Metal Mouth Message Board

I think the gap is just a tiny bit smaller cuz I can't fit my tongue in there as well!

I love doing the tongue test! It's better than a spot check in the mirror

Just curious... I had the teeth next to the canines pulled (not sure why I can't ever remember the name of these teeth!). My ortho is moving my canines back first. Once they are almost all the way back, he's going to start moving the top and bottom 4 teeth. Anyone else getting it done this way? He said he's had much better success doing it this way since the canines apparently move much slower than the front 4. I originally felt like it was a waste of time, just move them all at the same time... but I have to keep reminding myself that my ortho has the degree in Orthodontia, not me

Just curious!

do the holes made from having teeth extracted only close if elastics are used?

I have had my upper 4s removed and need to wait months till i get my elastics on.....will my gaps not close at all during this time?

thanks for your help in advance!

do the holes made from having teeth extracted only close if elastics are used?

I have had my upper 4s removed and need to wait months till i get my elastics on.....will my gaps not close at all during this time?

thanks for your help in advance!

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I am pretty sure holes can close up without elastics. Your ortho may use something called powerchains or some other device to close them. I'm not 100% sure what the elastics are for, jaw placement and/or maybe stubborn holes that don't close!?!? Haven't gotten them yet and can't remember the first time I did this 23 years ago!

I have both powerchains and elastics on at the moment to close the gaps, I think this is common practice

Hey Guys,

I went into a treatment which supposed to be finished in 18-24 months but has taken me nearly 4 years all because my extraction gaps are closing every so slowly, ahh sigh, I had 2 bicuspids removed from the top and its just taking ages, I think teeth movement times are slower for adults.

I went into a treatment which supposed to be finished in 18-24 months but has taken me nearly 4 years all because my extraction gaps are closing every so slowly

4 years??? I'm so sorry!! That does not sound like fun! I was given the same sentence, 18-24 months, and am crossing my fingers it doesn't take longer. I'm only at month 8 so way too soon to tell. Here's to a speedy closing

Yes----- my ortho told me and I have also read online that ADULT, especially late 20's + up, teeth Take Longer to Move. boo-ooo-ooo........

I'm still in the "Oh-man-there's-NO-way-these-extraction-CANYONS-are-going-to-close!" mode of thinking. Oh well---- we'll see.
It's so hard to be patient, I'm just like a little kid.


Unrelated Side Note - Lesson Learned Over the Weekend:
My now 17-year-old niece had full braces removed 1.5 years ago.
She wore her retainer 2-3 months TOPS--- as a growing youngster, she was supposed to wear them about 10 months.
Now, she and the rest of us are starting to notice her two front teeth shifting forward back into ''buck'' position.
She says she tried to wear the retainer again but it's not fitting.
She's full of regret and actually told me to follow doctor's orders!
p.s. Due to her choice of negligence, I think my brother, her dad, is going to make her pitch in part of the cost to cover re-treatment.

I have one molar extraction gap that my ortho is working on. I am 24 so I hope my second molar and wisdom tooth move up quickly. I would hate to have to spend more time than estimated with braces.



I would make her pay for re-treatment too. She should've worn those retainers.

Ugh, I have some tiny amount of space left to close before I get my braces off. It's been 24 months already and I'd already been given an estimate that has since come and gone, now I've got 3 more months in these stupid things. I'd heard 3 more months about 3 months ago. Not that I fault them all that much, I guess there's no way for them to really tell how things are going to go in reality either. It just seems like the gap has stopped moving at the very last little bit. Very aggravating!

Hi everyone!

I had my first 2 premolars removed a couple of weeks ago. It seems to me that they will never close… they are HUGE ! On top of it, I have a nance holding arch to prevent my back teeth to move forward. So all the closing job is supposed to be done by my 6 front teeth. I don’t know how this is possible. I asked my ortho and she said it will eventually close… However my teeth were not very crowded to start with… I am afraid that the holes won’t close completely or that my face will sunk in !

Also, I have no elastics, powerchains or other “deviceâ€

KLC wrote:

I think the gap is just a tiny bit smaller cuz I can't fit my tongue in there as well!

I love doing the tongue test! It's better than a spot check in the mirror

Just curious... I had the teeth next to the canines pulled (not sure why I can't ever remember the name of these teeth!). My ortho is moving my canines back first. Once they are almost all the way back, he's going to start moving the top and bottom 4 teeth. Anyone else getting it done this way? He said he's had much better success doing it this way since the canines apparently move much slower than the front 4. I originally felt like it was a waste of time, just move them all at the same time... but I have to keep reminding myself that my ortho has the degree in Orthodontia, not me

Just curious!

Hi KLC!!!! It's been a long time since I've logged on here. I think I told you i had my extractions and braces, and just the other day my ortho is doing the same thing yours is doing.. she put elastics (powerchains?) on my teeth to move my canines back, and then she said there will be a new space b/c of that, and then she'll do something to push the very front four teeth back. it's an interesting process. i don't really know how else other people would do it though, i didn't realize there was another way? it sounds like our orthos do things similarly to eachother. i too wished originally she'd just move all of them at the same time, but at the same time, i was wondering how that was going to work without leaving just big gaping holes in between all my front teeth, you know what i mean?

so, when she explained to me that the four in the front would just be pushed back simultaneously, it made sense to me. it'll just be really interesting to watch.

all i know is, my teeth are REALLY sore once again after getting my teeth chained. i also have elastics to help my molars to stay put.. so they are connected to the top canine and then down to the bottom molar (2nd to last). that is really uncomfortable and is causing my molars to kind of hurt.

so i wanted to ask you klc, how is your teeth movement going (canines in particular)? i'm wondering at what point she'll be able to start pushing my four teeth back. i'm getting very tired of these spaces in my mouth, to be honest. i am finding myself a lot more self conscious about the spaces when i smile than i thought i would. !! lol.

another thing klc... with your extractions have you noticed sunken face syndrome?! lol. i feel like my cheeks are totally sunken in. i have had so many people tell me i look like i lost weight when i have not at all, in fact i gained weight b/c i can't stop eating fattening stuff (anything creamy or that will melt in my mouth is what i've been eating b/c of the pain in my teeth, lol). but my face looks gaunt. i'm wondering if this is b/c of the extractions or what, and it this problem will go away when my spaces fill in. do you know??

LOl I have a lot of comments and questions. Klc is your ortho waiting for your canines to move back completely, as far back as it can, and THEN push/move the front four back?

i have to ask my ortho what she plans to do. i'm already getting some space in between my canine and the tooth behind it. i'm wondering if she can start pushing my front teeth back as my canine is being pulled back too. i'll have to ask her.