Metal Mouth Message Board

Well I took the boards advice and went and had several consults. Thankfully they were all free. The problem, none of them agreed on the treatment. If you have experience please chime in - I'm looking for any advice/opinions to the following options. What would you do?

30 years old
male
wisdom teeth removed

Ortho 1) Dystal Jet for 5-9 months followed by braces
Not a fan - Time and Speaking Issues

Ortho 2) Pull 4 teeth (2 upper 2 lower) then braces
Not a fan - Good possibility that it will make me look older

Ortho 3) Put braces on and move teeth 4mm forward
Not a fan - Ortho said they will probably look a little out of
place so far forward and if I'm not happy then we can pull four teeth and move everything back

Ortho 4) Pallet expansion for several weeks and then braces
I like - but for my age this seems risky and none of the other orthos recommended it.

Hi Travler,

I had a similar problem when I first went for my opinions.
I'm a 25 year old female (was 24 at the time)
Ortho 1:
Pull 4 Teeth, two upper two lower, possibility of jaw surgery 18-24 months

Ortho 2: Possibly pull two lower teeth, expander on the bottom, and braces on top, then later braces on the bottom as well. 14-16months

Ortho 3: Two options, pull 4 teeth, same as ortho 1, or not pull teeth, and have flared out teeth.

I have gone with ortho #1, because I trusted him more... he also told me that expanders are "Not for Adults". But that's just his opinion. I am very happy with the way things are moving. Even though my estimated time is longer.

Pallet expanders can also give you dificulties when trying to speak and eat. I have 4 extractions, that are the first teeth before my molars, and no one has noticed, they are too far back to see, so I wouldn't worry about it making you look older.

In the end it's your choice. Go with the orthodontist that makes you the most comfortable, and read around on this site to see the different types of treatment, and what seems better to you.

Good luck in your decision!

Based on what you've indicated (because obviously I'm not an expert), I would reject the ones that require extractions. I'm a very firm believer in keeping as many natural teeth as possible for as long as possible. So I'd go with #1, the distal jet. You'll adjust to it and the time will go faster than you think. Then once it's done and you finish with your braces, you'll look at your nice, full smile and be glad you didn't go the extraction route. JMHO; that's what I'd do if those were my choices.