can i get by with a retainer?

[drrick]

Nothing to be scared about.
Sounds like you are a multi-disciplinary case. All that means is that you likely need more than just braces. Sounds like you could need some TMJ treatment, braces and some restorative dentistry. Any doc who treats alot of adults usually sees these types of cases every day.

I would likely start at a Prosthodontist's office. He/she will be the quarterback of your treatment. Making the overall plan and then directing you toward specialists at the appropriate times. Braces will likely be part of the overall treatment to set the stage for the restorative dentistry, but thew overall plan needs to be determined first and prothodontists are very good at this.

[julieo]

uuggh. i am sort of overwhelmed. i was, at the beginning of this post, wondering if i could go the retainer route. now, this seems pretty unlikely. i wanted to improve my smile cosmetically, and now i am concerned about "bite issues" which i knew nothing about prior to visiting this site. now i know, that when i close my mouth and cannot see my lower teeth that, this is a problem. now i know that this is primarily the reason for he crowding on my lowers. now i know that even though i don't have, as this site would call it, an "over-jet", i do have a significant "over-bite". how is this corrected? braces alone? please say yes. not sure if my ego could handle elastics. how will they get my upper teeth to meet with my lower teeth? a total aside... what if i decide to ignore this problem and just deal with the fact that i am grinding myteeth down to nubs. i keep discarding the mouth guards. is there a fixed appliance that could save my teeth? Help!!

[julieo]

Nothing to be scared about.
Sounds like you are a multi-disciplinary case. All that means is that you likely need more than just braces. Sounds like you could need some TMJ treatment, braces and some restorative dentistry. Any doc who treats alot of adults usually sees these types of cases every day.

I would likely start at a Prosthodontist's office. He/she will be the quarterback of your treatment. Making the overall plan and then directing you toward specialists at the appropriate times. Braces will likely be part of the overall treatment to set the stage for the restorative dentistry, but thew overall plan needs to be determined first and prothodontists are very good at this.

thx for your time. responded with a new ? or 2. i would appreciate your input!

[julieo]

drrick- here are pics. please advise/Users/julie/Desktop/DSC05093.JPG/Users/julie/Desktop/DSC05090.JPG/Users/julie/Desktop/DSC05090.JPG/Users/julie/Desktop/DSC05095.JPG

[julieo]

drrick. don't know how to upload pics

[drrick]

I think your best course of action is to visit with some docs for consultations.

[alimommy1]

Go have a few consults and see what the different orthos suggest. If you are worried about being overwhelmed, let them all know that you want them to give you their honest recommendations and then also recommendations that are maybe not as thorough but would be workable plans.

Also, elastics are not that bad, many times you can barely even see them if they are class II or class III because they are on the sides and not typically right in the front.

[hazel]

Hi UGHBRACES!
I've only had lower metal braces for three weeks. I intend to ask my orthodontist about upper braces in three weeks time during my next appointment. My concern is that he might have planned treatment of my lower teeth to match the alignment of my upper teeth........I've never realised I had an overbite before I started reading posts on this web site......strange....when I was young and my mum asked the family dentist about braces for my lower teeth he told her I didn't need them as my lower teeth didn't show while I was speaking at the time.... but over 20 years later they are showing more....and more as time passes and gravity gets its way over my lower lip!