Metal Mouth Message Board

Are you about to finish your treatment and you or your ortho believe that you need some shaving done? My advice is: Do not shave the edges of your teeth until a couple months after debanding. Just let your teeth settle for a while. I've been debanded for 1 month and teeth still moved a little. So, what you shave at the time of your debanding might end up not looking so good and even after teeth settle a little bit. I know that all of us want to walk out of the office with teeth looking perfect on our debanding date, but we put up with braces for months and years, so what's a couple more months of being patience and do the shaving a couple months later?
Take this advice from someone who regrets shaving 1 tooth. I wish I hadn't done it.

Thanks for sharing good info.

Sorry you're not happy but thanks for sharing. I will definately bear this in mind ...

IPR is forming part of my treatment. Is that what you mean? If not I'd have to have extractions and close those gaps as well as straightening.

ST

Seriousthinker - No, I do not mean IPR. IPR is a procedure done between teeth, as you already know. I really do not know the medical term for what I am refering to, but it is done on the biting edge of the teeth.

Thanks for this wonderful piece of advise

I agree. I made the mistake years ago having a dentist shave the biting edge of one of my front teeth to make it appear even with the other side -- MISTAKE!! Now one tooth is shorter than the one next to it. What I needed was braces to create alignment but didnt understand that at the time. Thanks for your good advice.

Also, after I have all of my IPR and shaving I plan to ask ortho for a fixed retained PLUS a regular essix retainer. I don't want any shifting once treatment is finished.

Thanks for this advice! I know I'll need this done eventually, and was silently hoping I could do it sooner rather than later. Now I know to just cool my jets and wait. Thanks!

I am so glad you posted this advice. It is easy to want them perfect right away, but the shaving can't be undone! Thanks again.

Good advice, thanks

so you can shave your teeth to have them appear even straighter? nice

thanks for the advice