Getting braces, need advice please.

[cavomington]

I finally found an orthodontist that I like. Today I went in for my first appointment and had 3d x-rays done as well as mold of my teeth taken. All of this was done for free under a promotion that the practice is currently doing so I was fairly pleased with that. I have my next appointment with the orthodontist on the 25th. I learned a lot in just my initial appointment, 2 year estimate, 80% chance that I won't need an extraction, my crowned molar won't cause an issue, around 5200$ with the regular ceramic top and metal bottom.

What I wasn't able to find out was if I needed my wisdom teeth out or not. I suppose my orthodontist will have a final opinion for me in a couple weeks. Mine are completely sideways, but they're not causing any problems. What experience have people here had with wisdom teeth and pending braces?

Are the self litigating bracket systems worth the additional cost? My orthodontist said that they are available to me, but he didn't seem to have a positive opinion of them. This is probably one of the factors that made me choose this particular orthodontist. Patient asks about a more expensive service, but is dissuaded! Not very used to that style of business.

Also, after my next consultation, with all decisions finalized, how long will it be before I get braces?

25 year old male, this is really going to suck. I definitely should have listened to my mom and got them when I was a teenager.

[AltoRose]

I got my braces on yesterday and I'm scheduled to have my wisdom teeth out next Friday. I'll post a full report once it's done, but for now it doesn't look like it's going to be a big deal at all. My braces are all brackets---no bands---and only go as far back as my second molar, so the oral surgeon's going to be able to get in there with no problems at all. I'm a natural worrier so I brought it up with both my orthodontist and the oral surgeon, and neither of them were the least bit concerned about it.

Congratulations on taking a big step toward getting braces...you'll be so glad you did it when it's all over with!

[cavomington]

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the molar issue. I want to get my braces as soon as possible so I'm leaning toward doing it while I have them on, I guess that will leave me with some more effectual painkillers for tightenings. I've stocked quite a few up from past root canals and back issues.

Thanks for the reply !

[klobird]

Hey Cavo--I have completely horizontal wisdom teeth too. Throughout the years the dentists I have gone to have sent the x-rays to an oral surgeon. Same response every time--they're not going to touch them with a 10 foot pole. Basically, if I can live with them not causing problems, then they want to avoid the surgery. I guess it would be a bigger deal than normal because mine are so deep and so horizontal. (I guess they must not be pushing on any other teeth...)

So, at 56 I still have my wisdom teeth, with braces, and not a single problem.

Good luck in your journey!

[cavomington]

I kind of hope mine are of the same. I'm pretty negative about "preventative" surgery, but I also don't want them to later ruin my 5,000$ smile.

Thanks for the reply !

[furious george]

My ortho prefers self-ligating. She says they rarely use the old school version, unless it's a young kid who wants colored bands. Your mileage may vary, of course.

[TMJJill]

I have self-ligating braces. While I love the ease of these versions, I really do think that it depends on what you need your braces to do for you. From what I've learned, they are all pretty much alike in their effectiveness. The forces are applied a bit differently with the self-ligating and I chose to go with them since I have so much arch development and bite adjustment involved in my treatment. If I were just looking to get a nice straight smile, I might not have made the same decision.

It is an awful lot of money and a big committment. I think the biggest factor here is having an orthodontist you really can trust. Their skill is a big part of what you are paying for.

Good luck!!

[cavomington]

My orthodontist has been practicing for 30 years and advised against them mostly on the basis that they don't move the teeth any faster than his traditional braces. I'm not sure what to think about that. I certainly respected him for that opinion in that Damon would have been more profitable from a business standpoint, but I also hope he's not just stubborn in not using new technology.

I need to find some more real testimonies on Damon braces moving teeth more comfortably and timely. They do look a lot easier to clean, and I'm really not looking forward to elastics in traditional ones. Do they even make clear self litigating braces? I would rather have ceramic traditional tops than metal more efficient braces.

I guess I have a couple weeks to decide before he puts the order in for my "appliances"...sigh.

[DrJasonKTam]

Self-ligating brackets are not superior to traditional braces. The claims that are made have been by the manufacturers rather than through the science of our profession. Take a look at this blog entry summarizing an article in the American Journal of Orthodontics: http://markhamortho.blogspot.ca/2010/12 ... ntist.html

In terms of wisdom teeth, often times we recommend patients have them removed. Even if they are not hurting or bothering patients at a given time, there is the potential for cysts to develop, as well as pain from food getting caught under partially covered wisdom teeth. It's usually better to have them out before they begin to cause problems, but from an orthodontic standpoint, it is not generally a requirement in order to get braces.

