Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi all,

yes, around this hour 2 years ago, my braces were placed. Some of you
know it was a rather 'bumpy road' I followed through braceland. I also
had another adjustment today. I was lucky, my ortho had some time to
talk to me. He assured me that I got an open bite due to a complete
mistreatment. He insinuated this before, but now it was the first time he
mentioned it this clear. He was also pleased to see his treatment is working
to close my bite. He said about 75 % of it is done right now. I got a lower
molar band and 2 crossbite elastics to wear full time. To me, this is a
breeze, not having to wear elastics in the front anymore. Later on, I'll need
more boxing elastics though to close my bite more, but I think they will not
be in front, rather on my premolars. Anyway, I'll post a pic here soon.
I also spoke about my overjet. Well, this part is now more difficult. My
ortho proposes 2 options : headgear or micro implants. I guess I'll have to
do some more 'googling' to find out their pros and cons ...

So, after 2 years, I finally have seen a glimpse of the light at the end of
the tunnel. I know I will be in braces for much longer, but I know too
that my ortho will be able to give me full correction. Anyway, it was a
good adjustment. I found some new positive energy in it ...
I just wanted this to share with you, cyberfriends !

Oh Clo, after all you've been through, it's great to hear that you're finally getting some positive news from your new ortho.

Is it too late in your treatment to consider extractions to make room to correct the overjet? I didn't have my upper extractions until a year into my treatment and I'm now waiting for the extraction gaps to close to help minimize my overjet.

Best of luck for continued progress toward the light at the end of the tunnel!

Chris

... and this is the pic I promised :



BTW, notice the color of this lower powerchain. It may be a small step for
orthodontists, but it was a huge leap for me, after 2 years of having only
grey. I guess I did choose it as an anniversary present for my braces ...
You know, putting candles into your braces is not that handy

Happy Anniversary It is great you have made it this far with all the "bumps in the road" that you have had.

Here's to going through the rest of your treatment.

Hi Clo!

Well, this part is now more difficult. My
ortho proposes 2 options : headgear or micro implants. I guess I'll have to
do some more 'googling' to find out their pros and cons ...

It is really hard to tell from this picture about your overjet. Your teeth look really awesome to me! I hope mine turn out as well, but I have to be realistic because of all the damage that was done to mine. I either put up with the "worn" look or get bonding. I haven't decided yet.

Anyway, what is a micro implant and how would that solve the overjet issue? Sounds interesting. My understanding is that you don't like the angle of your teeth the way they are correct? They are slanted too far in? Anyway, I think they look great!

I like the color of your lower powerchain. I have been getting silver elastics because I'm not brave enough to try colors yet lol. Especially with having 4 teeth recently removed, I don't want to attract attention to my mouth (well any more than my full metal mouth already attracts).

Your teeth look great by the way. I hope mine look nearly as good as yours soon!

CLo!

Congratulations on your second year anniversary of braces! I'm right there with you, brace buddy!

Great to hear that you've got some positive news at your adjustment! Especially after such a rough time! Your smile looks beautiful aside from the bite issue and I love the powerchain, that color is pretty awesome!

Do you think you could post a picture of your bite! That would be great to see! I'm curious about the headgear and micro implants options! LEt us know what you choose!

Keep up the great progress and keep us posted! Good luck!

~Hannah

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


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


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

Hey Clo! Congrats on the 2 yr mark! Do you have a "button" attached to the inside of that molar band for the elastic to grab onto? Was it attached after the band was already in?

Is that elastic for the crossbite? I had something similar quite a well back but it was towards the front. It worked fast!

First, thank you posters for joining my second anniversary party. You are
all so nice. It seems I have to answer some questions. I'll be glad to do
this.

To Momof2grlz : I guess it is too late. I am now getting treatment about
1,5 of these 2 years to create some good bite. I think I'll loose everything
if I go for extractions.

To KK : ooohhh no, does that mean I have to have colors now all
the way till the end. What have I done ... Nah, just joking. I will have
colors from now on. It was in fact my ortho who needed to be convinced.
He said I was a bit 'strange', having colors as an adult. When he said that
2 things popped up in my mind. First, I think I have quite some 'child in me'
still. And anyone who matters to me knows I have braces, so no need to
hide anyway. But I said nothing, just smiled ...

