Terrified of extractions & a long time until next visit!

[sds4h]

Hey! So I just got my braces on 2 weeks ago and my frist appointment is still six weeks away. Any clue as to why they are waiting so long?! Also I keep asking if I'm going to need extractions and I keep getting the "we will try everything we can to keep from doing extractions" this makes me more nervous because well.. it's not a "no. you don't need extractions" it's a "well.. we don't really know and we don't want to tell you no and then have to later on." How bad.. is having a tooth pulled? I was never taken to the dentist as a child and I have my first ever filling only a month ago.. and my 2nd ever dentist appointment a few weeks before that. I had to have an 'onlay' put on one of my teeth, 2 filling on cavities, and I had a filling done on a good sized decalcification spot. The shots do not bother me at all but the thought of getting a tooth PULLED freaks me out! I'm VERY nervous about going to my frist appointment because I'm scared he is going to be like "well.. they aren't moving enough.. we are going to need to take some out" I'm going in today to see about my headgear but I'm even scared of going in today! I REALLY do NOT want to have teeth pulled. He also said during my consult that my jaws or something was "narrow" so.. I figured I would get an expander.. but I didn't.. the only thing I can think is that I'm too old.. or something? do they ever give these later on? I would figure if I was going to get one.. it would have been the first thing he did. Also.. He didn't give me molar bands.. He said that whenever possible he tries to keep from putting them on (the molar bands) so i'm thinking that maybe he thinks my teeth are a lost cause? why is he not trying the expander thing? are the molar bands not important?! Here is a link to my blog.. there are a BUNCH of pictures on it so you can kinda see my situation.. i know it's not the same an in real life or a x-ray.. but at least you get the picture (lol)

http://starsbraces.blogspot.com/

also.. if you could look at this picture

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVWe3xu9zFE/T ... 300716.JPG

Ok. So obviously that tooth that is sideways is not supposed to be like that... look how it is shaped! is that fixable?

[TumbleDryLow]

First off. Calm down. When it comes to braces you really must take one day at a time. If you do need teeth pulled, it's not that big a deal. I'm very phobic and got thru it just fine. And you may not need any pulled so no sense in getting yourself worked up about what possibly could be nothing.

Expanders only achieve true palatal expansion in children. (Approx 16 and under in females approx 18 and under in males) In adults, to achieve palatal expansion you must first do surgery to cut the fused palatal bone. Then an expander can be placed. If an expander is placed without surgery all it will do is tip the molars outward. That being said, I also have a very narrow palate (28mm) and I had an expander. But it did not change the width of my palate. It simply moved my upper molars outward to correct my crossbite.

8 weeks between appointments is very normal. That's how far apart mine were.

[hazybubbles]

6-8 weeks is totally normal between appointments. You have to give the braces chance to actually move your teeth! Remember they are rooted in bone so it takes a while for changes to happen, and if you go to fast it can damage the roots.

[ArchWired28]

Be happy that you are given a chance to try a non-extraction route first! And I can see why. Your teeth are tight, and yet very mildly crowded, so they are not sure if they can make enough room for them just yet.
If you are not in pain or anything, I advice you just relax and let the braces do the job. 6-8 weeks is very normal, my 1st appt was 6 weeks and they sent me back for another 4 weeks at which point I will be having lower braces installed.

Yes, that bottom tooth is very fixable. They will open some space first and push it there later on. That is why they are not sure if you need extractions or not.

[zena]

The expander can't be done beyond certain age.I am not sure,maybe 14. you don't say how old are you. you are mildly crowded you I don't see the need of extraction at all.try not to have extraction.The extraction doesn't hurt . but reversing it that hurts and very costly to have 4 implants and braces again.

[Jenn B]

I got my braces on June 1st...my first adjustment isn't until August 22nd...so it's perfectly normal to wait 8 weeks. I would also be very happy that they gave you the wait and see option. I had 4 pre molars extracted and it wasn't fun.

[ArchWired28]

The expander can't be done beyond certain age.I am not sure,maybe 14. you don't say how old are you. you are mildly crowded you I don't see the need of extraction at all.try not to have extraction.The extraction doesn't hurt . but reversing it that hurts and very costly to have 4 implants and braces again.

