I'll never get out of these things....

[Kipepeo]

You can read my mini story. I have lower only braces. I just wanted to bring my bottom row back in line since they were continuing to rotate and hitting the uppers. I started with a spring retainer that failed, then went to braces. I was quoted 6-9 months, back in June 2011.

In January 2012 I started on the 'details' appointments. this is where if everything looks good, they will be scheduled to come off. Well, 2 premolars refused to rotate properly (I wasn't concerned about them, but went ahead since he's the ortho and all). A new wire was put on, which set me back 2 months because mine has all kinds of custom bends in it (trying to match bottoms up with uppers.)

Last week everything was great. I was getting just a couple small tweaks, and I was scheduled for debanding on the following appt. While the ortho was making the tweak - SNAP - the wire broke 3 teeth past the midline. But not to worry. We'll make due with what we have.

Two days later I notice the last tooth by the wire break is rotating out of line, and I just know this will be bad news in 3 weeks (my debanding).

So I return and he tries to salvage it by making a last tweak at the end, but also having me make an appt for the next day to get a new wire if I don't see improvement.

Of course I see no improvement, and I do get a new wire, with brand new bends. That night my molars do not hit at all, and neither do my front incisors...only my canines are hitting, no matter what I do.

I'm going out of town next week, so I can't do anything about it until the following week...so I've pretty much resolved myself that debanding will not happen anytime soon. WAAAAAAAAAA!

[Snowglobe32]

I can feel your pain. I was quoted 22-24 months...see my ticker.

[Kipepeo]

Yesterday was my official debanding day. My canines were hitting pretty hard and I could not touch my front incisors together. I just knew there was no way these things were coming off...but hey, he has tricks up his sleeves sometimes.

So here's what we try, remove all the lacing and wires, bend the wire just so to pull those canines out of the way, and reinsert. Let that cook for the 10 mins or so while the assistant prepares the lingual retainer, gets ready for debanding, etc. No way? This can actually happen?

10 mins later - NO CHANGE! Ortho takes a deep breath and says "I think we should get the teeth where we want them before we remove the brackets." Me: "I agree."

I can't believe I almost had them removed! Now it's not scheduled until July. And I'm already returning tomorrow because a tooth is moving that shouldn't be. Argh. I do not remember this happening during my first go-round.

<end of pity-fest>

[NICURN85]

I wish you luck and hope everything speeds along so you can be BRACE FREE soon!!

[sweaver29]

I understand your frustration. I have had braces since 5/15/05. I was quoted 24 months. That has come and gone...a few times. :)

[chocolate1978]

Seriously? 7 years? Why don't you insist to have them removed? What's the deal?

[EbonyQ]

I understand your frustration. I have had braces since 5/15/05. I was quoted 24 months. That has come and gone...a few times.

7 years? what?

Even though I'm going super slow because of my phobia my ortho won't let me have these on longer than 2,5 years (my treatment plan is 1,5-2 years) Having braces too long is not healty for the teeth.

Why so long?

[sweaver29]

I had an impacted eye tooth. I had a bracket put on it and they have been trying to pull it into the correct position, but it is just moving very slowly. At my last appointment he told me that my tooth hadn't moved at all in the last month, so he was going to try a heavier wire. He's worried that the root of the tooth has possibly fused with the bone. If that's the case, he wants to send me back to the oral surgeon to have him separate the tooth and bone.

It's just frustrating. I was trying to look around and see if this was normal or if other people have had the same problems. That's how I ended up here. :)