Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi. I am new to this forum. I got my linguals on last Friday. I only have linguals on my top teeth. I have a retainer on my bottom teeth because they are already so straight but one tooth is slightly crooked. I am happy with my linguals but I have one major problem. I had to get my right #5 tooth extracted. I am so depressed about it. I'll be the first to admit that I am vain and that is the reason I chose linguals over traditional braces. I had my tooth extracted on Thursday and I am regretting my decision now. I am a pretty attractive girl and having a gap in my mouth that you can notice has really made me insecure. The tooth is in the back but when I smile, you can still see it. I am concerned about what other people are going to think. I am 23 years old and I just started a new job that pertains to my degree and I am concerned how my co-workers will react to me on Monday. This is even more shallow but I am concerned about my dating life too now. I am already really shy and with this huge gap in my mouth I am not going to want to even go out never mind approach guys. Has anyone else had this problem? I tried talking about it with my friends and my mom but they don't understand. They tell me that they don't notice it but I know it is a lie. My orthodontist says that it will be about 8 months before the gap will close and there is nothing they can do to hide it. What can I do in the meantime? How did everyone with extractions deal emotionally with having a missing tooth for a while? Am I just being ridiculously shallow and overreacting? I am really starting to regret going through with this. My teeth aren't that horrible. I am kicking myself for not doing this when I was 13. Is this going to be worth it in the end?

Hi Ctgirl,

Well, the tooth is gone and it won't be coming back, so that is something you're going to have to deal with.

I seem to recall that someone on here who'd had an extraction had her ortho fashion a false tooth (I think it was called a flipper) to hide the gap until it had closed. It might be worth asking your ortho if something similar can be done for you.

I think you are being a little sensitive. The whole braces thing is more important to the wearer than it is to anyone else. People may notice - and comment - but after the first time, you're unlikely to hear another squeak out of them.

Hello ,
First of all you HAVE made the right choice in sorting out your teeth- I think anyone who gets as far as having ortho work done is obviously not happy with there smile- you are one of the brave ones in this world who has done something about it- CONGRATS !
The first week is the worst- nobody prepares you emotionally for what you will go through- some adapt quicky others like me and you take a bit longer.
But remind yourself why you are doing it- think of that perfect smile soon to come.
I had two extractions out on the bottom- I convinced my-self that people can see these huge gaps but nobody did.
I have lingual top and ceramic (white) brackets on the bottom and NOBODY has noticed the bottom at all, my only issue was my lisp- again I created such a huge thing in my head that everyone could tell I was lisping - the fact was NOBODY could tell unless I pointed it out- then when they listened properly they said that I spoke clearer than before because as I was putting more effert into pronouncing my words.
What I am trying to say is I am sure a lot of your issues's are in your head- although I have seen no picture -your friends and family have all comented that they can not see the gap in your teeth- so maybe when you are talking generally just maybe nobody can see it.

The thing about friends and family is unless they have issues with their teeth too, you may find that they don't really understand what you are going through- and the reasons why you are doing it.

On my first day back to work I worried so much about what people would say- but nobody said anything......
I told my closest collegues because I was not eating properly... but their reaction was ..... unexpected...... ALL were amaized by the linguals, then those who had had braces when they were younger started on there brace stories..... and so the converstaion moved on to them..... not me!

People are not really bothered or don't really care -remember this, they have other things to worry about other than your teeth! -

I had created such a huge thing in my head that I would be the talk of the century at work for what I had done and nobody was bothered- or if they were interested it was positive coments I got from them.

Yes were all vain/ shallow- if we weren't we would not be getting our teeth sorted would we.... its natural for us to want to look our best and attractive- don't be so hard on yourself !

As for dating- you sound like an attractive girl- this will certainly sort the men out from the boys..... when you go out on a date, tell him about your braces and make a light joke about of them, bring humour into the conversation - especially about your gap..... although he probably wont have noticed it !
When telling my collegues I joked about not eating propery, not being able to eat chocolate as its to hard -and when I was a week in I comented that I had seen no movement and so I was heading abck to the ortho for a refund! LOL
This all hepled when telling people about the braces....
It may sound silly but if your nervous then homour is the best way I find to lighten the atmosphere!
Doing this you will come across as confident... and he will love that in you!
If he really does have a problem with your braces then he really is not worth the effort...... see what I mean about sorting the men out from the boys..... maturity is the key!

