Metal Mouth Message Board

1. How do you deal with it?
2. Do you smile less?
3. Do you feel conscious?
4. If your gaps are already closed, how long did it take to close? I know it varies from person to person.

See, I got 4 bicuspids removed last July, and I just wanna know if any of you are going through the same thing as I am. My ortho didn't put the powerchains until my 3rd adjustment and my teeth moved quickly. I would say they're already halfway close. I'm so excited. I just can't wait for it to close... lol Thanks for your time.

I had my upper #5's and lower #4's out in August of 07, the same month I was braced.

I definitely felt self conscious! I definitely smiled smaller at first, because I didn't want the gaps to be visible. Fortunately the top extractions were a little further back, so people didn't notice them unless I was laughing really hard.

As for gaps... I must have slow teeth because I am STILL waiting for the bottoms to close completely! The tops closed after 13 months, which I still think is long, but the bottoms have like a millimetre of space left, 15 months in. I had an original estimate of 24+ months.

Getting my biscupids removed was the most difficult decision I made when deciding to get braced. I'm 56 years old and apart from wisdom teeth, they were the first of my adult teeth to get removed. I had mine extracted in October 2007, 1 upper 4 and upper 5, and 2 lower 4's. I was definitely self-conscious for a couple of weeks while I was waiting for the braces to go on, but once I was braced, I forgot about them. Actually no-one really noticed and if I pointed them out, they usually shrugged their shoulders and said that unless I had said something, they would not have noticed.

It's now 13 months later, and the bottom gaps have gone and the top ones are almost there, although where I had the 5 extracted that is taking a bit longer. However, my ortho didn't actually start to work on those gaps until I had been braced for nearly 8 months. I must admit that by that time I was a bit sick of them, but once the process starts, then it was all systems go and I'm happy with the progress.

I had an original sentence of 24 months, but after today's adjustment, it looks like I may get a little bit of time off for good behaviour. I've probably got another 9 months to go.

I had my bicuspids removed in two stages with the left hand side first and then a week later the right hand side. I was really aware of it and kept pointing it out to everyone (even though most people hadn't actually noticed). I was really aware of it if someone was sat at the side of me and I smiled.

However, a week after the second set of teeth were removed I had my braces fitted and since then I haven't felt bothered by the gaps at all ... it's pretty obvious now as to why the teeth have been removed!

I've only been braced a few months but I have definitely noticed a change in the gaps. They're nowhere near closed but I can see how they are getting smaller.

I had some of the same thoughts a lot of people have about getting 4 bicuspids removed -- "But these are perfectly good teeth, why am I mutilating myself?!"

The reality of it is, I simply didn't have enough space in my mouth for all my teeth. There was no two ways about it.

I had them removed about two months ago and I stopped feeling self-conscious about it as soon as my gums were healed. Yes, there are gaps, but they're not THAT noticeable, and if anyone DOES notice them, the explanation is pretty evident since I also have braces.

I'm excited for the gaps to close up though. I can't have power chains yet because one of my canines is turned COMPLETELY sideways because of how much crowding I had. That tooth needs to straighten out quite a bit before any serious measures can be taken to close the gaps more quickly.

Thank you for the responses! That makes me feel so much better.

Wow. I did not know it could take up to 13 months for the gaps to close. My gaps are not too obvious now. I am able to smile really wide without being conscious.

I had my two uppers extracted and consoled myself with the fact that it wasn't that bitceable. Over the last 11 months my ortho has pulled my canine into the gap so now there is a HUGE gap between my incisor and canine that is much much worse since it's always visable!! But.. I no longer care. I don't even think about not smiling etc now I'm so used to it and know that in Another 6 months or so and I'll be gorgeous!!!

I had 4 teeth removed for overcrowding, on top of the 4 wisdom teeth i already had out!
I still hate talking about it because i remember the pain
I was quite self conscious, people noticed me missing teeth so i explained to them i was getting braced, im even more self conscious now ive been braced i try and smile with my mouth closed!

Well, I had my 4 premolars removed almost 6 years ago, and I still have a small gap in one spot. I had braces for well over 3 years, and one extraction gap never fully closed. There is still a small gap there even today, and fortunately it doesn't seem to grow (I faithfully wear my retainers).

I think my ortho just left the gap since I was in braces well over a year over my estimate, and it was getting time to get them off, as they were concerned about bone loss. And I think there were things that just weren't fixable in my mouth, and this one gap was one.

Honestly, the other gaps took the entire time in braces to close - I sill saw those gaps almost 3 years into braces. I am surprised others are seeing these extractions close so quickly - mine took a looong time.

I had two lower premolars extracted, none on the top as I am missing lateral incisors, so not sure is I qualify for this post, but my experiences anyway...

Great result, I had severe crowing, and it resolved really quickly, teeth straight (accept for final tweaks and a bit more root alignment) in 4 months, three months into closing the gap, half a mm on one side and about 1 mm on the other side, estimated by my ortho to close in the next 4-8 weeks. Profile fine, happy so far.