Molars not overlapping Properly on both sides, uncomfortable

[dabrit]

I had my braces off in February after having them for 3.5 years. I felt immediately that something just didn't feel right when I bit my teeth together my upper teeth do overlap my lower teeth but my back teeth just don't seem to feel right when they touch and seem to slip and don't feel firm I mentioned this to my orthodontist when they came off his response was " they just need to settle" .

When i look in the mirror the right side seems to overlap and mesh perfectly, however on the left although my back teeth are touching you can see they don't overlap the same way and you can see little black spots where the teeth aren't connecting all the way, gaps as it were. It is now 6 months on and my bite just doesn't feel right, and doesn't look quite right because of the left side.

Is there any way to fix this without getting banded again? How did my orthodontist miss this and not fix it before taking my braces off?

I have also been experiencing major tension in my facial muscles and jaw can't help but think this is related to this as well.

Grrrr

[tibia]

I’m sorry to hear your story. I have had a similar experience. When my braces came off, my lower front teeth touched the inside of my upper front teeth, but I had big spaces on BOTH left and right sides. No molar or bicuspid contact at all. During treatment, while my front teeth were moved into their final position, I could tell that these spaces were developing.

When asked about this, my orthodontist used the exact same words: “They just need to settle.” “How long?” I asked. He said about a month. Then a month later, he said about 7-8 months. Who does he think he’s kidding?

I am currently being treated by a second orthodontist. I had braces put back on, and he’s using elastics between the upper and lower teeth to reshape my teeth and pull them together. This treatment is working. My bite is far from perfect, but things are moving in the right direction.

I am at a loss to understand how orthodontists can allow this to happen.

[plugnickel69]

That's why it's important to have a board certified orthodontist who is willing to work with you on your treatment plan. That's what scares me about treatments that are purely cosmetic. If you can't chew properly you're going to end up with problems down the road. A proper bite is what I'm aiming for, otherwise the treatment for me would be worthless. Wish both of you luck with getting things fixed.