Bottom midline deviated...ortho says we can leave it, but...

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nybizzle
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 5:11 pm

Bottom midline deviated...ortho says we can leave it, but...

#1 Post by nybizzle »

I'm getting my braces off pretty soon (my ortho says we're 95% there). I was concerned about my midline being deviated. I told my ortho. He said that my midline on my top teeth is aligned, but the midline on my bottom teeth is deviated a bit to the right (I think he said about 1 mm or less). He asked me if I was okay with leaving it as is because according to him, all people will see is a great smile. I was okay with it, but now I'm having second thoughts. He does have a point though, because when I smile from afar, you can barely see that it's not aligned. You can only see it up close. Before I entered the world of orthodontics, I had no idea what a midline was, let alone that it could be deviated.

I don't want to go and fix it then cause other alignment issues. Maybe my ortho asked me if we can leave it because we've spent so much time fixing my bite in general, and he doesn't want to mess about with things. However. My bite feels slightly "off" with the bottom midline the way it is right now. I know that you can't get absolute perfection with braces, but I've spent so much money on them, so I want to make sure things can be the best they can be.

So basically I'm wondering... is fixing my bottom midline worth it?

assertives
Posts: 645
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:29 am

Re: Bottom midline deviated...ortho says we can leave it, but...

#2 Post by assertives »

Based on my own experience, it isn't worth fixing. I have been in elastics for almost a year now and I'm facing the same issue as you with the midline. It's 1mm off to the right. That 1 mm is proving to be an absolute pain in the butt to correct, and I have noticed it trying to slip back during the course of the day. My ortho also said that in his experience, the midlines rarely stay corrected after the braces come off.

nybizzle
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 5:11 pm

Re: Bottom midline deviated...ortho says we can leave it, but...

#3 Post by nybizzle »

Thanks for your reply, assertives! Yeah, I feel like since the top midline is aligned, fixing the bottom would throw the top one off. Then, I would have to be in braces longer than necessary.

nybizzle
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 5:11 pm

Re: Bottom midline deviated...ortho says we can leave it, but...

#4 Post by nybizzle »

Anyone else have insights to add...?

Jethro
Posts: 277
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:22 am
Location: Earth

Re: Bottom midline deviated...ortho says we can leave it, but...

#5 Post by Jethro »

I’ve been wearing elastics to correct my midline for the past several months with little to no improvement. We’re still dealing with some other issues (rotated molar, etc.) that need to be corrected so I won’t need to make the decision you’re facing for several months. I suspect, though, that when everything else is resolved, I’ll be inclined to move on rather than continue with braces to make a +/- 1 mm midline correction (which may not even be possible). Even now, my bite seems to shift almost daily...frustrating.

Everyone’s situation is unique of course and ymmv. I’m sure you’ll make the decision that's right for you.

All the Best,

Jethro

nybizzle
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 5:11 pm

Re: Bottom midline deviated...ortho says we can leave it, but...

#6 Post by nybizzle »

Thanks, Jethro! I get where you're coming from.

If everything else is fine, there is honestly no point in correcting a midline that is only off by 1 mm (or even less).

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