Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi all

I am 43 and I have been in ceramic braces for nearly a year and my orthodontist has been saying that he is in the finishing stages with my teeth. As my bottom teeth were very crowded, the decision was made to take out one of my lower incisors and close the gap.
He has now closed the gap, but now my bottom teeth feel very squashed together and overcrowded. This has also left a big overjet which wasn't there when I started and my bite feels strange.

Do you think that he will be able to close the overjet without removing any more teeth? I had molars removed when I was a teenager and am very unwilling to have any more teeth out.

I try to avoid any kind of confrontation and do not like complaining, but as I am paying for this treatment, how do you think I should approach this problem?

Any advice will be gratefully received!

It depends on how big the overjet is. Ask for stainless steel posted archwire (the elastics go on the posts / hooks) and work amazingly well for reducing overjets.

I am about to start treatment and have had a lower central incisor removed, my ortho told me that when the gap closes I will have a slight overjet that he plans to correct with elastics. Maybe your orthodontist has plans to use elastics on you? If not, maybe if you bring it to their attention they might be able to sort something out that won't take too long.

Thank you for your replies. I have now been to see my orthodontist and he says that there is nothing more he can do unless i want 2 of my top teeth taken out! I am now thinking about getting a second opinion as i am definitely not happy with my results.
The only thing is that i do not want to pay a lot extra to change my orthodontist!

KittyNat wrote:Thank you for your replies. I have now been to see my orthodontist and he says that there is nothing more he can do unless i want 2 of my top teeth taken out! I am now thinking about getting a second opinion as i am definitely not happy with my results.
The only thing is that i do not want to pay a lot extra to change my orthodontist!

I'm sorry to hear that his only fix is two more extractions. Perhaps you could go and get a second opinion and if they tell you that something could be done that doesn't require anymore extractions you could then take that information back to your current orthodontist and see if he is willing to do it himself? My aunt had her orthodontic work done a few years back and she wasn't happy that one of her canines wasn't in the right position but her ortho was telling her that she would have to have premolars removed for it to sit right. She went to a second ortho and he said it could be fixed with lots of elastics done. She took that information back to her orthodontist and he suddenly seemed all for it and acted as though extractions were last resort despite the fact that they were the only option he gave her. Hopefully there is something that can be done that results in happy results for you

How bad is your overjet? what is you bite relationship? For example class 1, class 2, or class 3? If your bite feels weird, thats not a good sign.

If I was you, I would get a second opinion.