Metal Mouth Message Board

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I went in to my dentist to receive what should have been my last set of trays. When he tried to put them on, he told me that they did not fit properly and said that he had never seen that happen since there was enough space in between my teeth and said that they should have shifted correctly. I was bothered because he made it seem like I had not been wearing them as often I should be, when I was wearing them as I always had. The thing was, in my previous visit with him, he had put a set of trays on me himself and said that it was fine, even though I didn't think they looked or fit right, but I went along with what he said since he is the dentist after all.

At this time, I was on tray 12 from my first "mid course correction". He asked me to return the next day with my previous trays since he did not think 12 was fitting properly. He kept tray 12 at the office with him and for the first time I went a day without wearing any trays.

The next day I returned to his office with trays 9 through 11 and had them all in the original packages and put in a large ziploc bag. He looked at the trays to decide if we should go back to wearing any of the older ones again, but he decided to have a new set done again. So I went through the molding process again, and had pictures re-done of my teeth. He never said anything about wearing tray 12 again, since he did not think they fit properly, and gave me tray 12 back in my ziploc bag with all my old trays.

It has been about 2 1/2 weeks since that last visit with him. I feel like my teeth are shifting back during this time and I'm concerned that the new tray that I am waiting for will not fit when it comes in. Should I have been wearing my old tray during this time? He didn't have me wear them the day before my last visit and handed them in a bag with all my old trays, but I'm starting to panic that my new trays won't fit now.

Hi Siiennah,

I understand your concern..If I were you, I would give my ortho a ring, then you know for sure! 2,5 weeks without trays or retention seems a bit risky to me...

Good luck!!

Thank you for your reply Olivia! I did end up calling my dentist after your post and asked him about the above, since I was unclear about the whole thing. I was correct. He did tell me he decided not to have me wear them. He said that he knows my teeth will shift, but since he did not believe that any of the past 2 pairs fit correctly that he felt it would be all right for me not to wear any of them. I'm still concerned though, as I feel my teeth have shifted quite a bit since we took the new molds. The new trays will be coming in the next few days and it's making me nervous. I just hope it'll fit all right. Wish me luck...I feel like I'm going to need it.

Hi Siiennah,

Well, at least you know now that you are following instructions correctly!

I read elsewhere that midcourse correction and refinements could mean a whole new treatment from a new starting position...And it makes sense that your dentist deosn't want you to wear trays that don't fit correctly!

Good luck with the new trays, keep us posted!!

Good luck with the new trays!

Mine has always had me continue to wear the trays while waiting for the new ones - just so that they don't shift from the position that they were in when he took the mold. I just didn't have to wear them 21 plus hours a day - I could wear them as little as 12 (my discretion) if I wanted to basically as a retainer. I still wore them most of the time just as if they were new trays, just to keep in the habit, altho I did tend to leave them out longer at the end of the meal or not worry if I was out to dinner about rushing to get them right back in right away, and that was nice!

siiennah wrote:About 2 1/2 weeks ago, I went in to my dentist to receive what should have been my last set of trays. When he tried to put them on, he told me that they did not fit properly and said that he had never seen that happen since there was enough space in between my teeth and said that they should have shifted correctly.

hi siiennah, that part of your post sounds exactly like what my ortho said to me at my last visit.