Calling all openbiters

Message

#1 Post by **joney** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:45 pm

Most people on archwired seem to have overbites, it would seem that there are not so many open bite people here.

I've done a search for openbites and there aren't many or they've not posted much. I would love to see results for people who have open bites treated without surgery. I'm having mine fixed with brace and extractions only, I have an overjet too. I do enjoy reading about how other bite problems are fixed but of course having an open bite I would love it if there were more openbiters here, maybe it's just a rarer bite problem.

There may be open biters out there who I've missed in my search. My open bite is really big and is going to be treated with elastics. I would love it if I could see an example of this type of treatment.

I've also tried searching on the net but only academic papers seem to come up and you need to subscribe or be a professional for these and they would probably be too complicated for me anyway.

Regards
Joney

#2 Post by **joney** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:43 am

Poor Lonely Joney (Kidding). It does seem that the anterior open bite is much rarer than the overbite. Guess I'll have to be the trailblazer here for the open biters.

#3 Post by **edinburger** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:15 pm

Open biter here! I considered getting my open bite treated without surgery. However, my ortho wouldn't have been able to close the gap; mostly he would just have been able to level my teeth, remove the crowding and improve the shape of the upper arch. So, I'm getting it corrected with double jaw surgery, probably later this year.

#4 Post by **Drama Queen** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:51 am

Another open biter here too. my open bite is being treated with elastics and after about 5 months I am finding that my teeth are touching where they never did before. No surgery is needed.

I have an open bite and a slight protrusion of the upper jaw due to an upper tongue thrust. At my 3rd adjustment I had elastics that went from my back bottom molar band up to the third one along from my top molar band. This helped line my back teeth up. Then I had a box elastic going from my top front teeth down to my bottom front teeth (not an attractive look at all) I had this for 2 months and now my top teeth just overlap my front teeth. I now have triangle elastics on both sides trying to close the gaps at the side - I have had these for a month and i am not seeing that much progress but I am sure it will get there in end!

Lau xx

#5 Post by **Drama Queen** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:52 am

Another open biter here too. my open bite is being treated with elastics and after about 5 months I am finding that my teeth are touching where they never did before. No surgery is needed.

I have an open bite and a slight protrusion of the upper jaw due to an upper tongue thrust. At my 3rd adjustment I had elastics that went from my back bottom molar band up to the third one along from my top molar band. This helped line my back teeth up. Then I had a box elastic going from my top front teeth down to my bottom front teeth (not an attractive look at all) I had this for 2 months and now my top teeth just overlap my front teeth. I now have triangle elastics on both sides trying to close the gaps at the side - I have had these for a month and i am not seeing that much progress but I am sure it will get there in end!

Lau xx

#6 Post by **joney** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 11:39 am

Hi edinburger, thanks for the response, good luck with the surgery. This wasn't even mentioned to me as an option so I guess the ortho is confident that I don't need it.

Drama Queen, thanks for the response, I was beginning to think that I was a very rare creature indeed. Good to hear that you are responding with the elastics, I hope the sides go well for you. Funny thing is I never even knew I had an openbite until last Summer, apart from my teeth looking crooked they have never given me any problems with eating or speaking! I just can't imagine my front teeth ever touching, I imagine it must feel weird, I guess I will (hopefully) have to get used to this at some time in the future.

Good to know there are others getting this treated without surgery.

Regards
Joney

#7 Post by **LadyTr0uble** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:41 pm

Openbiter here too! But I think everyone is ahead of me in their treatment, so i'm not much help. My ortho only mentioned rubberbands to close my bite, no surgery. He's saving that for later, as he's got to fix my crowding problem on the bottom first.

good luck edinburger

#8 Post by **JayC** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:59 pm

open biter but i think it totally depends on hot big your open bite is and the cause of it.. for me my open bite is prety small.. like about 1/3 a cm? gonna be fixed with elastics but gfonna have surgery for class 3

#9 Post by **nita** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:29 pm

Openbiter here too!

Mine was also very small, though - maybe 2mm or so. I'm being treated with 4 premolar extractions. I'm pretty sure elastics are in my future. At one point I had a curved archwire on my lower arch, which I believe helps bring my lower front teeth up further.

I'm about 11 months into treatment and my bite has closed a lot. My front teeth now overlap my lowers by about 1 or 2 mm. I have about a year left in treatment, so hopefully the fine-tuning will let all the teeth overlap correctly.

I will be soooo excited when I finally get to bite into a sandwich or taco without making a huge mess. Before, I've always had to do the "bite-then-tear" method, and I can't wait to just bite into something.

#10 Post by **overseasmel** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:01 pm

Hey! Open-biter here too!

My orthodontist wanted me to have two surgeries- SARPE for expanding my upper jaw, and then another surgery to close the open bite. My finances and my experience with the first surgery made me say no to the second, so he will attempt to close my bite with elastics and braces instead. My front two teeth touch the bottom ones, but around my canine area they are quite a bit off.

I'd love to hear how everyone goes with the their non-surgical routes to closing their open bites- please do post your progress in the future!! (I've only had braces on for 2 months, so we are a ways off elastics).

#11 Post by **joney** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:05 pm

It's good to hear that there are several others out there with the same problem. I have my braces for two months also overseasmel so we may follow a similar course. You've done really well with your expansion and progress so far.

Nita it's good to hear that your teeth are overlapping now. I really can't remember ever "biting and tearing" but perhaps I did, after all normal is just what is normal for you. Good luck with biting that sandwich, it sounds like you are well on the way.

JayC Good luck with the surgery and elastics.

LadyTrOuble my bottom teeth are a real mess so I know how you feel. I'm sure my elastics are a lot further down the line too.

Joney's not so lonely anymore it seems!

Regards
Joney