Metal Mouth Message Board

Well lets see. I've had my braces on for about 3 years now although I'm not sure of the time exactly. I've had 2 pallet expanders, a lip bumper, and a retainer before these. I'm 17 and going into my senior year of high school. My teeth are very slow and over time, I've had about 10-12 baby teeth pulled. I think it was either 6 or 8 the first time then 4-6 the second. Until recently, my lower left 3 still had not come up. So I went to the oral surgeon and he dug it out (exposure procedure ugh!), attached a bracket to it, and all was well. It came up fine but at a 90 degree angle..just wonderful. So lately my orthodontist has been pulling it up and turning it. I went in today and he replaced the bracket on it for the 3rd time as well as the lower left 4s as well. I've never had an underbite before but just today he mentioned it because my next appointment in 3 weeks will be to get new xrays done. After that will be a conference as to what to do with these darn teeth. I've not had my wisdom teeth out yet either. They don't seem to bother me at the moment so it'll happen next summer probably. Please let me know what you think is going on with my teeth. I've included 2 pictures I just took today. This is my normal bite if I just close my mouth and open my lips wide for the picture. When I bite, the inside left molars seem to touch first but the right ones do not make contact.

Alrite mate,

From my knowledge it looks like you have a crossbite. I dont know how this is treated, and as i said this is only from my knowledge so i could be tottally wrong. The best thing to do is ask the ortho, just jot down all your worries/queries and make sure you address them on your next appoitment.

Hope that helped!

Hey I think your bite might be a bit messed up and your midline too. The first time I got braces I was in a hurry to get rid of them and look at me now! I'm 20 and w/ braces again!!! Don't be impatient! I know it's hard but it will pay off.!
Joanna

Thanks for the replies. I used to have a crossbite but I've had 2 pallet expanders to fix it. Now it's just strange. When I bite I have this huge gap in the middle as you can clearly see. I'm assuming I'll be getting elastics eventualy too to fix this underbite, which I didn't have when I initially got the braces on. They've definitely lined my teeth up but they're just not lined up correctly it seems.

If your molars are touching, you sure have an open bite! That is why I am in braces for a year...to close up an open bite:0 lol

I wonder, have you had elastics yet? Often these are used to close an open bite provided you don't have a discrepancy in the size of the upper jaw to the lower. The x-rays should tell your orthodontist more. Hang in there.

That would be too much space to close with elastics. It looks as if you have a functional crossbite and open bite and only one point of contact. Your pictures are not enough to diagnose, but based on your time in treatment and the front view then you should be pretty close to line everything up. Your ortho will most likely use cross arch elastics to line up the maxilla and mandible and give you a more normal occlusion. One thing that is odd to me is that you seem to have a bit of a deviation between your dental and facial midlines, although your picture is not 100% clear. Your getting close...

Regards,
Rory

You're teeth are looking lovely and lined up - just your bite that needs adjusting.

You look like you have an open bite and perhaps a bit of a cross bite but I'm sure you must be very close to the elastics stage.

Good luck - they're coming along just fine!

LoobyLou x

Thanks for the replies everyone. Yes I did notice that at the top and bottom it seems that they're getting straight. At the bottom however, it still seems that I've got a "tooth in the middle". But in reality, its just that it seems like my teeth are shifted just a tad to one side. Its weird but I'm not sure. No elastics yet but I'm assuming those are coming. If I bite down right now, it seems like the few teeth in front of the molars touch at the top and bottom, the front of my mouth is open as in the pictures, and one of the teeth on my right side hits the bottom, I believe its the one directly in front of the molar.