I was supposed to be getting my braces off this September. As luck would have it my ortho said that they are ready to come off and scheduled them for removal after 3 weeks. Well, tomorrow is the big day. I'm excited, but i have some concerns. I was looking in the mirror closely and noticed that i have some "small" gaps between a couple of my teeth. There is one gap between my canine and inciscor. There is also a gap between my canine and molar on the other side.
Is it normal to have such gaps before taking off braces? Can I expect them to close up after braces? I'm not good at measuring such a small space but I can tell you that when I floss in those areas there is little or no friction. Should I express my concern to the ortho? I'm very happy with the result right now, but those two spaces have me a little edgey.
Getting "de-braced" with spaces.
Moderator: bbsadmin
Hi braces,
Yes, I would share your concerns with your orthodontist as soon as possible. You will regret it if you don't. If wearing the braces for a longer period will help then that's the answer to your question. You really don't want to have them removed then share your concerns weeks/months later and have him tell you that either wearing the braces longer would have closed the gaps or if he could have done something to close the gaps. I think it would be very depressing to have to get the braces put on again after they have been removed (in my opinion). At the same time, why isn't he noticing the gaps or even mentioning how he plans to close them? My orthodontist assured me that if any gaps are created from my expander they will be closed with the braces.
Good luck.
ssfw
Yes, I would share your concerns with your orthodontist as soon as possible. You will regret it if you don't. If wearing the braces for a longer period will help then that's the answer to your question. You really don't want to have them removed then share your concerns weeks/months later and have him tell you that either wearing the braces longer would have closed the gaps or if he could have done something to close the gaps. I think it would be very depressing to have to get the braces put on again after they have been removed (in my opinion). At the same time, why isn't he noticing the gaps or even mentioning how he plans to close them? My orthodontist assured me that if any gaps are created from my expander they will be closed with the braces.
Good luck.
ssfw
Quad-Helix expander: 1/20/06 - 1/16/07
Upper braces: 5/19/06; lower braces: 9/7/06
Braces removed: 8/19/08
Received retainer: 8/26/08 - wearing retainer 24 hours/day
Next appt.: 11/18/08
Upper braces: 5/19/06; lower braces: 9/7/06
Braces removed: 8/19/08
Received retainer: 8/26/08 - wearing retainer 24 hours/day
Next appt.: 11/18/08
