Metal Mouth Message Board

After reading the board a little im under the impression the first 2 months are the time when most movemenet occurs and the months following it are when the teeth are 'set' in place... i may be totally off here but im starting to get a little paranoid.

My teeth haven't appeared to move at all really, and besides a little tooth ache (across 4-5 teeth) every now and then i hardly notice anything happening.

Think my bite plate might be doing something tho.

neas, it's true that many people experience quite of bit of movement early, but not everyone. I think the degree of movement depends on how the teeth are situated in the mouth, and the type of maloclusion you have. If you're concerned, definitely talk to your ortho.

Take good care

I'd say you're a little paranoid!:p Yes, some people have great amounts of movement the first couple of months. I did, too. However, now at month 4.5, my teeth look worse than ever. Sure they're moving, but now they've passed that nice "straight" look and are being rearranged and look hideous with new gaps in some places, tight spots in others. It's all part of the plan and that's why we wear braces for 18 mos to 2 years, not 2 MONTHS! If you have bite issues, the progress will be even more subtle. In my case, once the "rearranging" is done, I will have many months of bite revision ahead during which time I expect to see even less actual "tooth movement."

We're all different so it's important to not compare and if you have questions concerning your treatment, talk to your ortho.

Cally

Dont worry I am in the same boat as you. I have had braces for a little over 1 month and I see slight movement. My midlines are straighten up, but I still have gaps. I am going for my first adjustment today and hope the ortho gives me a lower powerchain to start the process of closing the extraction gap that I have on my lower arch. I wouldnt worry about much movement in the first month, you still have plenty of adjustments to go thru and plenty of time in your treatment, but if you are really concerned about it then speak with your ortho. I talked with my ortho a couple weeks ago about the slack of movement and was advised that it was due to my treatment plan and the position of my teeth. I dont have any crowding so I wont see movement but he assured me that they are moving. Plus I am on the lowest strength of archwire possible, and today they will step it up a noch. Enjoy the time, it will pass quickly

I agree with Karen ... take some photos and compare them.

I took a photo looking up at my upper teeth (the view that shows best how crooked my teeth are) on the day my braces were put on and then again this past Sunday, at the 2.5 week mark. It's really amazing what your eyes don't see in the mirror they will see when the photos are side-by-side. The changes are quite minute, I'm guessing 1/2 mm at best, but as I scrutinized the photos I kept seeing more and more !