Took my braces off but my teeth dont touch

[JHova]

Took my braces off about a year ago and it looks nice and straight. Went to my family dentist yesterday and he made me aware, that none of my back teeth touch. The only teeth that touch are the front teeth.

I asked my orthodontist about this a year ago, and he said it was normal and that the teeth would naturally move into place and touch over time. Being the idiot that I am, I didn't question further about this.

Is anyone else in the same boat or was in the same situation? How did it all turn out? Did you have to get braces again?

Thanks

[Crazy4Snow]

How have you been chewing your food for the last year if your teeth don't touch???

I would definitely go back to the ortho...one of the BIG things that are addressed with braces is your "bite". It sounds to me like you don't have a bite so to speak. If your "teeth would naturally move into place and touch over time" then that means they would be moving and that will mess up all the progress you made with getting straight teeth to begin with. People wear retainers after braces to KEEP TEETH FROM MOVING...we don't want them to move at all after braces.

Having a bite is exptremely important for so many different reasons and you need to have this addressed.

[Snowglobe32]

Did the teeth not touch when the braces were taken off?
Did you wear your retainer?

[chocomorsel]

Actually, people here talk of a "settling" process for the molars once the braces are out that can take months if the teeth are too far in the gums. Teeth naturally want to be in communication with each other and that's why when there's a molar missing you will see the opposite tooth from opposite jaw start to get bigger at it comes out of the gum to meet its match.

You would think though that after one year, the "settling" process would be over and your bite would be right. I would re-visit the ortho. And if that's your pic by your name, you have a gorgeous smile.

[JHova]

How have you been chewing your food for the last year if your teeth don't touch???

I would definitely go back to the ortho...one of the BIG things that are addressed with braces is your "bite". It sounds to me like you don't have a bite so to speak. If your "teeth would naturally move into place and touch over time" then that means they would be moving and that will mess up all the progress you made with getting straight teeth to begin with. People wear retainers after braces to KEEP TEETH FROM MOVING...we don't want them to move at all after braces.

Having a bite is exptremely important for so many different reasons and you need to have this addressed.

I can still chew, its just that my front teeth touch each other before my back teeth do. My bite isn't settled, as I think I took off my braces prematurely. I wear my retainers everyday so any chances of my teeth "settling" etc. are out of the question unless I stop wearing my retainers... My family dentist told me to wait 6-12 months and throughout that time he will keep an eye on it for me, although I doubt there would be any positive change since I am wearing retainers.


Another thing that worries me. It turns out the dentist that did my braces was not a orthodontist, but instead a general practitioner who does braces. I haven't made a call yet, but its already been 1 year. Will they really help me fix my bite? And if so, I'll probably have to be in braces again and pay up...

[Crazy4Snow]

Jhova, that's one reason it's so important to do your homework and choose a well qualified, certified orthodontist. It may cost you more money, but it wouldn't hurt to seek another opinion from an orthodontist in your area, sometimes they consult for free. Going through all I've gone through, not to mention the money I've spent, if I wasnt' happy with the result I would definitely pursue it with someone else.

[TumbleDryLow]

My suggestion would be to go back to the original doctor who did the ortho work and tell him the issue--that your teeth aren't settling. There are Hawley retainers out there that allow your teeth to touch. They're not the run-of-the-mill Hawley's that most people get. They're something else. I've read a few post about people who had similar bite issues, went into these types of retainers, and their bites settled.

[rhomboid]

ditto what crazy4snow wrote. Recommend going to a board certified Ortho. Best of luck.

[thenumber12]

Straight teeth is only of secondary importance while a proper bite is priority. I am currently having a slew of jaw, throat, head neck and back problems arising from an improper alignment after braces. Teeth do shift even while in retainers throughout the rest of your life that's why you visit with your ortho to have the retainers adjusted but if after a year, your teeth still aren't touching and most importantly, it's bothering you then you should let your dr know.

[ArchWired28]

I always thought that the front teeth should touch a bit before the molars do. If the molars touch first, it is called "traumatic occlusion" and may lead to grinding and clenching, TMJ issues etc. Ask your dentist (who made that comment) why it is bad to have what you have now.
I know there are certain devices that are used to make the molars erupt. Definitely ask the dentist who made braces for you about that. My ortho says it is a widely accepted practice to make molars erupt to open the bite a little, but of course, every case is different. Good luck!

[bb]

I'm in the same boat as you- braces off 8 months ago and molars haven't "settled". I really can't see how they can move since they are held in place by the retainer.
4 months ago my ortho said I may have to get braces on molars only to make them touch- why this wasn't done before?-I'll never know!!

[thenumber12]

That sounds like a similar issue I had when my braces came off but I was also in a whole lot of pain. I consulted with an ortho yesterday and showed him my before and after pics. He was shocked that my teeth were braced in the first place because they were straight to begin with. Looking at the after pics, he made a few observations:
1. My ortho made a choice of a very unusual and unhealthy extraction pattern.
2. The "new" bite was so that the front teeth don't meet and all the pressure is to the back (just like you describe).

He did say I seemed to have more complicated issues than just that bite, but what you describe sounds like how mine are.
I THINK usually, if it's severe enough, they would make you a splint. You should consult with an ortho in my opinion and bring your records along.

[JHova]

I'm in the same boat as you- braces off 8 months ago and molars haven't "settled". I really can't see how they can move since they are held in place by the retainer.
4 months ago my ortho said I may have to get braces on molars only to make them touch- why this wasn't done before?-I'll never know!!

Same here! I know I need to get this checked out. But I'm not having any problems at the moment with eating that I notice.

My family dentist did a check where he slipped a piece of paper into the side of my mouth, told me to bite down with my molars, and he was able to pull the paper right out without it ripping. Therefore none of my molars touch. You can even see them not touching.

I haven't seen the dentist that gave me braces yet. I think I will need to though.

[CheesyTeeth]

Any updates?

I have a similar problem. My dentist also did the slip of paper test thing. I had my braces off since 2005 over 6 years ago. Everything was fine until 2009 when my jaw opened too wide while eating a sandwich. It was sore that whole day and I could barely chew anything. Took a day or so for it to get better but ever since then my right jaw has been clicking everytime I yawn. I have been wearing my retainers at night and just recently my dentist told me to stop wearing the retainers and see if there would be any improvements to my teeth after 6 months