Should I get braces?

Message

#1 Post by **ssfw** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 1:21 pm

I am in my mid 40's and have a minor crossbite and a 5mm overjet. My orthodontist informed me that he can correct my crossbite with an expander and decrease my overjet slightly to about 3mm. The orthodontic treament would take about 20 months, which includes approx. 5 months of the expander in my upper arch and braces on my upper teeth after that with a possibility of braces on the lower teeth if he cannot get my bite right when correcting the crossbite. Should I get the braces? I was told that not getting my minor crossbite corrected should not make a big difference in the overall wear of my teeth. I know the correction will will probably make my teeth look more balanced due to the use of the expander.

If I do decide to get the braces I wanted to get the ceramic braces on the upper teeth and was thinking about getting metal braces on the lower teeth. Can anyone tell me how much of the metal people will be able to see on my lower teeth?

Has anybody else had this similar orthodontic problem and what did you decide to do? The orthodontic treatment cost is approx. $5,000.00 and was wondering if this will be worth the time in braces and the cost of treatment.

thanks!

#2 Post by **johnnys_angel** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 1:23 pm

Well, I think that if YOU feel you 'need' or want braces, then get them! Nobody's opinion is as important as yours. Good luck!

#3 Post by **summergirl** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 4:32 pm

Hi I have the same exact problem .I had to wear spacers for 2 weeks .I just got my expander put in on Monday not much fun.I will need to wear this expander for 3 months the ortho will make a new one and that has to be worn 2-3 months.Then I get braces I think he said something like maybe he will put bottom braces on first what ever that means.Ya I am around your age ,age should not be a factor in making up your mind people of all ages are getting braces nowadays.My cost is $ 6.000 so that seems to be the right price.As far as the expander goes I feel if you are going to do it you may as do it right and have the expander put in too.Just be prepared to take some time off from work.They are very hard to get used to hard to talk with I find that to be my biggest problem right now .As you crank it it seems that you can talk better.What kind of appliace is he going to give you?Mine is the one it is like a rock at the top of your mouth with bands attached to your teeth.That is the only way I could discribe it sorry..didn't mean for this to be soooo long..

#4 Post by **ssfw** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 5:38 pm

Thanks for the replies and encouragement.

johnnys_angel,

Thanks for the encouragement.

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Summergirl,

I hope you're adjusting to your expander and not having too many problems. Is this your first time wearing braces?

Do you have any other orthodontic corrections to be made other than the crossbite and overjet. My crossbite is on my left side only. How about yours? Do you have an overjet to be corrected also? If you don't mind me asking, how much of an overjet do you have? Did your orthodontist also tell you that s/he cannot completely correct the overjet without jaw surgery? Is the correction of your overjet also going to be corrected to about 3 mm? My orthodontist informed me that my lower jaw would need to be pulled forward because it is too short which is part of the problem with having the overjet along with having a narrow arch and if I had the jaw surgery along with the orthodontic treatment my teeth would look perfect with about a 1 mm (??? - not sure if this is accurate but he did indicate no overjet if surgery was done) space between the upper teeth and lower teeth. I chose not to have jaw surgery mainly because of the cost which my insurance will not cover.

I had upper and lower braces several years ago due to crowding in both my upper and lower teeth (ceramic brackets - upper & lower). Most of my teeth are still straight but he said he would make minor adjustments to some teeth that shifted a little bit since I had the braces removed.

I wanted to ask you what made you decide with proceeding with the orthodontic treatment and how long is your treatment? My orthodontist told me that after the braces are removed I would have to wear a retainer for life to prevent any teeth from shifting (all day for a few months then just evenings).

I don't have a problem with having to wear an expander, not sure what type I will be getting but can you give me some details of the process of how it was installed and any tips you may have for after it is installed. I was told I would have spacers placed for approx. 2 weeks before the expander was installed. How does the expander effect your speech? How long did it take to install the expander.

What type of brakets are you going to use or have you not made a decision yet?

Sorry for the long posting and all of the questions but this is a difficult decision for me - probably because I'm getting older and this would be my second time in braces.

thanks,

SSFW
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#5 Post by **serendipity** » Sat Nov 12, 2005 6:35 pm

Hi,

Sorry I can't be much help in regard to your specific problem

but I can comment on the metal brackets on bottom teeth. In my opinion you can only notice them if you pull your lip down or smile with your teeth clenched. If you don't want to get metal because of appearance concerns I was right there with you - I was worried also. Yet now that I have braces it doesn't really bother me like I thought it would - its all about the end result, for me anyway. About 2 years ago I was about to get braces and chickened out, now when I think about it if I had done if before I would of been finished by now, that's the thought that really pushed me to get braces. ("If I don't get them now in 18 months I'm going to be thinking I could of had great teeth by now") That kinda applies to everyone whether you do it for health or comestic reasons - or both.
Just a thought...Keep us posted and Good Luck!

~serendipity

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