Tiny Teeth and Veneers

[Lorien]

Hello, friends!

I haven't posted in over a year - the joy of being a graduate student overseas, I suppose.

I'm in a tricky situation in which I have to choose between new orthodontists and their different treatments.

First:
Pre-treatment involved upper front large gaps and protruding upper front teeth.

My original orthodontist (#1) had issues, and I have left her. She was treating a friend of mine, who is a dentist, and caused extreme damage to my friend's jaws, damage which is now being repaired by another orthodontist (#2). I always had problems with #1 because she refused to communicate, was always late, etc.

I went to #2 for his opinion. He stated that my current treatment is a matter of choice but is unwise. My upper lateral incisors are very small - about 1/2-2/3 of normal size. #1 wanted to close all gaps on top. My teeth would have a possible slight slant and would be much smaller than, for example, my canines.

#2 says this is unwise, because it puts my very stubborn front teeth (after a year of treatment, if pressure is released then they re-gap within hours to a small but visible degree) will be so uncomfortable that in time they will pull forward again (like in the xrays). Instead, we should leave a natural amount of gap which is comfortable for the teeth, and then apply two veneers to fill in the spaces and visually repair the size differential. #2 has a very slick operation and works with modern methods.

I got a third opinion, orthodontist #3. He states that nothing is as good as the natural tooth (true!) and he refuses to consider veneers. He says that if we close all of the gaps, then with 2 years in a retainer (a wire attached behind the teeth) will train the ligaments and they will never move after removing the retainer. I know that teeth can move years after braces are gone.

Problem:
I'm in South America where my braces are costing only $500 for the initial installation and then $40 every month for adjustments, and that's including retainers and is for the sapphire Inspire Ice brackets. I cannot afford to have braces in the States where it's in the thousands range - I'm a grad student with student debt, going into teaching, etc etc. It'll be years until I have dental insurance. SO! I really want to get everything taken care of now!

#2's treatment "rings true" and feels right instinctively. I've never understood from #1 how everything would fit with those two little teeth - spatially it just doesn't work! She refused to answer my questions, though. I don't buy #3 saying that teeth just don't move once treated... he just rejects the possibility of out hand.

I'm choosing between #2 and #3.

#3 is very kind, very nice, and very affordable! He works primarily with general dentistry and dental surgery. Orthodontics is not his specialization. He replaced two brackets for me and used a lot of adhesive and taller brackets than my others. This caused hitting of teeth and brackets when I bit, so he shaved the brackets themselves. As a result, the elastics are popping off of the brackets. I like him and he's inexpensive, but I am doubtful about his orthodontic judgment and experience/style/etc.

#2 has an ego, pulled a bit of a powerplay by trying to use the language barrier (Spanish is my second language and I'm not fully fluent) against me, and he is more than double the cost of #3. The expense is a serious stretch for me at the moment. Also, veneers require replacing and require damage to the teeth. Except for my hesitation about the risks of veneers, my instincts lean towards his treatment. However, I don't care for the ego-politics (had that issue with #1) and he's more than double the cost (I know it's a small amount in terms of American prices, but he wants $500 to complete the treatment which is how much I spent originally to install the braces in the first place). This does not include the veneers, which will cost $80 total for the two teeth.

Concerns:
- Veneers. Tooth damage, require replacing.
- Forced teeth. If my teeth re-open and splay open in a few years, I won't be able to afford braces to repair them. I don't want to risk losing this $1000-1500 investment I've put in out of pocket already. I'm willing to spend more now in order to prevent spending much much more later!

Have any of you had experience with teeth moving post-retainers due to the wrong treatment? Have any of you had experience with applying veneers to too small teeth?

I'm seeking a fourth opinion here in town, but running out of time and need to make some decisions soon. Your thoughts are all very welcome!

[Lorien]

Oh, and also:

#3 wants to remove my top upper front four brackets and move them higher in order to pull my front four teeth lower to be more even with the canines. Problem is, my lateral incisors are so small that there's no room to move them up higher!

[naturegirl]

Gee, I wish I could help with your dilemma. I also have small teeth and my ortho was planning to put veneers on me afterwards. I really don't want to get veneers if at all possible and he noted that in my chart, so hopefully he can make it work.

If it was me, I'd probably go with #3 or possibly get a 4th opinion. Of course, I'm just now in my first month of braces, so I may not be as knowledgeable as others on here. (I just really dislike the idea of fake teeth/veneers and the ongoing upkeep of having them.)

[Grutty]

I saw several orthodontists before I picked one, and one of them told me that I would need veneers for my upper laterals because they were "freakishly" small compared to my other teeth. I was absolutely uninterested in veneers, so I picked a different doctor.

My ortho placed the brackets pretty high on my laterals, and amazingly, they have really gotten longer! If you check my profile, you can see the difference. So moving the brackets might help.

So I would go with ortho #3 if I were you, or get a 4th opinion if you arent sure. I would avoid #2 just because of the ego, who needs that?