Orthodontic Treatment makes me very miserable! Please help make me feel better :(

[Bracingmyself901]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Yes one should be "thankful" that their parents could afford and choose to pay for braces to straighten teeth, but it is NOT okay that the results are causing you pain both emotionally and physically. Have you actually talked to your dentist about what is going on? You're young, but this is an appropriate time to start speaking up for yourself and about your concerns.

1. 4+ years is too long, what is the dentist excuse for not being able to achieve results in a reasonable time frame (~24-30months)
2. Have you talked to your dentist about pain? This is something serious and can potentially only get worse, which brings me to point 3;
3. Have you gotten an x-ray in the last year or so? I would press your dentist to do this, to make sure everything is fine with your roots etc
4. A short term solution to the teeth grinding is that they make mouth guards for individuals in braces, maybe you should buy one (they are cheap at least in the US) and wear it at night?
5. I see you spoke to a second dentist and they gave you the opinion that the extractions shouldn't have been performed etc, have you brought this up with the current dentist? You should bring this to their attention and ask where the treatment will go from here to rectify the situation

[Ziggy]

So sorry you are going through all this. I'm wondering if some of the things you are describing are due to stress and anxiety. Tensing up can make your jaw, and other parts of your body really, really achy. Stress and anxiety will often cause weight loss which can lead to some of the things you are seeing in the mirror, not to mention depression. I'm not making excuses for your dentist, and yes, you've been in braces for longer than most, but as the other poster said, it's time for you to stand up for yourself and have a talk with your parents and your dentist. Tell them you are very happy they had the wherewithal to get you your braces but you need to tell them how you feel and that you are disappointed with the results. You need to tell your dentist that you are not pleased with the results so far, and ask him/her why you are seeing these negative changes and how much longer he/she expects you to be in treatment. Most of us are given an estimate as to how long we will be in braces, and with few exceptions those estimates are pretty damn close to our treatment times. Also, if some of your problems are due to stress you are going to have to learn to relax. I often meditate when I have any kind of medical procedure that bothers me, like an orthodontic adjustment. Also, things like meditation are cumulative, so the more you do it the better you feel overall.

I sincerely believe if you have a calm, serious talk with your parents and your dentist you will feel better and have an idea of what's going to happen moving forward. Sounds like finding good dentists and orthodontists is hard where you live, but if you don't like the answers you get you're going to have to get a second opinion. You also may want to talk to your regular doctor about your depression -- just saying. Of everything you've described, regardless of the reason, depression is the worst. Hang in there.

[embracethebraceface]

I am so sorry you experienced this. That's awful. Have you spoken with your parents about possibly transitioning you to a different orthodontist or communicating with the orthodontist to relay what you're experiencing? It seems like it's time to say something or do something about this faulty work. I hope you find the light at the end of the tunnel and your problems get resolved. You are right to feel angry, frustrated, upset, etc... Rant away. I completely understand and sending sympathy your way!