Having a "talk" with my orthodontist

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uncdl
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:47 pm

Having a "talk" with my orthodontist

#1 Post by uncdl »

I've had braces on for 13.5 months now out of a supposed 18 months. I've had the finishing wire since January and my orthodontist has been putting bends in it to "detail" my teeth. The last three times I've been, my front top teeth just keep getting higher and higher away from my front bottom teeth to the point where I now have a very visible open bite.

I went to my regular dentist for my 6 month cleaning (same dentist I've seen my entire life) and he said that no I should not have developed an open bite and he cannot understand why my orthodontist has done this since I had an OVERbite to start with. He also recommended having a meeting with my orthodontist to have him tell me what his plans are for fixing this and if he can't give me a detailed technical answer that I need to start looking for a second or third opinion.

All I can think of is, what if he doesn't have a plan? What if he has screwed my teeth up? How long is it going to take to correct this when I'm supposed to be done in 4.5 months? How DO you correct this? How do you get out of your contract? Do you still have to pay even if they're doing bad/wrong things to your teeth?

Does anyone have any suggestions or answers? :(
Ceramics on top on 4/03/08
Metal on bottom on 4/03/08
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Andromeda
Posts: 417
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:29 am
Location: Southern California, United States

#2 Post by Andromeda »

Hi uncdl, I read this before and wasn't going to post because I don't really have many answers for you but I saw that no one has posted back to you so far so I didn't want you to feel like no one was interested. I know that I had a slight open bite - my two front teeth just barely overlapped my lowers and the laterals and canines didn't at all (you could see right through to the inside of my mouth) and some of my side/back teeth didn't touch. My ortho used an archwire with loops in it to move my front teeth down to overlap the lowers a bit, and then he used elastics to make my side/back teeth touch when I bite.

I know it seems bad now, but this could just be one of those "it gets worse before it gets better" type things. Maybe he needs your front teeth to move like that to get some of your other teeth in line and then he will bring them back down to have a normal bite. I know your dentist said you shouldn't have developed this open bite, but really, he doesn't know what your orthos plan is so he really doesn't KNOW that this wasn't part of the plan all along. And I think with your estimate, there is still plenty of time left to get this issue taken care of. Mine only took about 2 months to fix.

I don't know the answers to the questions you had about getting out of a contract and if you still have to pay if you don't like what your ortho has done, but I think most of us have been at a point in treatment where we thought "what the heck is going on with my teeth, this CANT be right"! I know I definitely was but things are fine now.

Don't stress too much unitl you get to ask your ortho about it. I know it's hard waiting it out til your next adjustment but I think the chances are good that he knows what he's doing and plans on correcting this issue. Good luck :)
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socksy
Posts: 77
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:49 am
Location: Los Angeles

#3 Post by socksy »

I think it's a great idea to speak with your orthodontist about his plans - but don't panic, because like Andromeda said, your teeth can definitely get worse before they get better. Maybe your ortho just hasn't communicated his plans to you. My bite is opening on one side but my ortho was expecting it to and has discussed her plans with me. She will use elastics to close it once my lowers are straight. So hopefully your bite can be closed pretty easily, it just may not be the time yet in your treatment.
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TLB in Minneapolis
Posts: 93
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:12 pm
Location: Souix Falls, SD

#4 Post by TLB in Minneapolis »

Hi, I wish I could say more positive things but my experience with detailing and bends in the archwire have not been so good. I think too that my ortho has screwed my teeth up a bit. My bite was never bad but now all of a sudden my teeth aren't coming together the same. I've heard the, 'it gets worse before it gets better' and that may be true but I wonder if towards the end of treatment that phrase should apply or not? I'm thinking things should be near perfect the last couple months and these issues should be remedied by then?

I am getting another opinion by another ortho because my gut tells me to and I know my teeth/bite don't look right.

I'm pretty laid back and easy going so I didn't question my ortho or asked for a lot of detail because I assumed he knew what he was doing but I'm not so sure now.

Good luck and if you feel the need to have another ortho look things over, I would just do it.
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bbsadmin
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#5 Post by bbsadmin »

From what I understand, sometimes orthodontists go a little too much in one direction at the end of treatment to allow for a slight relapse after the braces come off.

Remember that wire retainers can move teeth, as well. So the total finishing may occur after the braces come off.
I'm the owner/admin of this site. Had ceramic uppers, metal lowers ~3 years in my early 40's. Now in Hawley retainers at night!
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uncdl
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:47 pm

#6 Post by uncdl »

I have an appointment to talk with him this Friday. I just don't know what's going on with my front teeth (I've posted before that after every adjustment they're more crooked/higher) and it is very disturbing to me! When I go I tell him about the crookedness/level problems and he always says, this should fix it. And now I've got the open bite.

I can't help but to agree with TLB in Minneapolis with thinking that your teeth should be looking better at the end of your treatment. He and I have already talked twice now about the fact that I am getting an essix retainer when my braces come off. Do essix retainers allow for settling?

I just hope things go well this Friday or I guess I'll be looking for another opinion. :(
Ceramics on top on 4/03/08
Metal on bottom on 4/03/08
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uncdl
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:47 pm

#7 Post by uncdl »

I have an appointment to talk with him this Friday. I just don't know what's going on with my front teeth (I've posted before that after every adjustment they're more crooked/higher) and it is very disturbing to me! When I go I tell him about the crookedness/level problems and he always says, this should fix it. And now I've got the open bite.

I can't help but to agree with TLB in Minneapolis with thinking that your teeth should be looking better at the end of your treatment. He and I have already talked twice now about the fact that I am getting an essix retainer when my braces come off. Do essix retainers allow for settling?

I just hope things go well this Friday or I guess I'll be looking for another opinion. :(
Ceramics on top on 4/03/08
Metal on bottom on 4/03/08
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