Pics after one year..Progress???

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Sat May 03, 2008 9:03 am

I am getting quite frustrated with my braces lately. Ive had them since May 2, 2007 (exactly a year). Can you take a look at these progression pics of my bottom arch and see if you can see that much progress? I have been wearing a spring coil thing since November 07. My teeth aren't aligning as I would have hoped? I haven't had any IPR. I am thinking of switching orthos over this. I want to see results and if any they have been so minimal that it's hard to know what he's been doing with my teeth since last summer.

My top arch isn't much better. I'll post pics later...

Any advice?? Thanks!!!

AUG. 7, 2007

JAN. 11, 2008

MAY 2, 2008

#2 Post by **ArchAngle** » Sat May 03, 2008 10:59 am

Hi

note I know nothing about this other than going throught the process and having great interest in it.

1. What were the teeth like from May 2007 to August 2007 (the pic. you start with)?

2. Is there a gap or room at the very back on the left. Judging by the length of the wire between those two teeth at the back?

3. With your mouth open, looks like the midline is off by 1/4 the width of that twisted tooth in the middle. Is it off when you close?

4. As below if all the above is accurate (and I am guessing of course), I would imagine powerchaining that left side, and shifting the whole lot back a fraction to allow that tooth to straighten out and bring the midline in.

Even wilder guess, a thing like that could take a month or 6 weeks to do.

Of course the best thing is to ask the ortho, hopefully in the meantime someone with better knowledge can comment for you further.

#3 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Sat May 03, 2008 12:03 pm

It looks like your arch is rounding out by moving ALL the teeth over. I can see the minor changes but I can also see how you'd be tired of waiting for such small movement at a time.

#4 Post by **purpleteeth** » Sun May 04, 2008 11:59 am

Your teeth don't seem to have any drastic changes in a year, but what does your ortho say about it? If those were my teeth, yes I would be concerned and at least IMPATIENT!

#5 Post by **BoSox2008** » Sun May 04, 2008 6:11 pm

I don't think your bottom arch looks bad to begin with! Can we see photos of your top arch as well??

I'm not an orthodontist, and I know each case is different, but the fact that your one tooth has been twisted since last year until now without much change is very frustrating!! I had some serious crowding and I would say my teeth straightened out, not perfectly but in a fairly straight line, within 3 months of getting my braces. Not only did my teeth twist and turn to face the proper direction, I was able to bring down 2 very raised canines to be aligned with the rest of my teeth.

If I was you I would go see 2 orthodontists and ask them what they think and what they would be able to do for you that would be different. Don't switch just because you're mad - do your homework and choose the best ortho you can choose. Speaking from my single braces experience, my ortho uses Damon braces and they have worked wonders for me. I know its the ortho not the bracket, blah blah (sorry guys!) but my Damons work great and I'll stick by them no matter what.

Best of luck - lets us know what you decide. What are you thinking of doing?? I actually have a friend who has had braces on for 4 years (she is now 27) and they are nowhere near finished. My case was 10 times harder than hers and I will be done in 3 months, for a total 18 month treatment. She is going to see my ortho to finish her treatment.

Remember - orthodontists are people too! They make mistakes and do badly in school. Maybe your ortho spent a little too much time having fun and not enough time studying. They're human, don't trust doctors 100%, sometimes they too make mistakes and don't know the answer.

Sun May 04, 2008 7:17 pm

Thank you all so much for your wonderful advice. It is so frustrating. I have been really down in the dumps lately because I feel like I wasted time and $ on someone who is either the slowest ortho on the planet or doesn't care enough to see that I am making adequate progress. He isn't a great communicator either. I just picked up pics at Walgreens- the photo guy probably thinks I'm nuts because the pics were all close up ones of my teeth- but oh well!! I am going in to see him tomorrow, then show him my progression pics and see what his "answer" is. Even then if he tells me he'll try another approach I am still going to see another ortho to get a 2nd or 3rd opinion.

Right, my teeth weren't bad to start with and I researched orthos extensivly. and I decided on this one and I feel duped! I wish I would have gone somewhere else! I just hope in the long run, it doesn't end up costing me too much effort and $ to change orthos. With the gas prices, etc. we don't need any more expenses.

Again, thank you all so much!!! I will post pics of my upper arch too to see what you all think..

#7 Post by **BoSox2008** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:12 pm

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes. And don't worry, although I use a digital camera to take pictures, my friends pick on me for having an entire folder on my computer designated to my teeth. I tried showing my progress photos off one time, but after everyone looked at me like I had 3 heads, I decided to keep the orthodontic pictures to myself : )