Tooth Hurty !!
Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 7:37 am
Hi, I'm new to this site and to the whole braces concept. I wanted to introduce myself and explain my situation. I guess what I'm looking for is support in what is beginning to feel like a dental nightmare. I want to know if other people are presently going through a similar situation .. and can offer any advice.
Having read accounts and comments here from the 'brace race' .. I'd like to say how impressed I am with you all. You guys really support each other .. it's great !
Room for one more ?
OK --- So, I have always had crooked teeth and managed to avoid getting anything drastic done to fix them - like forever. I am now 38 and my teeth are in reasonable condition, though I'm told they are 'all in the wrong place'. I was never interested in correction for aesthetic reasons, so I have tolerated the situation till now.
The situation has deteriorated recently to the point that my 'malocclusion' (short lower jaw and poor bite) means that damage has occured to the teeth, to the gums and to the bone that hold my top front teeth.
Frankly, I'm worried !
The lower teeth has been biting on the gum inside my upper front teeth, jamming food where it shouldn't go and causing gum disease .. and the upper teeth have been wearing away the gum in front of my lower teeth.
My teeth have never met well .. but I've survived, albeit with some discomfort. For me, this has always been preferable to 'radical treatment'
Years have passed with many indecisive 'specialists' taking my money. The last one I saw explained that I was in the 'too hard basket'.
The upshot is that some pretty extensive work needs to be done to stabilise first, possibly with the removal of several prominent front teeth. Then braces will need to straighten things up. Finally, my lower jaw will need to be extended to give some kind of solid teeth to teeth bite .. and my lost teeth replaced with implants.
All sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it !?
To make matters a little worse, i have suffered periodically from bipolar depression leading to problems with my work and personal life. I've done the best I could through this .. but really .. the very last thing in the universe I'd ever imagined accepting is a set of teeth braces .. the very thought has always made me grimace.
So here I am .. I'm about to start periodontic work to first stabilise the situation. in six months or so, I will be able to have braces .. and then ultimately, they'll chop my jaw off and stick it back on with bolts at a different angle.
If I'm honest, because of the discomfort, I'm somehow looking forward to getting started now .. but what can I say .. It scares me and it bothers me !
OK, I do feel a bit sorry for myself .. I'm not an outgoing character anyway .. I know I'm going to hate this whole affair.
Sorry if I sound grey .. I'm sure that other's situations are worse .. and I don't mean to disrespect you.
Can anyone offer me advice ? I need to learn about my teeth and their problems and I need to learn how to deal with the treatment
Having read accounts and comments here from the 'brace race' .. I'd like to say how impressed I am with you all. You guys really support each other .. it's great !
Room for one more ?
OK --- So, I have always had crooked teeth and managed to avoid getting anything drastic done to fix them - like forever. I am now 38 and my teeth are in reasonable condition, though I'm told they are 'all in the wrong place'. I was never interested in correction for aesthetic reasons, so I have tolerated the situation till now.
The situation has deteriorated recently to the point that my 'malocclusion' (short lower jaw and poor bite) means that damage has occured to the teeth, to the gums and to the bone that hold my top front teeth.
Frankly, I'm worried !
The lower teeth has been biting on the gum inside my upper front teeth, jamming food where it shouldn't go and causing gum disease .. and the upper teeth have been wearing away the gum in front of my lower teeth.
My teeth have never met well .. but I've survived, albeit with some discomfort. For me, this has always been preferable to 'radical treatment'
Years have passed with many indecisive 'specialists' taking my money. The last one I saw explained that I was in the 'too hard basket'.
The upshot is that some pretty extensive work needs to be done to stabilise first, possibly with the removal of several prominent front teeth. Then braces will need to straighten things up. Finally, my lower jaw will need to be extended to give some kind of solid teeth to teeth bite .. and my lost teeth replaced with implants.
All sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it !?
To make matters a little worse, i have suffered periodically from bipolar depression leading to problems with my work and personal life. I've done the best I could through this .. but really .. the very last thing in the universe I'd ever imagined accepting is a set of teeth braces .. the very thought has always made me grimace.
So here I am .. I'm about to start periodontic work to first stabilise the situation. in six months or so, I will be able to have braces .. and then ultimately, they'll chop my jaw off and stick it back on with bolts at a different angle.
If I'm honest, because of the discomfort, I'm somehow looking forward to getting started now .. but what can I say .. It scares me and it bothers me !
OK, I do feel a bit sorry for myself .. I'm not an outgoing character anyway .. I know I'm going to hate this whole affair.
Sorry if I sound grey .. I'm sure that other's situations are worse .. and I don't mean to disrespect you.
Can anyone offer me advice ? I need to learn about my teeth and their problems and I need to learn how to deal with the treatment