Wishing you love and luck for tomorrow, keep us updated
sara xx



'A year of braces for a lifetime of smiles'

Hi

I had a tooth removed near the front well, a baby canine tooth and I have an artificial temporary tooth stuck to the adjacent tooth to hide the gap. It looks much better than the tooth they removed! There is information on the incognito (European name for IBRACES website). The same idea can be used for other lingual systems. The disadvantage, it's not very strong, you certainly couldn't eat on it, and it does have to be ground down and built up at adjustments, to work with the movement of teeth. It did add to the cost of treatment a bit but not lots. Hope your ortho can do something like this for you too.

All above are right these things are so much more noticible to us that they are to other people. Try not to worry too much, it's a big deal to you because it's your mouth and you are living with it 24 7, but other people are often too busy getting hung up on their own issues, bad skin, big hips, etc.

Congratulations on getting started!

Thank you everyone for your support. Your comments were very nice. I am going to ask my orthodontist if I could have the fake tooth you all suggested. I hope its not too much more money because I live in Connecticut so I'm probably paying more than I should...lol. Anyways I just get nervous because I have a really big smile. I mean seriously you can see all the way back to my molars. It is my first week and everything has been difficult. My speech is maybe 85% now which is great considering no one could understand me on the first day...lol. I still have trouble with my "s" and "ch" sounds. When reading this board though I have taken the advice to sing in the car and read books out lout. I have a 36 minute commute back and forth from work so it has been working out. Eating...well I have brought myself up to eating pasta but I can only eat penne or larger noodles. The smaller noodles are too small to bite and my lower teeth will hit my brackets because my bite is way off. I haven't attempted anything harder than the softest bread. Even then I won't eat the outside of the bread. I just got back from studying abroad in Italy too and I was originally supposed to get them on two weeks before I left. I am so glad now that I postponed getting them on until after Italy. I am not bothered by the "do not eat list" except that I will miss doritos horribly. I have lost 5 pounds so far. Well I am calling my ortho tomorrow because I have to go in to get the power chain put on. I hope that helps move things along a bit and helps to close the gap. I know I am being sensitive and no one that knows me will care but I have to live with this and look at this all day every day. I will definetly keep everyone updated. I could be in this for 2 years if it is the worst case, 18 months if its the best case. *crossing fingers for 18 months*.

Definitely ask about the false tooth (my ortho refers to it as a pontic). I'm surprised they didn't mention this. For me, they put it on WITHOUT my asking for it, which was still a little weird, but i'm glad they did. the gaps on both sides were huge and VERY visable. Made me look like i wore dentures or something. They shave them back as the real teeth shift back into the space. As a result you'll still have a 1-2mm space between the fake tooth and the real one next to it (so it has room to shift) but it's much better than having that huge gap all together. I've had mine on for three months and am to the point where the fake teeth will be removed since the gaps are almost closed.

I had my front-bottom tooth extracted in May. I was told it would take 2 months or so. Well .. two months is here, and ain't a damn thing changed. I too regretted my decision mainly because I was concerned of my look. There was no way I was approaching a girl. But, I've come to the opinion that who cares man. So I got a big a@% gap in my mouth .. so what. I flaunt it. Can't say an "s" word to save my life, but I can eat spaghetti w my teeth clinched! So, cutie, I say flaunt it like a gold grill.

ps. and take a pic of just your teeth and post so we can all see your love gap.

I had a premolar removed a month ago and I was also very conscious about the big gap and was especially worried about comments my pupils might make! I had nothing to worry about- last week someone who already knew that I had braces asked me if I would need any teeth removed. I pointed out the gap and she honestly hadn't noticed!

I have a powerchain across the gap and my tooth has moved loads in the past month, I reckon the gap is half the size it was.