Partial braces for buck teeth

[JPG1081]

I've read this forum for inspiration for a long time and have decided it's time to give back to the community.

When I searched for people with this problem, not as much came up as I'd hoped, so I'm going to post my story up till now for a 'complete' braces journey. I actually had mine off the day before yesterday.

Back Story and warning:

I'm British, so have quite scary teeth. If you're faint-hearted about stains etc, maybe don't read on, as in the next installments I'll be adding photos...

I'm 47, and when I was very small, my mum took me to the dentist because she was worried about my teeth but they said it was too early and wait until I'm a teenager. When I was a teenager, I was given a removable brace that looked like a Hawkins but had a big shelf-type thing at the front behind my teeth. Of course I hated it and 'broke' it within a couple of weeks and that was the end of it.

Fast forward a few years, and although I still had buck teeth, they weren't THAT bad. My face kind of grew into them and I could live with them, although I didn't particularly like them. I've always admired and envied people with beautiful teeth. On a side note, one of my friends who had the most beautiful teeth finally confessed that they were actually veneers she'd been given because of extreme tooth damage. That was an eye-opener for me as they just looked perfect. Mine weren't very nice, but they were mine.

Suddenly last year, at 46, my teeth started moving! It was a very rapid and extreme thing and I ended up with virtual joke shop teeth. I was terrified and knew I had to do something.

I asked my dentist to recommend an orthodontist and went for a free consultation. He just looked at my teeth and said I needed jaw surgery and would need to be in hospital for 10 days, plus braces for about 2 years!

I was naturally devastated and went home and cried. I researched and found out about the risks of jaw surgery etc.
I do hold my jaw strangely to one side and forward (with an overbite) but felt I couldn't face or afford surgery. I gave up.

[JPG1081]

Part 2

After a few months, things weren't getting any better, so I decided to try again. I looked for English-speaking dentists (I live in Japan) as I thought they might be more up with modern methods and might have trained overseas. I picked 3 and emailed enquiries. One said they'd get back to me soon, one never replied and the last got in touch quickly. I had hoped to be able to see 2 different people to get 2nd opinions but it wasn't possible for me. Luckily the one response came from the best dentist I've ever had!

I had a consultation and a CT scan was taken. He thought it would be possible to fix in 3 or 4 months, but as I was only having partial braces (the budget option that I could afford) he wouldn't be able to correct my bite - it would just be cosmetic.
He also made impressions of my teeth and said I might need some removed but he would take measurements and check.

The next week I went back and spent an hour with him as he explained everything. He can speak English and I can speak Japanese and we ended up using Japanese in the end as it was more comfortable for him. He said I needed a bridge (I'd had a molar removed when I was in my early 20s in the U.K. And the dentist never said a word about replacements) a tooth at the back cut down and crowned and a brace. The prices were a lot and I'm poor. We made a compromise, I agreed to have my tooth cut down before he'd start my brace and the bridge could wait for a year or so until I had time to save up for it.

I went back the following Sunday morning and he cut down and crowned my hangy down upper back tooth. I was worried about needing a root canal but he managed to avoid one. I think it was when I went home and found my jaw moved much more normally with a shorter tooth, that I fell in love with him! I'd gone my entire life seeing countless dentists in 3 countries and not one until him had noticed and fixed a big problem. It's hard to describe but if I get my life impressions back I might be able to upload a photo. My lower jaw could move forward naturally thanks to the impediment being removed and it changed my life!

[JPG1081]

Back for part 3!

I had my braces fitted on 1st November 2017. I had traditional metal brackets which were the cheapest. I wasn't offered the options of Damons/Clears/Ceramics/Invisilign and basically got what I was given.

The first day I was given 4 brackets and a spacer.

I'm going to try to post before and after pictures here.

[JPG1081]

Part 4

I had appointments every week, which I think is really unusual. I had my spacer in for a week and then my 4 brackets until about the 6th December, when I had four extra brackets and power chains that got completely filthy within 24 hours.