Actually, expander can be "done" at any age; however, one can only achieve the dental expansion (teeth tipping or flaring), and not the true bone expansion, after the age 17 or 18.

As of the reversing extractions, I agree completely. I just have discussed this in the other topic. Again, be happy that they are not pushing the extractions on you and hope that it will never be needed.

P.S. I have just noticed about the molar bands. Again, be HAPPY your ortho is willing to try without them first. I do not have molar bands and I am as happy and careful as I can be. They warned me that if I chew hard foods and my molar brakets keep coming off, they will have to do the molar bands, and this is the last thing I want

[Huggypillow]

Hi "sds4h" firstly welcome and just relax, i was freaking out about getting molar bands and hearing all the horrible stories about spacers. I worked myself up into a frenzy, turnes out I wasn't even getting them, i was having brackets with tubes all along.

If you haven't had a tooth pulled it can be a little daunting, i have had teeth pulled before braces, but i can't say that it's something you look forward to. The numbing stuff they use is very effective and you won't feel a thing infact it will be out of your mouth before you know it. If your dentist is experienced then it should be smooth sailing.

Of all the parts of our body our mouth actually heals the fastest.

Stupid me!!!! I asked my Ortho not to tell me anything because I was losing too much sleep the night before my appointments, funny thing when I went this week I said to him 'surely there is no more room in my mouth for any more metal". He said "that's what you think but im not telling you anymore, because you had me under strict instructions not to tell you untill you arrive at your appointments". I had to agree with him, that it was at my request.

Everything will be ok and we are all here on the board to support you.

[ambraced]

Hi sds4h! Having teeth extracted is no big deal at all. It's more the thought of removing a tooth which will never grow back that is a bit daunting. But no pain at all. First the dentist sprays some cold anesthetic over the gum then more anaesthetic is injected. You don't feel the syringe needle going in. After a couple of minutes the tooth is extracted. ....all you feel is the dentist pulling at your tooth! Really nothing to be scared of!

[lambchop]

I'll chime in about my recent double bicuspid removal...they gave me some kind of sedation before the extraction, and I have no recollection of the actual procedure. After the approximate 20-25 minute procedure, my husband drove me home. For the rest of the day, I drank smoothies and chocolate milk, and then at night when my lips weren't all numb, I ate some split pea soup. I alternated for the next two days between higher-dose tylenol and lower-dose lortabs, as instructed, and never felt so much as one titch of pain. I swished with salt water several times a day for about 10 days after the extractions (braces went on after seven...) I am still a little shocked at how pain-free the whole thing was...the anticipation leading up to it was definitely the worst part for me! As for straightening things out, I was offered a surgical route, which I declined, and was told I was too old for any kind of palate expander. I have no molar bands, as I have no fillings in my teeth, and they said brackets should do the trick just fine. My first adjustment (the first week of September) will be exactly 6 weeks after the installation. Wish me luck!

[zena]

expander could be done at any age. combined with a palate surgery.

[zena]

arch wired 28 wrote:
As of the reversing extractions, I agree completely. I just have discussed this in the other topic. Again, be happy that they are not pushing the extractions on you and hope that it will never be needed.

I had 2 extracions on the lower jaw.which I am planning to rebrace to open the gaps to put implants. so I havnt started my journey yet. I have to find orthodontist who is willing to do that.not all agry
I had extractions under force . my parents beat me up to do it.that was done in foreign country.now i live in the states.

[iBorg]

Even through I'm post braces.....(yes you can survive and it is worth it!), I stop in every so often to check the various stories others are living as they go through treatment. This was my second time braced. The first I was a victim of four on the floor (bicupsids that is) which left me with an almost non-existent smile. I would do everything possible to not have extractions. If my first time braced, I would have had an ortho that would have tried an expander or headgear maybe the first treatment would have been successful. Instead at forty eight I started braces a second time. One of my goals was to have a smile. Follow your orthos suggestions, stay active with your treatment s when this is done, you're happy with the result.