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Went in thinking I would be getting them off soon....NOT !!!
Something happened to my bite after lowers were reproxed and brought in and the elastic phase. Seems my jaw muscles shifted and I got too much overjet now when my jaw is relaxed. To tell you the truth I don't know whats going on. Even the ortho is scratching his head. To add pain to injury, he tried removing a molar band and couldn't because the tooth was in so much pain! I was going to have a bridge anchored to that tooth later on, now I don't know what I'm going to do.
I just want to go into a dark room, cry and never be heard from again.
Top Braces June 2004
Bottom Braces November 2004
Debanded January 2007
So sorry about your news Chris. I hope the ortho can sort something out for you soon. Sometimes it is good to go into a dark room and cry. Crying relieves stress and empties toxins out of your system. You must be so disappointed but you've come this far so hope your treatment is sorted soon and won't take too long.
Regards
Joney
Oh, I share your pain (remember when I posted back in July?...my lower jaw slide back so no debanding for me and you were so kind to reply to just hang in there )...it's okay to cry, stomp your feet, and then realize it will be just a little while longer! Really, it's a set back, but not forever!
Are you back in elastics for the overjet?
Braced at 41, Damon 2s - top and bottom, 8/10/04, estimated 18-24 months...did overtime! Debraced 10/4/06. Essix retainers.
Nope. No can do at this time. The only lower molar I have left where he can "hang" an elastic is giving me pain.
I'm hoping he can do slenderizing of the top teeth along with the power chains to bring the top back. Right now all I have are the power chains on top.
The snag in all this is when the teeth in the front come together the back don't.
Top Braces June 2004
Bottom Braces November 2004
Debanded January 2007
Hopefully they'll be able to fix the problem soon and your tooth will stop hurting enough for them to get the moalr band off.
Spacers: 1/26/05; 2/6/06; 3/15/06; 4/24/06
4 First Bicuspids removed: 2/2005
Metal Braces, top and bottom: 3/1/05; Debanded 7/26/07
Hawley retainers top and bottom
That's bad news, for sure. Hope things get better soon. Those elastics can really pull your jaw into strange positions. I posted on this before but I really feel the tension in my neck and jaw from mine. If it's any consolation, I'm still not biting correctly either. Maybe after those elastics give your tooth a rest you can get things going again. I know my teeth feel great without elastics but often hurt when wearing them.
Jennie, your a friend after my own heart ! I Love chocolate. Right now I don't even feel like eating that.
Thanks for all the replies, everyone. This is SO depressing you can't imagine...being in braces now 2 years, 2 months and no end in site. Kind of feel like CLO but without all that headgear and dang elastics!
One good thing is no elastics for awhile sure feels good. Of course, nothing gets done without them. I hope it makes my jaw relax though.
Does anyone have an Ortho Voodoo Doll and some pointy pins?
That may make me feel better.
Top Braces June 2004
Bottom Braces November 2004
Debanded January 2007
I sooo want to join you in that dark room, dear Chris, because I know a lot
about orthodontic frustration. I cried when I read your post, because I had
a very bad week too, dentally. I'll post later today about that.
I know it can never be any consolation but I have a similar problem since
my lowers were reproxed. I think I know why. If about 1 mm of space
is made between each front lower, then the front of the arch need to be
narrowed and retracted quite a lot to close the gaps again. When closing
those gaps, and because teeth are in an arch form, the arch gets smaller
and flatter in the front. But as the upper arch is the same, you get a
lower arch that seems to be too small. Too narrow and too retracted, so an
overjet is created. I happen to get elastics today that run from the inside
of my lower canines to the outside of my upper canines. To try to expand
my lower arch a bit in the front. My overjet is still not better too. Hence
that headgear I still need to wear a lot.
So I think this has nothing to do with jaw muscles. But believe me, dear
Chris, I sooo hope I am wrong about all this. But I think too that doing the
same for your uppers will correct this. But then your ortho should know what
he is doing when he does this. As this is a point of no return.
What is reproxed is lost. And my first ortho was so stupid enough to reprox
my lowers A LOT. Instead of doing a little bit and see what the result was,
oh no, she did it all the way.
Dear Chris, I want to tell you this. Don't even try to step in my footsteps.
I am in deep shi ... eh ... trouble, dentally, and I forbid you to do the same.
You will succeed. It may take some time, but you will. Because I tell you to ...
As this is a point of no return.
What is reproxed is lost. And my first ortho was so stupid enough to reprox
my lowers A LOT. Instead of doing a little bit and see what the result was,
oh no, she did it all the way.
...
Hi Clo! I knew you would feel my pain here. Yes, I do believe reproxing was the problem. BUT this I have to add. Whenever I sat in the chair and he asked me to bite together, I never realized that I was forcing my lower jaw forward, I did it without thinking; hence my "TRUE" bite was different. He should have looked at me in an upright position with my teeth apart. I always could see the overjet but even more pronounced after the reproxing. He thought my bite was one way when it wasnt. When he manipulated my jaw closed he could see that it way off. In my opinion, thats where he failed, he never checked at each appt; he just asked me to bite down.
Not sure where I go from here as the only anchor tooth I have in my lower right side is the 2nd molar (as you recall I'm missing 1st molar and 2nd bicuspid) and that 2nd molar is too painful to touch at the moment. I suppose I will end up losing it. So ELASTICS to bring the bite back is out of the question. He didn't say anything about reproxing the top but thats what I would do, and of course, he may be thinking I will need that bicuspid extraction in order to bring the bite back. Its bad, it really is.
This is the relaxed bite.
This is when I bring my lower jaw forward.
This is when I have my teeth apart.
Top Braces June 2004
Bottom Braces November 2004
Debanded January 2007
Whenever I sat in the chair and he asked me to bite together, I never realized that I was forcing my lower jaw forward
I don't fool my ortho for a minute when I do this. When I do it, he makes me try to relax my jaw and he pushes it back for me. It is funny you posted this because just the other day I was thinking to myself "where is my jaw really comfortable anymore?". Are my teeth now forcing my jaw back or is this where I really want it? It is strange. A whole new reality for me.
To me your relaxed bite overjet doesn't look bad at all. From here your teeth look terrif!
Am I right when I see your canines about point to point in your relaxed
bite ? Then it is almost what my better side looked like before braces. On
my right side, canines where point to point. On my left side my upper
canine was even more in class 2. I am just guessing here, but I think
reprox between your uppers, maybe all the way to your molars may be
sufficient to correct your overjet. Advantage is you do not need class 2
elastics for that, only a powerchain and maybe elastics from upper canines
to upper molars. Again, I am just guessing here. It is astonishing though
how much of my own bite I see in yours. And I too have a much better
occlusion when I bring my lower jaw forward.
But like jcdamon3 said, I too see very nice teeth when I look at your pics.
If only your ortho could now create a better bite ...
and you were so kind to reply to just hang in there 
)...it's okay to cry, stomp your feet, and then realize it will be just a little while longer! Really, it's a set back, but not forever! 
