Metal Mouth Message Board

I am a 25 year old male from the UK (think: "The Big Book of British Smiles" once shown to Lisa Simpson) and had my braces fitted in February this year (2008) after having 4 teeth extracted. I should be roughly half way there by now as my orthodontist told me to expect 18-20 months of treatment.

It's been a really tough 9 months (though my orthodontist seems to think I'm a pretty textbook case) and I have kept myself going many times by telling myself the results will be worth it.

Only now I am wavering - I can see lots of improvement but the results as of yet aren't anywhere near as good as I was expecting. Two examples: one of my front teeth was crossed over the other and though this has corrected to a certain extent so that if you glanced at them they'd look pretty good, I think it's still significantly off being totally staight; also where my upper canines have been pulled back into the extraction gaps to give more space up front the 'fit' with the teeth they now butt up to isn't very good (to my eyes anyway), there are large gaps at the gum line (because those pre-molars aren't dead straight - it's kind of like a V-shaped gap).

So I am wondering what I should be expecting - did I set off with too high expectations? Or is the latter part of the treatment devoted to the 'finish' once the initial 'heavy work' (filling extraction gaps, etc.) has been done?

I have confidence in my orthodontist (he's expensive enough!) and feel silly voicing such concerns when I have my adjustments, but I can't shake the feeling that I am in for a massive disappointment. Does anyone have any advice?

Share your concerns with your ortho. I do this at most adjustments! I asked my ortho if I think too much about this, and no, they like it when patients take an interest, and that's what I'm paying for, it's easier if they know about expectations early in treatment, mostly they have the same ideas, but if you are thinking different the earilier they know the better. All of the things I have mentioned my ortho has sorted or planned to sort, I think they would have sorted most of them without prompting.

They are your teeth and you have to live with them 24 / 7 so no it's not silly to voice concern. If we are honest, the appearance of our teeth is a factor motivating most of us to seek treatment.

Deleted.

Hey pjs56,

Hang in there!

I think it's the 9 month itch or something. I'm feeling the same way and I've had braces for almost 9 months. The progress in the beginning was fast and impressive. It seems to have slowed down now and I'm getting discouraged and disappointed. But reading around on here helps. I'm trying to stay positive and have faith in my ortho, who isn't the best communicator, or maybe it's becuase I don't know how to phrase my questions well.

It seems that some things happen much more slowly than others. The forward and backward slant of my teeth changed dramatically fast, but the rotation is taking forever - very frustrating, and looking in the mirror every day as I do doesn't make it happen any faster!

It is all worth it! Stay positive and talk to your ortho. All the best.

hi pjs56,
I know the feeling. One is going through this process(not always a walk in the park in terms of impact on self esteem, physical uncomfortableness due to the metal in your mouth, sore teeth, etc) in what appears to be an eternity expecting a good result and hoping that all this hardship will eventually pay off.
It's sounds like a cliché that "it gets worse before it gets good" but it is true in many cases. In my own experience mid-process treatment results are in that better-than-before-but-still-a-loooooong-way-to-go phase which is both frustrating and demotivating....
I'm counting almost 14 months into treatment (crowding problem w/ extraction of 4 premolars) and while the bottoms are pretty much finished I still see a ot of work to be done on my uppers. Gaps are not filled completely. While my teeth looking at them from the front are beginning to look acceptable my teeth in profile are far from any acceptable result. My ortho has said that I should expect to be debonded around feb 2009. Somehow I don't see that happening.
Guess that we just have to be patient and stay busy with other things than obsessing about our teeth.

Godspeed with your treatment

Danish

Hi Haven't been around awhile, but I saw this and wanted to say that there were times I looked like a horse, but now I have gorgeous teeth, and when I look at the photos I took at the beginning, I am thrilled. I get my braces off tomorrow, and it was well worth all the time and trouble. Don't quit 1/2 way through- you'll regret it, and to do it again will be too costly!

Thanks for the responses everyone. It one of those funny things where there's only so muh patience your friends/ relatives have with you to discuss your concerns about it. They kind-of think it's a big deal for about 2 weeks then they just forget about it, whereas you're left fretting the whole time.

I will definitely have a longer chat with my orthodontist when I am next in (just before Christmas!).

[As I have said to myself countless times before already in this process...] Time will tell...

You're doing better than me! I'm on day 3 and about ready to rip these things off and tell them to keep the money!

I've experienced some similar concerns as yours. I have had my braces for 16 months now and I had about three teeth that were really terrible at the beginning. They are practically straight now, but not as perfect as I was expecting. My midline is still off. Another tooth has a small gap, but I have figured out that it is just that my tooth is very small. I am getting mine of in 4 days though, and have just accepted these things. I have also heard that sometimes retainers can finish things off, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I wouldn't say my teeth have moved significantly since 9 months. I would say that it is still worth it though, and I just think certain things aren't going to be perfect.

I know this is kind of an "easy for you to say" kind of thing, but hang in there because somehow the time does pass and it is worth it in the end.