Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey - Im supposed to be almost done but I think that the tooth next to my upper front on the left in these pictures needs some adjustments? Opinions?

I still have an overbite but I don't think it can be corrected fully without jaw surgery...
What do you think? What should I say to Ortho?

Hi There-how's the bite? are you catching the incisors or canine's? Your bite looks off in image 4. I know when mine was that way, two of the teeth would clip each other and it was not a good feeling. The ortho put me back in class 2 elastics back to the six's.

If you are having any discomfort with the bite, tell the ortho to fix it before the braces come off. Aesthetics are nice but biting your cheek or having your teeth bounce off each other is no picnic. Also ortho's can mask some of the jaw issues.

I found a pic of the elastics combo that I'm currently completing my latest six week sentence and the perfect bite for you to compare to your pic #4 ...
download/file.php?mode=view&id=7259

Wow, your bite and upper arch look pretty much identical to mine. I am also near the end, getting them off at the latter part of the month. My left central incisor up top is still a little rotated, and ortho has done all kinds of stuff, from bends in the wire to wire ties, to repositioning the bracket, in an attempt to fix it. It is better, but still not perfect. Frustrating that it won't fall in line!

My bite, like yours, can't be fixed 100% without jaw surgery, but I knew that upfront and can live with it. I have been in Class 2 elastics off and on during my braced period and am in triangle elastics now and have been for some time. All told, I will have been in elastics for 10 out of 14 months when I am done, and it has helped a lot.

I hope you can get the result you desire. In my case, I have a hard deadline (moving out of the country Nov. 1) and have already gone a couple of months past my estimate, so whatever I've got at the end of the month, I'll have to live with. In your case, you presumably have no such deadline, so can continue working with your ortho to straighten that upper arch as long as it takes. I would want it to be as close to perfect as possible, because braces aren't cheap!

I can see that top lateral incisor being a little off. Just show your ortho your first pic and ask him to adjust that tooth.

Your bite does look off to me as well from your side pic, have you been in elastics yet? It could probably help correct it some even if you don't get jaw surgery.

Have you done elastics? How long have you been in braces? Did you have any extractions? To me, you bite looks off still. You can absolutely fix an overbite without surgery. My ortho did with just elastics. I had a HUGE overjet/overbite as I sucked my thumb until I was 16. I've been in braces for 16mo and in elastics for 8 of those. I was quoted 24mo so I still have about 8mo to go.

kplatt2010 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:38 pm Hi There-how's the bite? are you catching the incisors or canine's? Your bite looks off in image 4. I know when mine was that way, two of the teeth would clip each other and it was not a good feeling. The ortho put me back in class 2 elastics back to the six's.

If you are having any discomfort with the bite, tell the ortho to fix it before the braces come off. Aesthetics are nice but biting your cheek or having your teeth bounce off each other is no picnic. Also ortho's can mask some of the jaw issues.

I found a pic of the elastics combo that I'm currently completing my latest six week sentence and the perfect bite for you to compare to your pic #4 ...
download/file.php?mode=view&id=7259

Hi! Thank you for all the info! - My bite is okay - never actually have my teeth together I tend to hold my tongue to the roof of my mouth at all times keeping my bite apart. But if I force it down .. it feels okay.. I can feel openings between my molars with my tongue, my teeth do not connect flat like they should..

I have been in elastics (although im not the most disciplined) for 6+ months - from upper 4th to lower 6th (similar to picture) _ I told my ortho I don't want my lower jaw pulled to far forward as I look like a bulldog! I think shes being respectful of that

assertives wrote: ↑Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:49 pm I can see that top lateral incisor being a little off. Just show your ortho your first pic and ask him to adjust that tooth.

Your bite does look off to me as well from your side pic, have you been in elastics yet? It could probably help correct it some even if you don't get jaw surgery.

Hello! I've been in elastics for 6+ months just not super disciplined. I told my ortho I didn't want my lower jaw pushed too far forward .. when I hold my bite where it should be I look really weird.. bull dog - Im scared to change my face too much!

Momto5boys wrote: ↑Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:32 pm Have you done elastics? How long have you been in braces? Did you have any extractions? To me, you bite looks off still. You can absolutely fix an overbite without surgery. My ortho did with just elastics. I had a HUGE overjet/overbite as I sucked my thumb until I was 16. I've been in braces for 16mo and in elastics for 8 of those. I was quoted 24mo so I still have about 8mo to go.

Yes - ive been in elastics for 6+ months - In braces for just over a year and a half - my bite is definitely off... did you try and add an image? - if so it just says "image" - Thanks for the response - i'm hoping my ortho will still be able to correct my bite but my main concern is the one tooth that's not in line! Stubborn

EmilyTravels wrote: ↑Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:25 pm Wow, your bite and upper arch look pretty much identical to mine. I am also near the end, getting them off at the latter part of the month. My left central incisor up top is still a little rotated, and ortho has done all kinds of stuff, from bends in the wire to wire ties, to repositioning the bracket, in an attempt to fix it. It is better, but still not perfect. Frustrating that it won't fall in line!