In January he was pretty pleased with my teeth but I asked if he could try to turn a twisted canine as I now could feel it wasn't neatly in the arch. He said it would be difficult but he'd try. He did a really good job but it extended my treatment time by a month. I finally got them off on 30th March 2018 after exactly 150 days.

They're not perfect, and never will be without surgery, but I'm very happy with them! When I first got them off I felt they looked like false teeth. I have fillings in the top of my front teeth (due to more dentist abuse from my childhood) so they still look stained. I had a permanent retainer fitted just before he removed my braces and next week I'll get my fillings replaced, then mounds made for my Essix retainer that I'll have to use at night.

[JPG1081]

Part 5

More tooth pictures!

[JPG1081]

I'm back! Sorry, I realize that my 'after' looks like many people's 'befores' but I'm still quite happy with them.

I just came back from having my fillings replaced and moulds taken for my retainer (which I will get next week). I have to go back again to pick up my retainer and pay the balance for my treatment.

Now I'm posting a slightly cleaner looking end result.

[jem]

Fantastic progress in such a short time. Congratulations !

[JPG1081]

Thank you Jem!

I went for my last appointment yesterday to pay the balance and pick up my Essix retainer. It was very scary when he put it in and made a very scary clicking noise going on. It was too difficult to remove so he made several adjustments before saying it was finished.

It was very funny but I had to pay separately for the retainer case, 162 yen. The entire 5 month treatment for partial braces and adjustments nearly every week, CT scans at the beginning, moulds, permanent bonded retainer on 8 teeth and Essix retainer, came to 216,000 yen, including tax. I was pleasantly surprised as that was the starting price listed on the website. As it took a bit longer and I got him to turn an extra tooth, I was really expecting it to be a lot higher.

I'm going to miss seeing my dentist every week although I've decided to transfer across and become a 'normal' patient now and so will see him a few times a year for check ups.

Last night I was terrified about using my retainer and getting it stuck so I watched YouTube videos about how to put in and remove it safely. 3/4 of it seems to fit like a glove but the other part doesn't snap on - it seems if it fits on the back molars it's not snug on the front teeth. As the front teeth are the most important, I kept it tightly on them and loosely on the back.

I woke up after about 5 hours and it hurt to take out my retainer and put it back in and my side teeth which weren't braced, hurt. I was really worried about having to go back and bother my poor dentist again. Anyway, I put them back in and went back to bed. I'm very happy to say that when I got up, the retainer came out easily and there was no awkward feeling or pain. It makes me think maybe something had moved a bit in the last week despite having a permanent retainer too.

I just have to wear my retainer at night and now I've survived the first, I should be OK. It DID make me realize that having a permanent retainer is the right decision for me, as I don't think I'd be compliant with just a removable. Last night I was thinking 'Well, I'll try it just for tonight, but if it's too hard, I'll give up and rely on the wire.' I will do my best now to keep using it but like to know that the bonded is my emergency backup. In Japan it's normal to go to the dentist every 3 or 4 months for a general checkup, and as my dentist also did my brace, he should be quite alert to any changes in my wire, in case I miss them myself.

I'm trying to attach pictures of my before and after moulds- the new one has the ends of the front teeth broken off which is sad, but you can get an idea of the difference in the line and arch (I think).

[JPG1081]

Here they are:

[JPG1081]

A very little update. I now love my Essix retainer and won't go to sleep (even for a quick nap) without it! It seems to be really good at bringing my teeth back into place at the end of the day.

I've started being able to eat cheese on toast (gingerly) but it's been an awfully long time since I used my front teeth. Judging from other people's stories, it takes a while until you're confident enough to eat normally.

I spent more money than I should have on an Oral-B Genius 9000 but it's money well spent. I had my first proper cleaning at the dentist today and they suggested I use sensitive toothpaste and I made a huge discovery that Sensodyne toothpaste is actually sold in Japan but under a different name! I'm hoping the combination of that and the sensitive setting on my new brush will sort my teeth out.