[TMJJill]

The ease of the self-ligating braces is very nice. They just pop open the "doors" on the brackets, put the wire in, then pop the doors closed. It is quick and easy. The only elastics I use are the ones I wear at night to help move my teeth into position. My follow-up appointments are very quick since it only takes a couple minutes getting the wire out and putting it back in. It is also easy to clean around the brackets. On the flip side, I don't get to wear all the fun color ligs that everyone posts about. They just aren't needed in my case.

As for "timely" treatment with self-ligating braces, I'm not sure about that. I've read they can be faster. All I can compare with is what I'm experiencing. While I've seen tremendous change in my upper arch development, I'm still looking at a minimum of 2 years in braces. I'm trying to correct my bite though. My teeth moved pretty quickly in the beginning, but my focus in treatment so far has been my arch and bite. I won't get into adjusting tooth position completely until much later in my treatment.

My upper front 10 brackets are clear. I don't have my lowers yet since I'm not quite ready for them in my treatment, but they will be metal when I get them. It was about $300 extra for the clears. I have to say that if people aren't looking, they typically don't notice I have braces on. I usually have to point it out. I was actually disappointed after I got my braces that friends and co-workers didn't even notice I had them. It was such a big event in my life... shouldn't they have noticed???? I guess is was a good thing though.

Is it worth the extra expense for self-ligating? That is an individual choice. If my orthodontic needs hadn't been quite so serious, I'm not sure I would have gone this route. Am I happy with the self-ligating brackets? Absolutely!

[cavomington]

DrJasonKTam wrote:
> Self-ligating brackets are not superior to traditional braces. The claims that are
> made have been by the manufacturers rather than through the science of our profession.
> Take a look at this blog entry summarizing an article in the American Journal of
> Orthodontics:
>
> In terms of wisdom teeth, often times we recommend patients have them removed. Even
> if they are not hurting or bothering patients at a given time, there is the potential
> for cysts to develop, as well as pain from food getting caught under partially covered
> wisdom teeth. It's usually better to have them out before they begin to cause problems,
> but from an orthodontic standpoint, it is not generally a requirement in order to
> get braces.

Do you have a link to the journal article? It sounds like an interesting read. If it's not public I might be able to view it through my university's library. I think I'm just going to end up going with my orthodontist's advice to use traditional ceramics. Though even if SLBs are not more effective, they do look much easier to clean, I'll have to do a cost-benefit analysis if that's the case. I'll probably also ask him to make a decision concerning my wisdom teeth. I find myself just wanting to get this over with before even beginning.

Thank you for the replies !

[Angel269]

I'm 24 and getting ceramics on top arch next Friday.

Admittedly I could have had them free on NHS as a teen but my dental phobia prevented me from doing so. I may be paying out of my own pocket but at least there is now the knowledge retainers are for life (as I probs would have to have done it again anyway) and I now am able to get ceramics.

[kennyandrew85]

The ease of the self-ligating braces is very nice. They just pop open the "doors" on the brackets, put the wire in, then pop the doors closed. It is quick and easy. The only elastics I use are the ones I wear at night to help move my teeth into position. My follow-up appointments are very quick since it only takes a couple minutes getting the wire out and putting it back in.

My orthodontist is very very fast at replacing ligatures, I was quite worried at first at the speed he does it but it's incredible.

I think self ligating brackets save the ortho a bit of work because ligs can lose their elasticity and need replacing more often? not sure if that's really true but what I read.

Both options work but neither is more effective and is pure marketing.

[cavomington]

I'm 24 and getting ceramics on top arch next Friday.

Admittedly I could have had them free on NHS as a teen but my dental phobia prevented me from doing so. I may be paying out of my own pocket but at least there is now the knowledge retainers are for life (as I probs would have to have done it again anyway) and I now am able to get ceramics.

Pretty much the same situation for me. I stubbornly refused despite my parent's advice and willingness to pay, luckily technology and knowledge has much improved since 2003 in orthodontics. I'm jealous of your 9 month sentence though, mine will probably be around 32 months. I'm not sure why, some of my friends don't even know why I'm getting braces due to my fairly straight natural alignment. The couple areas I have crowding issues and my Bruxism will cause hygiene issues in the future though if I don't address them.

I'm incredibly self conscious and shy. This will be incredibly hard for me to endure for 2.5 years. I know for sure that I'll need a xanax before going to the office.

[Angel269]

I'm extremely self conscious of my teeth-have quite a sized diastema.

I will be glad to at least start treatment and that way people will at least know il be doing something about my teeth. I am so nervous about next week as I never thought I would ever do this due to my phobia but I know it will be well worth it when I have some confidence as my smile improves.