My bite, like yours, can't be fixed 100% without jaw surgery, but I knew that upfront and can live with it. I have been in Class 2 elastics off and on during my braced period and am in triangle elastics now and have been for some time. All told, I will have been in elastics for 10 out of 14 months when I am done, and it has helped a lot.

I hope you can get the result you desire. In my case, I have a hard deadline (moving out of the country Nov. 1) and have already gone a couple of months past my estimate, so whatever I've got at the end of the month, I'll have to live with. In your case, you presumably have no such deadline, so can continue working with your ortho to straighten that upper arch as long as it takes. I would want it to be as close to perfect as possible, because braces aren't cheap!

Ahh im so sorry you have to rush out of your braces before youre 100% Satisfied!.. I'd love to see some pictures?

Steph30 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 12:39 pm Ahh im so sorry you have to rush out of your braces before youre 100% Satisfied!.. I'd love to see some pictures?

Sorry for the late reply -- was traveling with family and had no internet. Here are two photos I took two weeks ago, on my 13-month anniversary in braces. Looks like I'll be in for right around 14 months. I hope I'll be satisfied. I do have to wonder how long my ortho would have kept me in them if there were no enforced deadline. I finished my payments on Aug. 28, and I know he expected me to be done by then!

Here, you can see the left central incisor that is a little rotated still and a little shorter than the right central incisor:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dnl9tgp48gg12 ... 9.JPG?dl=0

And here's the upper arch showing that the left central incisor is still a bit rotated. Way better than I started, but not perfect

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jvlww0ii4cg8b ... 9.JPG?dl=0

I do think it's improved a little since I took these and had another adjustment. He put bends in the wire right where it is. So there is still hope, but it is super stubborn!

Wow your teeth look fantastic! Your bite looks great too!

EmilyTravels wrote: ↑Fri Oct 12, 2018 6:24 pm

Steph30 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 12:39 pm Ahh im so sorry you have to rush out of your braces before youre 100% Satisfied!.. I'd love to see some pictures?

Sorry for the late reply -- was traveling with family and had no internet. Here are two photos I took two weeks ago, on my 13-month anniversary in braces. Looks like I'll be in for right around 14 months. I hope I'll be satisfied. I do have to wonder how long my ortho would have kept me in them if there were no enforced deadline. I finished my payments on Aug. 28, and I know he expected me to be done by then!

Here, you can see the left central incisor that is a little rotated still and a little shorter than the right central incisor:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dnl9tgp48gg12 ... 9.JPG?dl=0

And here's the upper arch showing that the left central incisor is still a bit rotated. Way better than I started, but not perfect

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jvlww0ii4cg8b ... 9.JPG?dl=0

I do think it's improved a little since I took these and had another adjustment. He put bends in the wire right where it is. So there is still hope, but it is super stubborn!

Steph30 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 17, 2018 2:51 pm Wow your teeth look fantastic! Your bite looks great too!

Thank you so much! I just found out today when I called to confirm tomorrow's appointment, that I am getting my lowers off! They took an impression for my permanent lower retainer at my last appointment, but I didn't realize my lower brackets would be coming off at my next appointment. Then I'll have my uppers off ~ one week later. I'm terrified but excited too! I know my uppers will not be perfect, but it's the best I can do in the time I have allotted, and they're way better than what I started with. So, I think I'll be happy.

When do yours come off?

EmilyTravels wrote: ↑Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:34 pm

Steph30 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 17, 2018 2:51 pm Wow your teeth look fantastic! Your bite looks great too!

Thank you so much! I just found out today when I called to confirm tomorrow's appointment, that I am getting my lowers off! They took an impression for my permanent lower retainer at my last appointment, but I didn't realize my lower brackets would be coming off at my next appointment. Then I'll have my uppers off ~ one week later. I'm terrified but excited too! I know my uppers will not be perfect, but it's the best I can do in the time I have allotted, and they're way better than what I started with. So, I think I'll be happy.

When do yours come off?

Ooooooh!! Awesome! Keep me posted on how it goes? - Do you have abefore picture of your teeth?

I was thinking December... but nothing set in stone yet, I have my next adjustment on the 7th of November. I Stiil feel like theres work to be done.

Hi Steph!

I got the lowers off today. Yippee! I will give you a link to my braces story thread. The first post shows photos of where I started, and if you don't want to slog through all the posts (and I can't blame you!) just go to the very last page and last post to read about today's appointment and see a photo showing my "naked" lowers.

Really, my teeth were not that bad to begin with. A little crowded and crooked but not extreme. My bite was the main issue, as I fractured my jaw in three places in a bicycle accident, and when I went to the ortho, I was only biting on a couple of teeth on one side. So that is hugely improved. I would love if my upper arch would miraculously be perfect by my debrace date of Oct. 29th, but for some reason it has been very, very stubborn. Probably in part due to my age, and possibly due to the fact that my ortho didn't really start paying attention and tweaking things until about six weeks ago. Before that, I think I was just on the standard protocol, and he barely even looked at my teeth. For those reasons, I don't expect to get a perfect result, but I'm still much better than when I started.

My braces story: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=52690

I am actually envious of you a bit -- if I could stay in braces until Dec I am sure I would get a better result, but I'll be in Mexico then and hopefully not worrying nearly as much about stuff like this!

Cheers,
Emily