Can I ask my ortho to be debraced already?

[catgyrl]

Hey all-

Would it be thoroughly inappropriate of me to let my ortho know at my next visit (May 18th) that I’d like my braces taken off in July? Long story short (for those who haven’t read my story), at my appointment last week, he told me that he noticed a “tongue thrust” issue, and that’s why he can’t get my two front teeth to move back as he wants them to. He told me I needed to work on this from now until my next appointment, and if it still wasn’t fixed, he’d have to put some sort of device (not a “big metal one”, as he put it, but something else) in there to help things out. (Seeing as my teeth have looked like this for about 30 years, it would’ve been nice for him to tell me about the tongue thrust… oh… about 2 years ago so I could’ve worked on it.) He also put two more hooks on my upper lateral incisors and put me back in zigzag elastics, which are even worse than before because they’re more toward the front of my mouth. I seriously cannot open my mouth to talk.

Honestly, that little bit of overjet/openness that he sees is only visible when I bite down and tilt my head back. In other words, only an orthodontist or dentist would notice it. Other than a couple of small “black triangles”, which I think can be fixed with a double powerchain, I’m perfectly happy with the way they are now. Here are two pics: One from May 2010, 1 week after getting braced (sorry it's so big - having trouble resizing in Photobucket), and one from this morning (dang ligs turning yellow already! LOL!)




My midline and teeth are lined up properly, and my bite feels great. I'm not embarrassed to smile or be seen or photographed from the side anymore. I have a wedding to attend in July, and by that time, it will have been 27 months. I figured if I tell him in May, he’d have 2 months to close up any remaining gaps.

Can he refuse to take them off until HE feels they’re ready to come off?

Thanks for any insight!

[udubdave]

I think if you're truly satisfied with the way your teeth and bite are now, then you can ask for it. I mean he can't "force" you to wear braces any longer because it's not really his choice, it's your choice. Just say you're satisfied with your teeth and ask if you can be debraced and fitted for a retainer.

[ArchWired28]

Dear catgyrl,

first of all, nobody can force you to wear braces against your will. Hence, you can demand to be debraced anytime you want, and your orthodontist must debrace you as soon as you decide (as long as he/she explains the negative consequences you may face if you do so, and you understand and accept them). And I certainly understand your desire to be debraced already, after 2 long years of wearing them, especially that your teeth look great to you.

This being said, you have to take into account that tongue thrust may jeopardize the long-term success of your teeth alignment. I am not sure how serious this issue is in your case, but this bad habit, at the very least, certainly does not help in keeping your teeth aligned in a long run. I agree, it would have been nice to know about it earlier, but perhaps he/she did not pay enough attention to it before, or maybe this was not very evident until your teeth became aligned. Whatever the situation is, I applaud your orthodontist for his/her willingness to take care of this now, instead of just ignoring it and proceeding to debracing. Given the information you provided, it seems to me that it is in your best ineterst to comply with whatever your ortho is planning. I would have certainly done so if I were you. Again, I applaud your ortho for stepping forward and honestly disclosing this since I am wondering how many orthos would have just let it go. And I certainly hope, that my ortho would have done the same if I happen to be in the similar situation.

Sorry for the long and preachy post. I just thought how nice it would be to have such a honest and professional ortho

[Snowglobe32]

Hi Cathy,

I know your ortho isn't much for small talk, or talk in general...but how about at your next appointment, you just tell him your concerns, tell him you want them off in July and ask his opinion? Tell him you feel things look great but since you are not an ortho, ask him to explain what, if anything, needs to be done and the pros and cons of not finishing. He can't make you wear them if you do not want to. But I think the best way is to go in non-confrontational and see what he says. July is 3 months away...I think that is enough notice.

I can feel your pain with having braces for too long...(I can't see my tickler right now but I am clearly over the 2.5 yr mark!) I go in on Monday for what should be my final set of SureSmile wires and maybe elastics. I am so over these braces!

Good luck!

[catgyrl]

Wow - I didn't realize I hadn't replied to any of your comments here. My apologies... I do appreciate all of your input, and I guess my opinion was in the minority because I did check with my ortho yesterday and he said taking them off in July would premature. I asked if it would be 6 more months, and he said, "No, but definitely not July, either." The old "sad eyes and pouty lip" didn't even work - he just walked away. LOL

So... I guess that's that. You're right, I should be fortunate that he's a perfectionist and wants my teeth to look their best.

[DrJasonKTam]

Any orthodontic patient can request their braces to come off. It happens once in a while for a variety of reasons. A couple of factors to consider:

1. You should be current with your account/paid off.
2. There may be no financial compensation for having the braces off early, so you may be responsible for the full contract.
3. A letter stating that treatment is not yet complete, that all, risks, benefits, and alternatives, have been presented to you, and that you are still requesting the removal of your braces, will probably need to be signed.
4. Likely no recourse for any changes afterwards if you request braces off early.
5. The overall stability of your occlusion and alignment may be compromised.

Discuss the pros and cons of continuing treatment and try to make the most informed decision possible. Remember, the time from for completing treatment in full is a short time compared to the years and years of a stable, beautiful smile!

[catgyrl]

Hi Dr. Tam!

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my topic. Your comments are always very much appreciated!

I have decided to just wait it out. The "No, not 6 more months" is the closest my orthodontist has come to a committed answer on when I'll get debraced, so I'll accept that. I do see what he is working on, and I do see slight improvement, even from just a few days ago. I'm fully paid up, so that's not an issue. I think your reason #5 is his main concern.