Metal Mouth Message Board

Okay, so I had my consult today. Very interesting.

I'll post all the gory details in my thread on "our braces stories."

So the basic plan is 4 premolar extractions, then pull the front teeth back. Then the ortho explains that I'll likely have rubberbands at some point, and possibly some sort of spring that goes from the upper back to the lower front (I assume to push the lower jaw forward?). No mention of any other appliances.

Silly me has to ask, "what's to keep the molars from moving forward, instead of the front teeth moving backward?" I guess he had been planning on taking more of a wait and see approach, but then realized that I wanted to be more proactive. His answer, of course, what headgear. Headgear 10-12 hours at night.

So there I go again... I asked whether a Nance would be as effective as headgear, and if it was an option for me. He explained that the problem with the Nance is that it can cause the molars to tip, and isn't quite as effective as the headgear. But then agreed that it would be a good idea to use it anyway.

Drum roll please, for the exciting finale...



Wait for it...



Have you guessed it yet???



Okay, here we go.... (the suspense is killing you, huh?)



The ortho eventually decided that the best course of action would be to use the Nance. In addition to the headgear at night! So explain to me exactly how it comes to be that when I walked in the door, he wasn't specifically planning on headgear or a Nance, and I walk out with plans for both??? I know that it's a good thing to do, because I really don't want things to move the wrong way, considering the small margin for error that he presented. But still, what ortho patient actually persuades their doctor to use extra appliances? And no, I didn't actually beg. Just asked the one question about keeping the molars back, and then asked if the Nance would work instead, since another ortho I consulted with had mentioned it. I guess I'm in for some fun!

I know that "learning the lingo" is a good thing but maybe not in your case.

I don't know what else to say but "WOW!"
I asked for and got a TPA coming in February and I"m not going to ask for anything else now.

Good Luck, Maybe He'll change his mind by the next visit.

Kim

Crap I forgot to ask what was in store for me for the rest of my treatment, oh well the orthodontist wasn't there tonight so I guess I'd be better off not to ask when hes not there.

SDFD TSchott

Hey, I didn't ask for it, I asked about it....

And just for the record, I pretended not to know quite as much as I do... And really, I only pretended to know what the other ortho told me.

First I asked how he would know that the molars weren't going to move forward (a valid concern, I thought). Then I was actually looking for a way to get out of the headgear when I asked about "that thing that the other ortho I consulted mentioned... some sort of an arch that would hold the molars back..."

Oh well, I'm sure he wouldn't be using them both if they were redundant.

Good.

It seems like sometimes we as the patients do have to take the initiative. I wish I could just wait for everything to happen to me. But I actually asked for the molar buildup and then an extra molar buildup. I thought the ortho should see it coming before it's needed. So, I'm not very happy about it but it seems like this is how it works sometimes.

At least you're getting the FULL experience.

Maybe it will shorten your treatment time.

Mike

Well i like my approach, i'd rather not know what lies ahead ha ha.
I dont think its head gear though. Rubber bands maybe.

At least the headgear would only be at night, Cowlypso. But as far as I'm aware a Nance will do an adequate job of holding molars back. If they do tip they can be straightened up later by the brackets and wire. I'm surprised he's suggested headgear if you only need molar retention rather than them actually needing to be pushed backwards.

Perhaps you SHOULD ask about mini screw implants!

luv
Lisa x

So, I called to ask about the implants...

The ortho decided that the best course of treatment would be to use the implants in addition to the Nance and the headgear.


Okay, so not really. But it would be funny! Actually, I called and talked to the treatment coordinator and she couldn't think of any patients that he had used them on. It's possible that he's used them before, but he certainly doesn't use them often, and perhaps not at all.

So I've decided to stick to the original plan of the Nance and then headgear at night. Besides, I probably couldn't afford the implants anyway.