Metal Mouth Message Board

Question! I have ZERO faith in my ortho. after my SOS visit lastnight, so I'm hoping someone here could offer me some advice.

In July of 2009 I started wearing rubberbands. I have an open bite, a cross bite and at that time, an underbite which was classified as a Class III Maloccolusion. They (bands) hurt ALOT, more so than normal, my face ached from them along with my jaw and head for about a week straight, it was awful. I made an appt. to go into the office to have it checked out and the ortho told me that my jaw was swollen from the bands and to give it a rest. I went a week w/o the elastics and when I went back, was given a lighter type of elastic to try. Those worked great. I was told to wear them hooked from the second to last molar on the top down to the molar next to the bottom canine (I hope that makes sense). The new elastics didn't hurt half as bad. I could feel that my upper jaw had moved forward and like my underbite was corrrecting itsself.

I went into the ortho 3 weeks ago for my regular appt and was told to keep wearing the bands and the assistant gave me a stronger set of elastics to wear. I put them in and they hurt, but was told to just suck it up because that's how it's supossed to be. It was awful. My left molar was the only tooth that was hitting and I couldn't talk at all without that one tooth banging, the pressure was terrible! SO, I made an appt to go back in lastnight where the incompetitant ortho. asked me why I was wearing the rubberbands the way I was. I was like "Uh, you told me to!" and he said "Who did?" I said "your assistant!" and he didn't say anything. I was like "What?" so he told his other assistant to give me a different power chain on the bottom, put springs on my bottom molars to bring together my extraction gaps and give me smaller elastics and have them go in a different direction. Apparently, the way I was told to wear them for the past 6 months was incorrect and was doing more bad than good. So, I was given these new bands and told to hook them from my upper canine on each side down to my 2nd to last molar on the bottom. I'm confused, will this retract my uppers and mess up my bite even more since they originally tried correcting an underbite? I'm so confused.

To add fuel to this fire, the ortho asked me who told me to have my extractions done. I laughed and said "YOU DID!" This man was SOOO insistant I get two perfectly good molars on the bottom taken out in order to make room for my other teeth, that I gave in. From his way last night, it sounds like I might not have even needed the extractions? Im very upset.

What do you guys think about the elastic configurations?

Wow! I do not blame you for being worried. I had 4 extractions, 2 on top, 2 on bottom. I am wearing my elastics from the top canines to my second molar on the bottom. But my orthodontist is trying to pull my front teeth back because they were tipped out in the front.

The only thing I can think of is that he may be using the elastics to close the extraction gaps? I would suggest you get a second opinion from another orthodontist. Maybe you can transfer your case?

I hope it works out.

Yikes! Yeah....I would be a little freaked out too if my ortho asked me who told me to get my teeth pulled. Good grief. As for the incorrect elastic configuration, I'm not making excuses for your ortho office, but sometimes I wonder how the assistants can keep up with how fast the ortho gives them instructions. Maybe the assistant just misheard the doctor. Your new configuration sounds similar to mine only mine went to my last molar. In my case, this configuration was to bring my canines into proper position with the lowers. IDK, maybe give it a few more months and if you are still having trust issues with your doctor, seek a second opinion.

I wrote an email to the Dr. lastnight and also mailed a hard copy to the office expressing my concerns.

Thanks for your advice, guys!

My next appt., I made with the Dr's colleague who helps out one Saturday per month and is much more personable and thourough. I hope he offers me some advice to put my mind at ease.

TumbleDryLow: I know what you mean, these assistants and ortho's run their office like an assembly line.. get thru everyone so you can get on to the next and make that $$ come in.

I'm paying them $7,000 for this and want them to be SURE of what they're doing, not giving me the run around like they're doing.

I would have been arrested if this happened to me.

Totally incompetence. I would address these concerns the next time you are in and consider moving on from this orthodontist.

Time = money & he just burned 6 months of treatment.

Wish you the best!

Randee wrote: I was told to wear them hooked from the second to last molar on the top down to the molar next to the bottom canine (I hope that makes sense). The new elastics didn't hurt half as bad. I could feel that my upper jaw had moved forward and like my underbite was corrrecting itsself.

Like a triangle, right? This does not sund like a class III elastic to me. More like an open bite elastic. "Upper jaw" could not "move forward" as it is fixed. I suspect what happened is your teeth moved down to close the bite (as expected).

Randee wrote: So, I was given these new bands and told to hook them from my upper canine on each side down to my 2nd to last molar on the bottom. I'm confused, will this retract my uppers and mess up my bite even more since they originally tried correcting an underbite? I'm so confused.

Sorry. I misunderstood, this sounds like an overbite elastic, not UNDERbite. Hmmm... What is going on with your bite right now? If you have concerns, you certainly should discuss t5hem with your ortho. What I do, I always ask about anything they do and why it is needed and what effect it is going to have on my teeth and bite. And after that, I look it up myself. I think, one should understand exactly what happens at each period of time.

Randee wrote:I get two perfectly good molars on the bottom taken out in order to make room for my other teeth, that I gave in. From his way last night, it sounds like I might not have even needed the extractions?

Are you sure you had MOLARS extracted, or were they 2nd PREmolars?
Extracting teeth on the bottom arch for someone with underbite makes sense to me. They are trying to decrease the size of your lower jaw to make it fit under the upper. I just don't think they extract molars???

Randee wrote: To add fuel to this fire, the ortho asked me who told me to have my extractions done. I laughed and said "YOU DID!" This man was SOOO insistant

My ortho also does similar things. For example, he said to make an appt in 6 weeks and when I came in, asked me why I am here as it is too early. But he's been practicing for 30 years and certainly knows what he's doing. It is like a professional dosorder or something... Relax, it will be fine!

In the practice where I am treated, assistants ALWAYS get their work checked by an ortho to get his ok. As they are done, he comes in and checks the work, and gives his comments. He briefly explains to me what was done and why, and if I have questions (I usually do) - this is the time to have them addressed.
This way, both of us have an understanding of what is going on, and what progress should I expect until the next appt. I personally find this scheme very efficient.