To jcdamon3 : this is a pic of some months ago :



This was when my overjet was at its best. After correcting my open
bite, it did get worse again. Now, the point of my upper canine is just
a bit to the left of the lower canine point. So, a really significant class 2
bite that is. And yes, now, the distance between my upper and lower
incisors is smaller, due to my uppers slanting inwards. A micro implant
is a small screw they place in the jaw as an anchor point to pull all upper
teeth backwards.

To Hannah164 : here is another pic I took yesterday. This was after
non stop wear of bite closing elastics that were in front. When I remove
these, I always get some wear off of the obtained result. So, only after
a day, so today, my upper incisors do not cover my lowers anymore.



I certainly will tell you what I choose. Micro implants give better results
but they need to put screws in my jaw. Kinda scary. They do not need
to do that with headgear, but then this is not the most elegant option ...
Thinking ... googling ... thinking ... doubting ... rethinking ... One day
I will need to choose though.

To Chris : I have 2 such elastics. The one on the band is attached to a
little hook my ortho welded on that band. But the other one, on my 2nd
premolar is attached to a button. Arg, that button hurts my tongue very
much again. Hard to eat again, even speaking hurts right now. Those
elastics need to make my upper arch a bit smaller and my lower arch
much wider.

Clo, your teeth are looking truly amazing! I love that powerchain; it's a beautiful color!!

I really hope the rest of your treatment goes by faster. You've been through a lot on this journey....I think I would have gone crazy...hang in there and hopefully you'll be out of braces sooner than you realize.

Good luck with the rest of your treatment

Happy 2nd Annibracery, Clo. Your news sounds promising and I hope it helps on the journey.

Micro implants give better results but they need to put screws in my jaw. Kinda scary. They do not need to do that with headgear, but then this is not the most elegant option ... Thinking ... googling ... thinking ... doubting ... rethinking ... One day I will need to choose though.

Clo, how long would the headgear be needed and would you have to wear it 24/7 or just say at nights? And would those micro implant screws stay there forever or would they be removed at some later point? Not very tempting options to choose between, but at least one of them is not radical surgery.

Happy anniversary! I'm glad to hear things have taken a turn for the better for you now! And I still think you wear your braces well - with and without colors

Thanks again to the ones who joined my 'anniversary party' !

Hi, Joplin, it's great that you joined too. Many many thanks !
About my 2 options, they were not explained very deeply I am afraid. I
know a lot more of them in general because I searched on the net. But
in my particular case, I'll have to wait a bit more. My open bite needs to be
corrected more first. I do know micro implants are there as an anchor
point, and are removed when 'the job is done'. I read the new generation
of these screws are done by the ortho himself, under local anaesthesia.
All I know for sure is that my ortho prefers these implants, because they
have proven to be very effective, and he does not like placing headgear on
adults. I'll know more within some weeks ... or months ...

But I already had another setback ! That button I had for an elastic fell off.
I needed to go back. But my ortho saw my bite opened again, so I am
back in boxing elastics, on my premolars now. The crossbite elastic on my
molars stays though, so now I have 3 elastics again.
Arggg, this walk continues to be like 2 steps forward, 1 step backwards ...

But my ortho saw my bite opened again, so I am
back in boxing elastics, on my premolars now. The crossbite elastic on my molars stays though, so now I have 3 elastics again.
Arggg, this walk continues to be like 2 steps forward, 1 step backwards ...

If only we could carry you on "wings" to fly past the next few months for you!
Waiting is the pits, isn't it.
After I leave the ortho, I'm thinking..."another 6-7 weeks, oh brother!"

How do those box elastics feel?

Hi Chris,

If only we could carry you on "wings" to fly past the next few months for you!

Thanks for sticking around. It is always nice to be able to talk to people
who understand about my whole braces ordeal. This ortho let me come
every 2 weeks. I am not sure if that is good, or if this is because my case
seems to be so tough. Anyway, at least I feel he tries in a very intense
way to correct. About those box elastics. I again can hardly open my
mouth. When I looked this morning, I see I lost quite some bite closing.
So I guess I will be in bite closing elastics forever. I only hope I will not
end needing jaw surgery after all. Arg, 3 days ago, things looked quite
promising, even the weather was very nice. Now, I feel like loosing yet
another battle, and it is even raining too ...