Baby Tooth Blues

Message

#1 Post by **CheekyMonkey** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:25 am

Hi All

I was braced about 2 months ago to correct an adult canine tooth obstructed by a baby tooth. Ironic, as I used to get compliments on my smile.

Anyway, we're moving into the next and most critical phase of this, which is the baby tooth (not such a baby anymore) will be extracted and the adult canine will be pushed forward. Man, 30+ years is a long time to have a baby tooth!

I'm curious to find some folks in similar situations. Like how long did it take you? (My ortho is hesitant to give me a guesstimate) And also - what was the contraption like to pull the tooth forward? (The ortho is vague about that)

Any feedback is appreciate, I would like to know what I'm in for!

#2 Post by **alliphd** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:33 am

I don't have any personal experience, just thought I'd add that my dad (50+) has a baby tooth that seems to be just fine as it is - no adult tooth ever came in! I think it just happens every once in a while.

#3 Post by **Pixel Witch** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:37 am

I still have a baby canine. There is a bit about it in my story thread (in sigline), but basically it never came out, I was told I didn't have a permanent tooth.

I discovered this past Friday that I DO have one, but it is way up above my two front teeth and isn't moving, and to pull it down would cause damage to my already descended teeth, so we're leaving it alone and crowning it later on

#4 Post by **artsyalice** » Mon May 21, 2007 1:03 pm

Pixel Witch,
I also have a baby canine still in...actually both are still there. My perms have been coming in behind the baby teeth and I'm getting braces on June 7th to correct the problem.

Anyway, I don't have any advice yet, but wanted to let you know that you aren't the only one out there with this issue.
Good luck....you're moving into the part of the treatment that for me is scariest.
Alice

#5 Post by **Chiwawamom** » Mon May 21, 2007 7:55 pm

I have a baby tooth "pre molar" as does my 53 year old mom, same tooth as me. And she said her baby tooth has been the strongest of all her teeth. I am 29 and mine has given me no problems so far. It will be braced in a few months as I only have my uppers braced right now awaiting my deep bite to open up a bit to give room for the lower brackets to be put on. They can last a long time. I have no adult tooth under it either....It HAS to last me the rest of my life. Or I will have to get an implant.

#6 Post by **fyrelight** » Mon May 21, 2007 8:55 pm

Yep, its pretty common! Mine are doing fine now!

#7 Post by **CheekyMonkey** » Tue May 22, 2007 5:40 am

Well my canine's not impacted, it's out and proud and behind ole baby tooth. I'll definitely check out those other folks to see their journeys.

Thanks all!

#8 Post by **nice teeth** » Tue May 22, 2007 8:47 am

HI!

I'm going thropugh the same thing. I had my baby tooth(canine) for 32 years too

. They extracted it and are trying to pull my adult canine in, which is on an angle and it's actually coming out the roof of my mouth.

Where is your adult canine?

They seem to use all different ways to pull down adult teeth as I found out from this forum. What one Orthro does another one doesn't.

It also depends where your adult tooth is and if it's twisted, angled,etc. Lots of possibilities. In fact my Orthro is only giving me a 50/50 chance of it working so my fate is all in his hands and what my tooth decides to do.

I've had all my work done in October 2006 and my adult tooth is now out but it's in the middle of the roof of my mouth, and now we are just trying to get it in place, which I'm told is really tricky.

It's a real drag but it will be worth it.

#9 Post by **niceteeth** » Tue May 22, 2007 7:31 pm

yeah, I'm going through a similar thing. One of my teeth on the left side is way out of place, because it grew in behind a baby tooth. I had the baby tooth pulled, but I went to the ortho because I was sick of covering up my simle cause I was embarassed of the tooth. THEN my ortho told me that I also have another baby tooth (the same on the other side) that needs to come out. So I'm supposed to be getting my baby tooth pulled in a couple weeks, and after i'm done with this awful awful expander then I'll get braced. Then my ortho said we'll wait a little bit to see if the tooth will come down on it's own.

i'm thinking that if it hasn't come down by now, it's not coming down, but my ortho said that i'm still young, (19), so it's possible.

#10 Post by **Eleni** » Tue May 22, 2007 8:25 pm

In my case, it took 1 year to pull the tooth down fully and 1 and 1/2 years to line it up properly with its tooth brothers and sisters. Timing depends on where exactly its located (how far away from its final destination, how far out of the palate its exposed) and your unique speed of tooth movement.

For me, the contraption was a bend/loop shaped into the wire and then a string or elastic attached. Someone on here had something similar and called it a mousetrap. I've seen others on the board whose ortho's took different approaches, or even tried a few different pulley systems/angles based on progress. So, there is no one way or answer.

I chronicled my journey here.

Best of luck!