If anyone is worrying about getting braces or frustrated whilst wearing them, my message is that it really is worth it. I feel much more confident about smiling than I ever have. That additional confidence is a lot more valuable than the actual price of treatment, the effort and stress. I just wish I'd done it years ago - I may have had a completely different life.

[Oliviaellief]

I got my essix retainer on Thursday (2 days ago) and I’ve found them really uncomfortable... especially when it comes to sleeping, I can’t close my mouth properly with them and my mouth doesn’t feel relaxed when I’m wearing it (I have upper and lower retainers) ... I’m really worried that I won’t get used to it and I don’t want my teeth to go back to how they were before braces... how long did it take you to feel comfortable with then? I’m supposed to have mine for 3 months... but I don’t know how I’ll cope and they feel so big

[JPG1081]

Oh, that sounds rough! To be honest, I got used to mine within a week. I remember saying to my niece they were horrible but the next week I really liked them.

Bear in mind though I only have a top retainer and I only wear it at night. I can imagine 2 at the same time would be much harder and more stressful... it's definitely worth suffering through if it's only 3 months though! Do you have a permanent retainer too? - My teeth (or one them) definitely move a bit during the day despite having a wire retainer, so I plan to wear my Essix at night pretty much forever. I keep planning to try to wear it during the evening too but I seem to eat constantly from when I get home so it doesn't seem practical as I make sure I have cleaned my teeth before I put the Essix in.


Have you checked out the 'Naked tooth' forum? There are lots of people writing about how they deal with life with retainers on there and they might have some good tips for getting used to both a top and a bottom one.

Good luck! Hang on in there! Don't quit and let your teeth go back!

[JPG1081]

I have been incredibly irritated by my wire retainer since it went on. It was an extra long one that went on 8 teeth and where it went around a corner, didn't seem to be flush against the important tooth that had moved the most. The end also stuck out a bit and I kept touching it with my tongue when I was stressed.

I tried to hold out until my next check up in August, but finally got frustrated and made an appointment to get something done about it, as according to other people with wires, you're supposed to get used to it within a few weeks. When I made the appointment the receptionist said 'Oh yes, you've got a long wire haven't you?' So it seemed they might have expected me to be bothered by it, which made me feel like less of a nuisance.

Afterwards I went to an import store and found a small retainer case - I didn't know they made ones that small that actually fit your retainer rather than letting it rattle around. It was really cheap too!

I went today and he cut the ends of the wire, so they're now just on 6 teeth and the horrible, pokey end has gone! A huge relief! While I was there I asked to get a spare Essix retainer made as mine has become a valued possession and I dread to think what I'd do if it broke or got lost. I was surprised to have a mould taken again, but it was quick. I'll be able to pick it up when I go back in August. I feel a lot happier now.

[JPG1081]

I got my new retainer a couple of days ago but it seemed a bit of a tight fit and I didn't want to wear it for a long stint overnight.

Yesterday I had a nap and tried it out then. My teeth do seem to have moved a bit since I had my wire cut shorter. Maybe the longer wire served to anchor them in place better, but I'm still glad it's only on 6 teeth now.

Apparently I have quite a thick wire, which is why I always know it's there, and having some of it removed affected the fit of my old retainer which felt loose. The new one feels much better although it wasn't so comfortable at first. I feel that now my teeth will stay as they are with the help of the new Essix. It does worry me that they can still move a bit though. I was hoping to one day get rid of the wire, but it might actually be for life. If so, I'm hoping to move to a less obtrusive wire one day although it will mean new retainers being made each time.

Yesterday I went out with some old friends and they were saying what a huge difference fixing my teeth had made. I even bit into something soft in front of them and could show the teeth marks. Before my brace my teeth were so misaligned that they wouldn't meet if I tried to bite and I couldn't have done that before. It was a big moment for me and they understood which was great!

[AndAndAnd]

Fantastic results, and a nice story showing that it’s never too late to fix your smile. Thanks for posting!