan:
Thanks again. The surgery is very invasive, so that's why I will not do it. I wonder if I can connect up with other people on this board in the DC area who have an open bite and had it successfully treated non surgically. I'd love to hear about some people's experiences. Thanks again for the referral.
all the best,

[sirwired]

As far as surgeries go, recovery is annoying, but the surgery itself is not fundamentally different from routine dental work, such as implants, gum grafts, etc. It sounds scary, but it does not involve rooting around in places better left unexplored like your abdomen or the depths of your noggin.

[JohnsonSon]

Alright, I generally don't post pictures of myself in public forums, but f it. I would have wanted to see examples back then myself. I had an open bite. I don't know exactly how big it was. It was in the front and up my right side.

I was given the choice of surgery but declined it for the same reasons you seem to be. Knowing what I know now, I'd probably consider it, but I'm happy enough with my results. I don't think surgery would have made it that much better. (Granted everyone's case is not the same, talk to a few doctors before you do something serious).

For my treatment it took ~2.5 years and I was wearing elastics in various formations for prob ~1.5 of those years. Mostly box elastics and a triangle configuration to straighten out my midline at the end. I followed the exact instructions to the tee and did not miss a single day of wearing them.

My ortho said many times that my case was 'journal material'. Eating is 100x easier now. That's the biggest difference. Oh and it looks terrific too...

http://imgur.com/a/8Odvi (Age 27 now)

[lmk]

JohnsonSon, I just looked at your pictures and I just have to say your teeth look AMAZING! They're perfect

[JohnsonSon]

Thanks, the funny thing is I think I was more self conscious when I just got them off than I was with the braces on lol.

But then the compliments roll in and it's not so bad :p

[Jbroder123]

Wow! Your teeth look great. Can I ask how they did it? Did they intrude your back teeth? Were there any side effects at all?
One thing I'm wondering about is how it feels after they intrude your back teeth? Is your bite comfortable now?

[Jbroder123]

Also are you in the DC area? Who was your ortho?

[JohnsonSon]

So I had a crossbite and an open bite. They fixed the cross bite with a rapid palatal expander that attached only to my first molars on top. That took about 8 months. Then the open bite was fixed with box elastics on my incisors/first pre molars on both sides. It closed up pretty fast but getting all of my teeth to mesh perfectly when I bite down took a little longer. Oh I also had 4 wisdom teeth pulled at the start. But aside from the braces those are the only other things they did.

As for right this second, my bite is in perfect occlusion. Each tooth touches at the same time on both sides and they have that stagger relationship, I don't know what it's called. It really does look picture perfect. And it hasn't relapsed at all since I've gotten the braces off.

I'm actually in California, but I just wanted to share an example to show that it is possible without surgery.

[Jbroder123]

Hi JohnsonSon:
I really appreciate your response. Can I ask is your bite "comfortable" now? I wonder if you could share the name of your orthodontist?
Thanks again,

[Jbroder123]

Also how many mm was your open bite at the start?