Surgical gaps either side of canines

[redblondefox]

Hello,

I had bi-max jaw surgery with palate expansion a year ago and all is good now after having to have one plate removed, etc. I'm due to have my braces off September 30th - it will have been nearly 4 years wearing them (joke) and although my bite still isn't 100% perfect, I've said I don't care and just want them off which they've agreed to. However I do have one small concern and that is I still have a gap between my canine and eye-tooth where they cut my palate in three.

Has anyone got these gaps? I was told they probably would never close up. Seems a little off. But I just want the braces off. Maybe a veneer on that tooth would be worth looking into?

Thanks,

Redblondefox

[Huggypillow]

Hi sorry if i sound really stupid as i am sure after all that time you know every torture device given by ortho's. but i have heard of people having double power chain for stubbon gaps, have they tried that on you?

It must be hard for you after such a long time for things not to be exactly right, have they said that maybe they can get things exact with wearing the braces an extra couple of months? but totally your decision i hope you dont regret it later on. ( that was not ment to be complain at any means, i just hope that you dont have second thoughts a year from now).

Have they said that scar tissue might be preventing them from sliding through the gum?

sorry to be so nosey

Huggypillow

[redblondefox]

Hi Huggypillow,

Not nosey at all lol! It's good to be asked questions I might not have thought about myself. They did fit a power chain but it didn't really do much. It's kinda stuck that way it seems. You're right though I might regret it but because it's been a year post-op already, I don't know if a couple more months would make any difference so I will get them removed. I'm just curious about it really and if anyone else has had these gaps ending up as a permanent fixture.

I could look into a veneer for it I guess....boo!!

[Super Smile]

I have a friend who did braces only - no surgeries - but had some teeth removed in order to make room. When the teeth were taken out, the space was then too much for her teeth to fill in on their own, so the ortho just put some filler (something like dental bondo - I think similar to what they use to make a crown) on the teeth to make them look bigger and fill in the spaces. Maybe you can see if you can get them to do something like that for you.

[Chefflaco88]

I had bi-max surgery 1 year ago. My orthodontist created gaps in my upper teeth prior to surgery to allow the surgeon to move my lower jaw further forward. As the time to remove my braces got closer my orthodontist informed me she could not close the gaps with the braces because it would make my bite in the front too tight. I got my braces off 4 weeks ago and am preparing to have veneers put on 2 teeth to close the gaps. I was also given the option of having bonding done which would be cheaper but the bonding does not last as long as veneers. Veneers are expensive but a good option for closing the gaps.

[redblondefox]

Wow thanks for the replies this has helped because I thought I was alone (I guess we always think this way until we post on this brilliant board)

Bond filler you say? I'll look into it that and the veneers then. I'm happy to pay for the veneer if it lasts longer - they don't have to file down the tooth though do they?

I'm quite cross about these gaps as they never told me it would be a permanent fixture

[Chefflaco88]

Regular veneers are half a millimeter thick so they have to shave your teeth that amount to make the veneers match your other teeth. My dentist recommended Lumineers which are thinner and require little to no prep work on the teeth. I have read that Lumineers are more prone to breakage though. With Lumineers if you don't like the way they look they can be removed and your tooth can be restored to pre-Lumineer condition. My Lumineers should be ready in 2 weeks so I will keep you posted on how it goes.

[Chefflaco88]

Regular veneers are half a millimeter thick so they have to shave your teeth that amount to make the veneers match your other teeth. My dentist recommended Lumineers which are thinner and require little to no prep work on the teeth. I have read that Lumineers are more prone to breakage though. With Lumineers if you don't like the way they look they can be removed and your tooth can be restored to pre-Lumineer condition. My Lumineers should be ready in 2 weeks so I will keep you posted on how it goes.

[redblondefox]

Thanks Chefflaco88 - that sounds good. Will they do that in the UK do you know? I will find out if private dentists here do those. I squirm at the idea of them filing down my tooth, especially my canine which I use to rip meat with ha ha! I will have to get something sorted though as it's pretty obvious

My other canine gap isn't bad at all. I don't want an a-symmetric smile, after all of this treatment and nightmare journey, I'd have thought my teeth would be 'perfect' now. Sorry just having a whinge - at least something can be done about it anyway!

Do let me know how your lumineers go!!

[RMF7825]

I wonder how effective the bonding/veneers are for filling in the gaps. I'd be apprehensive about the shaving down of the teeth also.

[Lc1987]

Hey,

I'd love to hear your update on this!

[redblondefox]

Hey there - I didn't actually get anything done in the end, the gaps just closed by themselves! It took about a year. I have another worry now though 2.5 years on - I bit something hard on holiday 2 weeks ago and since then when I eat my canine and tooth beside it cracks - it doesn't feel loose but I'm worried I've done something to upset the SARPE!!!!