Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi, so I've had my braces for 3 months now and my teeth are already SOOO much straighter. But (and this is a huge BUT) my teeth are now very obviously wider at the bottom than the top. The bottoms all look pretty straight and touch but I now have noticeable gaps at the top of some teeth. In my opinion these look worse than the wonkiness!
Has anyone else had this happen? If so how was it fixed? I'm seriously thinking about getting them removed
Thanks

I've had that happen it closes up again. The gaps come as a result of allowing the teeth to move around each other. Do NOT get your braces taken off brcause of it. In plus they'll give you powerchains to close em.

From what I hear, gaps (and other wonky things) are just part of the process. Sometimes (usually) teeth need to be spaced out before they can be properly aligned. It's totally normal so rest easy

It's normal. Teeth often look worse before they look better. My lower teeth look awful at the moment but it's all part of the process. Your orthodontist will make sure those gaps are closed before the end of treatment. You might have elastics or power chains put on or the brackets may be moved to help close the gaps. Getting the braces off now would be a mistake. Hang in there!

All 3 orthos I consulted cautioned me that my teeth are wider at the bottoms than at the tops, and I might end up with small black triangles between a few of them. Some filing might be done to make this less noticeable, but in my mind, these small areas are far superior to the horrible wonkiness of my 'old' teeth (and my top lip covers these areas for the most part anyway). I'm theoretically about halfway through my treatment time, so only time will tell. Don't worry...your teeth'll turn out great!

Thanks everyone! I'm seeing my orth tomorrow so will see what he says. I don't want the gaps filling, I saw someone the other day who had her gaps filled and it looked awful, the filler was neither tooth or gum coloured so just looked like plaque! Yak!
Lambchop: I think that's what's happening to me, my teeth touch at the bottom but I have these holes at the top, like the black hole of Calcutta!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will rectify itself, no idea what power chains are but might ask if they will help.

it's all part of the process so don't worry.

I've had gaps in 4 different places open and close throughout my treatment not including the giant gaps where i had teeth pulled out.

I agree it is part of the process.

I actually had fairly straight teeth when my upper braces went on. (Still waiting to get my lowers.) I'm adjusting a bite that is off. My upper arch has expanded quite a bit and I now have gaps where I never had gaps before. Of course the gaps are right up front and center. I asked my orthodontist about it a couple weeks at my regular appointment and he said once he had my upper and lower arches where they need to be he will work on fine-tuning the spacing of my teeth.

I know it is part of the process and is to be expected, but I really want to get through this stage. Unfortunately in my case, I know it will still get "worse" for a while before I start getting anywhere close to my end result. I just tell myself I know it will all work out eventually and I'll be much healthier and happier.

Yes I have those dreaded black triangles on several of my teeth that I never had before braces. Whether they are able to fix them I think depends on the shape of your teeth. Several of my teeth are wider in the middle so that is where they touch and so I am stuck with those black triangles and you would have to shave a lot of the tooth off to close the gap at the top which I don't want done. I was told that some of the gum may grow back down after braces come off but I am not counting on that.

they wont use filler for the gaps they'll just close with the braces.

DONT remove them!!!! It's just part of the process to make space. It's especially common if you have power chains. Happens to everyone, happens to me! They'll close up soon.

I've had my orthodontist appointment today so I mentioned these gaps. He informed me that they are officially called 'dark trangles' (you would think they would have thought of a more imaginative name for them!).
Anyway, he said they are common when a tooth is wider at the bottom than the top because when the wider parts of each tooth meet they stop the top part closing. My options are to either live with them or to have my teeth shaved (ouch!!!) . He put in some thicker wires to try and get some more movement before he shaves them.
Once my teeth are narrower at the bottom he will then attach some rubber bands to close the gaps. He said all the right things but part of me is still not convinced it would work.
Has anyone else had their teeth shaved? Sounds terrible!