I will not go into too much about what it was like pre-braces but the usual apply; lack of self confidence, low self esteem etc… Also adopting every possible trick in the book to try and hide your smile (hands to mouth, angling your face a certain way, smiling with lips closed most of the time).
Here is a selected summary of my prognosis from my initial consultation.
I had severe over crowding of my upper and lower dental arches, and have naturally larger than average central incisors- this meant that the degree of crowding present, along with large teeth, the overall effect was severe crossing over and crowding of both upper and lower jaws. He also said that the upper premolar palatal cusps are only just over 1cm apart in the mid line of my palate due to insufficient space – this has created a cross bite on both left and right sides where my upper teeth bite inside my lower teeth, whereas in an ideal occlusion they bite outside the lower teeth.
So, armed with that knowledge, I belatedly decided to go down the orthodontic route. It was clearly pointed out from the beginning that only full upper and lower braces would correct my malocclusion. Cosmetic treatment would not be an option until my teeth were straightened. Incidentally, I had decided to go private. This was because many years previous I had tried to go down the NHS route, but suffice to say it failed me, and it felt like they just wanted to wash their hands with me. Maybe they are not all like that, and I just got a poorly run practice (it’s not there anymore), but there you go.
So to save you all from dropping off to sleep here are the all important pics, this is what I looked like pre-braces.
….Yes I know, quite scary but it does get better
So you can see why I got braced.So after 4 extractions - 2 top & bottom First Pre-molars (bicuspids), I was braced with upper and lower braces. For the uppers, I had 4 ceramic brackets on the front teeth, and the rest was a combination of speed (Damon) brackets and metal. The lowers were all metal/speed brackets.
Here are a couple of very unattractive pics after I was braced. (apologies for some blurry images)
At least the ceramic brackets looked pristine and new lol
It’s safe to say, that with my top teeth already feeling somewhat protruded and sticking out, (especially the upper right central incisor) the extra hardware on the outside of the teeth at this stage, made for a tricky initial first few weeks of getting adapted to it all. It took a little effort to pull my lips over it all. Also as you can see, my lower laterals couldn’t even be bracketed at this stage as they were being crowded out between my lower central incisors and the rotated canine’s on both sides.
Slowly but surely things started to move….
Don't you just love www.imageshack.us
Since being braced in Feb ’04, I had a total of 11 adjustments, mostly scheduled at every 4th week stage. I had the upper braces removed after 13 months (March), and have just recently last week (April 25) had my lower braces removed. So my total treatment time was almost 14 months to the day. Initially I was told between 24-30 months. I was pleased to be getting my braces off, but a little nagging doubt came into my mind, as to weather they were finishing me early just to chase my final 50% finishing payment. Overall, the positives of my ortho treatment far outweigh any small sceptical negative thoughts I have, and I am very pleased with the outcome achieved.
Here are the all important side-by-side before and after pics.
This is one of my favourites before and afters; I still have a narrow upper palate and always will have, but for the first time since I can remember I now have an arch like shape to my upper palate, instead of a crazy, disorganised unsymmetrical shape I had previously. There is no longer just 1cm of space between the upper premolar palatal cusps as my original consultation report revealed. Those 2 teeth were extracted anyway, but as the 2nd Pic shows in comparison to the 1st – there is definitely more than 1cm’s width between where the two would be now.
This extra space now allows my tongue to rest comfortably in the middle of the palate/roof of my mouth. It has also done wonders for my bite, as my previous cross bite problems have now been resolved. The 2nd pic also show my bonded retainers which go behind the back of the front 6 teeth. It doesn’t take too long to get used to these, they are permanent and I think they are a great way of retaining your post-brace teeth. However it does depend on the individual. In addition to these I am also wearing a night guard type of retainer.I've made an Animated Morph: http://img196.echo.cx/my.php?image=uppe ... sec4on.swf (I recommend decreasing the resolution down to 512 as that is the original size and it tends too load up to big when the link is activated - this could also be slow loading for Dial-up surfers, sorry!)
My lowers.
I can never seem to get the pics of my lower teeth in focus,
oh well. Again a simple case of having too many teeth crowded onto a very narrow palate causing severe overcrowding. The canine’s (cuspids) were rotated almost sideways, and they had to be moved back into the space left by the extraction of my 2 lower bicuspids. The 2nd premolars were leaning inwards, especially my right one (left as you view it). If you want to know which teeth I’m talking about. I’m not brainy, I just found the following link http://dentalimplants-usa.com/Generalin ... hpics.html usefull in providing the correct name terms. The laterals couldn’t be bracketed at first, until more space was created. Eventually they were bracketed ….
…. Using some form of double wire technique, which, interested me a little. Eventually the laterals were brought forward and for the first time since I again can remember, they were side by side with my lower central incisors (2 front pegs).
2 more pics of my front teeth but this time more front on….
Animated Morph: http://img223.echo.cx/my.php?image=uppe ... sec8ji.swf
Again the after pic shows more of a dental arch shape than the before pic.
Now the front profile pic – the important one, because generally this is the what people see when you talk and smile.....
I am very pleased with the results from this. You can clearly see how my bite as improved and there is more teeth showing on both sides of the mouth, thus giving me a wider smile. Almost all the of the crowded and crooked teeth have been straightened and brought side by side with the other teeth. I do have a slight midline discrepancy but considering where I started from, this doesn’t concern me in the slightest. The teeth just mesh so much better, and eating and biting into food has become easier and more enjoyable. Has far has aesthetics are concerned I’ll leave it too you, to make your own judgement at which of the two pics looks the more eye pleasing.
Another Animated Morph for a bit of fun; http://img164.echo.cx/my.php?image=fron ... x28120.swf again I would decrease the resolution to 320 or 512 for better viewing.
And last but not least a couple of side profile pics…
Again they show a major improvement in my bite and alignment of teeth in correlation with the upper and lowers. The before pics were shot just before the extractions of my 1st premolars (bicuspids) and you can clearly see them pushing my canine's well forward, almost out of my mouth!! - Once again proving that my small narrow mouth was never designed for hosting all 32 teeth! - My gums are not as inflamed as what they were pre-braces. The before pics were shot after 2 intensive hour long dental hygiene cleans. I have got pics of what my teeth looked like before those cleanings, and let’s just say, I won’t be showing them lol.
After that I got braces and since then, I have been regimentally strict with my cleanings. My gums and teeth have responded in kind. I’d like to use the excuse that pre-braces my teeth were very badly positioned and crowded, which is why I couldn’t clean them too well. That does have some truth in it, but mainly it was because I had little respect for my teeth back then, because of the way they looked. Whereas now, because they are much straighter and I show them more, I give them much more thought and consideration, than I did before.Overall Conclusion
I am very pleased, and grateful for what my ortho has done for me. He was more of a hands on type, i.e. would rather get on with the job in hand, than talk about every little procedure he was doing. However he always answered any of my questions throughout. I feel he has done the best he could do, considering the little space he had to work with. I owe him, the assistants and the practice in general a debt far more than the £2,200 I paid - for they have literally put the smile back on my face.
Post-Braces I do have a few concerns with a bit of recession I have on my upper and lower cuspids (canine's) and may need to have some form of grafting done to alleviate that problem. And I do have a very small chip on the bottom of my right upper central incisor that may have me taking further action. It's only noticeable when close up though.
) that give me that push to finally get my teeth fixed. 
I'm out of words! 
WTG, Dodger!!! 
