Simple but deceiving maths on 15mm overbite?

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#1 Post by **giantfigure** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 5:38 pm

I am wondering about the overbite. It's been 3 weeks since braces and I do not see any improvements in crowding and deep overbite. I thought I would share my over-anxiety to you all, and see what you think

If my overbite is 15mm, treatment time is 18 months...then on an average it should decrease by 1mm per month, if we assume that last 3 months is the grace period

This 1mm is such a small measurement. I wonder if that is why I am not able to spot the changes yet. Do you know of any ways I could measure this deceiving improvement (assuming the teeth have really moved). I want to see if there are any changes, but just taking pics every week and comparing them, It does not help! I am not able to notice any changes.

Any suggestions would help!

#2 Post by **wating4braces** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:53 pm

15 mm overbite???? Is that possible? Is there a picture i can see because my friend had a 5 mm overbite and it covered her bottom teeth i think. 15 mm would be... wow.

#3 Post by **altinure** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:54 pm

i'm in my sixth month, and i didn't notice any improvement until now.

your overbite most likely won't get improved much with braces. he said mine most likely won't. usually jaw surgery is required for adults to fix overbite.

#4 Post by **giantfigure** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:17 pm

wating4braces wrote:15 mm overbite???? Is that possible?

oops...I should have mentioned that I just made up this 15mm figure

, though this article does talk about 11mm overbite when the lower teeth touch the inside gumline of upper teeth (It is my case too).

http://www.vsbw.com/~schudyf/art20.html

Also, in another article...I read about 14mm overbite. I wonder how much is mine. anyone knows how to find it out?

#5 Post by **mary oregon** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:55 am

It sounds like you have a deep closed bite and not an overbite. I started out with a very closed and deep bite in front and after opening that bite I ended up with a class 2 overbite and is was 5-6mm, which is about the width of the canine tooth.. or at least mine. Most very big overbites in adults are fixed with surgery. Mine was fixed with headgear and that took four months in headgear and three years in braces. It sounds like your case is definitely not a 15 mm overbite..... Thank goodness...my eyes nearly bugged out when I saw that post.!

#6 Post by **londonchick** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:07 am

i'm glad too that the 15mm was just an estimate !!

just to add my 2 pennies (cents for the US buddies).....

i am being treated for a 9mm overbite and closed bite. I've been in braces for 10 months and have only just got to the pulling back stage. Everything up to this point has been aligning the teeth so they all sit nicely next to each other and are at the correct angle. Now thats been done i've gone onto elastics to start pulling back my overbite. I too was told the 1mm per month bit but my ortho says that i wouldn't see any movement for at least 6 weeks as the teeth get used to the new type of force and that the movement isn't gradual anyway. I know this to be true because i've also been wearing an expander and that too was a case of no movement for ages then all of a sudden big gap between front teeth !

Hope this helps

#7 Post by **giantfigure** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:45 am

I don't think mine is that deep bite as 15mm...but it probably could be around 8-9mm.
I am wearing elastics since I got the braces. I heard my ortho telling the assistant there that elastics will help closing my overbite. I hope my overbite closes sooner than later because my crowding is not much. It's primarily overbite.

#8 Post by **alyssabunny** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:35 pm

Hi,

I have a 7mm overbite and a deep bite. I havent noticed much improvement after 10 months but I am trying to be patient

#9 Post by **chrisk** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:12 pm

Hi,

I had a 15mm overbite and after about 10-12 months in braces it was down to about 10mm. This was the most my ortho said that he could reduce my overbite by, without losing support for my top lip. Jaw surgery will do the rest. After over 14 months in braces there hasn't been much change in my overbite since then. My delay in my surgery is due to a tooth on the bottom being pulled up and into line. (It never had the space to come up prior to braces). I'm hoping to get a bracket on it at my next visit in 5 weeks time, and once it is pulled into line, my surgery is going ahead.

If you're interested to see what a 15mm overbite looks like, i have photos in the Bracket club section under Chrisk's photo's (finally). I'm not sure how to link them to here.

Chrisk

#10 Post by **giantfigure** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:42 am

Thanks Chrisk. I looked at your pictures. Your post was also very informative. I guess my overbite could be around 12mm.

#11 Post by **josephine** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:54 am

Check your copy of the records the ortho office gave you when you started your treatment. If they didn't give you this info then, get a copy next time you go. The actual numbers for overbite and overjet should be in there somewhere, along with printouts of xrays and photos so you have them for comparison.

#12 Post by **giantfigure** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:45 am

Thanks josephine for reminding me about initial records. I looked at them and did find the information! It says...

Degree of protrusion (over-jet): 5mm
Bite: Deep
Midline: Normal
TMJ: Maximim interincisal opening is 52mm

I am wondering if over-jet actually means overbite? If yes, then my overbite should be only 5mm. Also, What is TMJ...this 52mm is making me anxious because it seems to be large number

Although I am going to google these terms, any insights from fellow members will be very helpful!

#13 Post by **geekgirl** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:51 am

Overjet and overbite are two different things. Overbite is the amount in which your front teeth cover your lower teeth. Overjet is the distance your front teeth protude in front of your bottom teeth. Overbite refers to the distance down, overjet refers to the distance out.

Also an overbite is sometimes referred to as a deep bite.

#14 Post by **momof2grlz** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:56 am

geekgirl wrote:Overbite is the amount in which your front teeth cover your lower teeth. Overjet is the distance your front teeth protude in front of your bottom teeth.

Thanks, geekgirl. After almost a year in braces, your description finally helped me understand overbite vs. overjet!

Chris

#15 Post by **giantfigure** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 1:20 pm

yeah..geekgirl provided very good explanation. thanks so much! I found a link explaining the same.

Overbite:
http://www.supersmilz.com/treat/over_b.html

Overjet:
http://www.supersmilz.com/treat/over_j.html

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Simple but deceiving maths on 15mm overbite?

Simple but deceiving maths on 15mm overbite?

that 15mm overbite really startled me......