Metal Mouth Message Board

i know it might sound stupid,but i am getting discouraged after 3 weeks of being braced.I see no progress at all with my crowded teeth,but some of the teeth that were straight before became ugly looking.Is it normal that in the beginning of the treatment teeth are becoming worse then they were before????And guys,when do you started noticing positive changes after being braced?

i have damon braces top and bottom,estimated treatment time is 12-15 months(sorry,cant figure out yet how to put ticker factory).
thanks everybody.

VS,

I too am in my 3rd week of being braced and totally feel where you are coming from. My 4 front lowers were extremely crooked, and after 38 years, they fell into place almost immediately after being braced. Yet 3 weeks later, there are actually gaps between the the same teeth that have been crowded and jacked up all these years.

Combine that with my lower #3's which have been pushed way forward because of my expander, and my mouth looks worse now than it ever has. I've just resigned myself to thinking that it's gonna get worse before it gets better. Things are gonna move around in ways I never imagined, but in 24 months it will all make sense.

Hang in there, you aren't alone.

Wen

Hi VS26

I have crowded teeth and its only now 3.5 months in that I can really say that there is definate movement... Some of my more 'straight' teeth actually became more crooked at the start and it was really disheartening..

But, you will get there. In another six months you will wonder why you worried... And I guess the slower the treatment time the more potential there is for your teeth to stay in that position after treatment. Just like dieting. If its gradual and over a long period of time its less likely to come back..

That is what my Ortho told me!

I dont remember seeing much progress for 6 months.

Sometimes when one thing is corrected, another tooth gets knocked out of place or a gap opens up, etc. I think that from my experience, these things are sometimes expected by the orthos, sometimes not, but they can be fixed so don't worry too much if you find some formerly nice looking teeth get bumped into a wonky position. I know it's hard when you want to see things get better but they eventually do, although those pesky unwanted movements can show up even towards the end of treatment.