Metal Mouth Message Board

hey everybody,

this thursday, i'm going to have two lower teeth extracted...my lower right 1st bicuspid and my lower left 2nd bicuspid.

i'm a little worried about the gaps being really noticeable since they're like the 4th and 5th teeth from the lower middle ones...am i just stressing too much?

also, if anyone else has had similar extractions...how long did it take for the gaps to close?

my upper laterals have also been taken out and i don't know how long it'll take to close those either, so any input is entirely welcome

I just had 4 out, 2 on top, 2 on bottom...And I have horrible gaps . I also would like to know if anyone has an idea how long it takes to close them (and I don't go back to the ortho to get the front teeth connected with the back teeth brackets for little over 2 weeks *sigh*)

i'm in the same position as you guys..

I had four teeth taken out. Two 2 from the bottom and 2 from the top.

That was a month ago. I've had my brace on coming up to a month now and I don't think there has been any closure yet. If there has its minute!

I've been told to expect anything between 4 - 8 months for them to close.

Not what I wanted to hear at all. Maybe I didn't ask the right questions of my Ortho when I was checking out my treatment plan. But I am certain he said they would close up pretty quickly.. But when I asked last week when I had an emergency visit to fix a wire on my brace he told me the above time frame.

Thats not really what I call quickly!!!

Mind you. Saying that. I can't believe its virtually a month since i've had my brace on...

wait, so now it'll take more than 8 months?

You probably don't want to hear this, but I had my lower 2nd bicuspids extracted in April 05. I still have my extraction gaps over a year on. Ok, so my ortho was concentrating on other aspects of my treatment during that time, but we've been trying to get these gaps closed since proably around Christmas, and they're being really stubborn

Yes that is what I am concerned about. The ortho appears to be concentrating on other things before looking at the gaps. Which isn't what he told me when we were discussing the treatment plan.

I will definately ask him when I have my first adjustment next week and let you all know what he says and how long he anticipates before closure!

If he says up to 5 or 6 months i'll be ok with that. But a year?? No thankyou!!!

oh no cookie, for real???? i will have to harp on my ortho, then. i seriously want the gaps taken care of, a year just seems too long

I had all four second premolars out in september 05 so its been a while and my gaps are still open. Im hoping they will be closed for september 06 when i go to uni and im planning to mention this at my next visit. The bottom teeth currently have a powerchain to try and close the gaps and im using class 2 elastics to try and pull my upper teeth into a more normal position to fill the space.

It can take a while i know

I've had powerchains over the gaps for quite some time now, and have been wearing Class 2 elastics since earlier this year. The elstics will stop on June 2 though when I get my upper arch debanded.

8 months or so to have gaping holes in both jaws?

The ortho helper girl (not sure what proper title is) said she had the exact ones removed as I have, and you can't tell by her smile.

I do have a hard time looking at my yucky mouth in the mirror and imagining my teeth straight and non-holey though!

Hi - I had 4 extractions about a month and a half ago, was braced straight after, and the gaps are definetely closing. My teeth are being moved with no braces in the top, just elastic bands on the worst 2 and braces on the bottom 2 which are not too bad.

One thing my dentist did which REALLY helped was to put composite teeth or filling onto the teeth behind the gap. Its tooth coloured etc so you can't see that its just filling material, but they look like real teeth and the gaps are not noticeable. He will shave them down a little every 4 weeks at my adjustment apps, and actually its reeeallly nice to see this tiny gap being bridged so quickly every few weeks - kind of taking baby steps if you know what I mean!

I had mine out in December and they've moved a little bit, but I can still fit my tongue between them. They are disgusting and have caused other large gaps in between teeth that weren't there before. If I had to do it again, I would not have them pulled. No way.

-Sophie

I was braced in Jan of 2005, had an extraction in Feb 2005, and still have the gap. My adjustment last week was the first time that the gap is being addressed. I knew this going into the extraction. He told me that he needed the space to move things around and get them in the right spot. In fact, he put a stopper on so the gap would not close. Last week, he took the stopper off, and that whole area has stayed really sore because we are now trying to close it.
Be patient, I know it is a pain to have a gap, but it might be necessary to move your teeth to where they need to be.
Gardnr

i had 4 premolars extracted and im getting springs to close them...

I had my lower bicuspids removed February '05. Within two months, the gaping holes were gone, and I no longer had difficulty with food or talking. I don't remember if it even took that long. However, it was September before the gaps closed sufficiently to please my ortho , and then he removed the springs that helped close the gaps.

Altogether, it took 7 months, but like I said, only the first month or two were uncomfortable for me.