Metal Mouth Message Board

On Wednesday I had another adjustment and I got some not so great news! On Friday April 28 I will have had braces on for 2 years and my ortho told me I'm not even close to being done at all! I didn't think they were coming off soon at all as my estimate was 3-4 years but he said I definitely won't finish by then and he has no idea when I will!

He was looking in my mouth and got excited that my second impacted canine had come down and attached the wire through the bracket and chained my four front teeth together! He also tweaked my bottom wire to level out some teeth! I got silver ligs and I like them!

He told me that he had really been struggling with my case because it was very difficult! You know that's not really what you want to hear when your paying him to fix your smile! He also just realized that I still had one more baby tooth and that the permanent tooth is also impacted! It is my second bicuspid (i think! ) and that will be my third impacted tooth. which means I need another surgery! How many people have three impacted teeth? I mean I really didn't think it was possible!:lol: I scheduled that for Thursday April 27 because he told me to do it ASAP! That is such a huge disappointment! That means I have to get that exposed and sit there and wait for it to come down when it feels like! I thought I was done with pulling on impacted teeth, but I'm not! It just gets really tiring and that will definitely add to the time in braces!

The thing is that my sister who got braces the same day I did is really close to being finished and he thinks that if she wears her rubber bands she could be done in 2 months! My parents keep telling her just 2 more months, but what little string of hope do I have to hold onto? More than 2 more years! HE told my dad that we have made progress and we will just have to keep trudging through this! Real optimistic don't you think?

Sorry! Guess I just needed to vent and a little bit of support! Just real disappointed with this!

Thanks!

~HAnnah

[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]


[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]


Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05

I can see why you are disappointed. It kind of sounds like you got a "never ending" sentence to braces - most things are tolerablee for me if I know when they will end, but not knowing when your journey will end must be very disheartening. I mean, if the ortho sounds disheartened, what are you supposed to think!

Regarding your sister's treatment, I am being braced for the second time and my sister NEVER had to have braces, at all, and has as close to a perfect smile as I've seen. I gave up the comparisons when I started thinking about some of the other great things I have in my life that she doesn't. Braces and teeth are just one aspect of life.

Do you have a good idea from the ortho what he is looking for in the "finished product," such as the impacted tooth coming down, realigned bite, etc. Maybe if you could sit down with him and get a concrete list of the treatment goals, detailed, you could track the progress yourself so a comment like his won't come out of the blue and you would know exactly what to look for, by tooth and in your smiile in general, and can see how things are progressing accoriding to his proposed timetable. Right now things seem very open-ended, and maybe putting "a box around" what the milestones are that need to be reache would help you , and him.

Just a suggestion. Remember to celebrate the life you have, with or without braces.

I can see how hard that must be! We as braces wearers want a goal to look forward to, that next hurdle to get to the end result. And when you don't have any idea about that end result is is very disappointing.

I like what missingu said about asking your ortho about the treatment plan so you can watch for each milestone, each small goal, to get to the next one. At least then you might have the feeling that you are going somewhere.

awww I'm sorry your appointment didn't go that well Hannah!

That's awful that you just found out that you had another impacted tooth and need another surgery. I can definately see how that would be a major setback-I'm so sorry! At least you've been through it before and you know what to expect.

The worst is over, the first few years are definately harder than the last few, and the last few are a lot more rewarding since you really see everything coming together.

You have such a positive attitude, I really admire that-keep it going, we'll all make it through together!

Eve

Hang in there Hannah and stay positive.

It's too bad about the lenght of your treatment time and that impacted tooth, but your teeth will look awesome at the end of it all. Just keep thinking about that.

Good luck with exposure and I hope all goes well.
Keep us posted

Hannah - I'm so sorry you got that news. You must be so dissapointed! I hope that you're able to find a way to cheer yourself up. Maybe you should do something nice for yourself. Give yourself a little treat since you had to endure such a bummer... Good luck, try and stay positive.

Aw, Hannah, that has got to be so frustrating! Especially since your sister's treatment is essentially done. But look at it this way: In the end, it will have been SO worth it. You'll have a beautiful smile the rest of your life. Isn't that worth waiting for? Many people here are in their 30s, 40s and 50s and have waited a very, very long time to have their best smiles. So hang in there. If it's any comfort, there are a lot of us here who have a long way to go. We'll be right with you.

*hugs*

Aw. That's really lame.

I'm sorry that things aren't moving along too quickly, but keep thinking on the bright side: One day you will have beautiful, metal-free teeth and it will all have been worth it. I know it can be hard to think that way, but ya just have to give it your best.

--alexa

Sorry for your disappointment, Hannah, vent all you want.

I think I'll vent alittle myself, if you all don't mind.

I'm coming up to my 2 year deadline in 2 months...I don't have the guts to ask when they are coming off. I am getting impatient, no doubt about it, but I don't want them off until everything is the best he can do. I've been eating on only one side of my mouth for over 2 years...missing two molars is a major pain. Had a set back myself, when I went to the oral surgeon who said bone loss is more extensive and I would need bone grafts prior to implants. That was so depressing...so I'm probably going the permanent bridge route. Can you believe that bone grafts and 2 implants, crowns, would cost me $14,000 ? Not to mention I don't want my jaw chipped away for donor bone.

So, Hannah, I understand disappointment.

Thanks so much everyone for your encouraging and supportive replies! I love having this board to come to during times like this! I would have replied earlier but I was in Utah and had no access to a computer!

THis definitely is a big setback in my treatment but as you guys keep reminding me it will all be worth it in the end! I'm kind of mad at my ortho for not noticing this other impacted tooth before, so now I have to pay for and have another whole surgery! I mean, wouldn't the first x-rays have shown this?

The one thing that is really frustrating me right now is how my parents willl notice that my sister isn't wearing her rubber bands and ask her if she wants her braces off. THey then remind her that its up to her and its really frustrating because I'd like to have my braces off in the near future but its not in my control! I just have to go through the whole sit and wait for a tooth I didn't even know was up in my gums to come down when it feels like it! Sorry, I guess thats just really making me mad!

I guess I just have to try to remember all the progress I'm making, how my bottom teeth are straightening out, and my front teeth are straight again, how my second impacted tooth is finally attached to the wire, and even though my bite is totally out of whack, its okay for now right?

I'll let you know how the surgery goes next week! THanks again!

~Hannah

[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]


[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]


Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05

Chris,

Feel free to vent antime! THis is definitely the place to do it! Sounds like you've been through a lot! That really stinks and I'm definitely with you in it!

I didn't have the guts to ask my ortho when they were coming off either, too afraid to hear the real answer! But my dad did it anyway and it was really quite depressing! I don't want them to come off either until my ortho has done everything he can about all of my problems and I know we are definitely aways from that! You should talk to your ortho about only being able to chew on one side and everything! ASk him how he plans to fix all of this! I know easier said than done! But you should try to just voice at least a few of your concerns to him about your treatment!

I do know that dental work can add up very quickly! ITs scary how much all of this can cost and a lot of this isn't your fault but you are stuck paying for it anyways!

Good luck and keep us posted!

~HAnnah

[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]


[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/]


Top braces: 4/28/04
Bottom braces: 11/16/05

Well, I'll be eating on one side only until my braces are off and I get a 4 unit bridge put in. I can't wait. I hope the teeth don't shift between the time I get my molds made and the time the permanent bridge gets fitted.

What am I worried about.....the braces are STILL ON !!!