hello! I'm a newbie!

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#1 Post by **kaleeky** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:06 pm

Hi All!

I'm new to this forum -- and to forums, period. I joined this particular one because the information has been very helpful. My two front teeth have been misaligned for I don't know how long, and so I finally decided two weeks ago to get an ortho consult. After three consults and several visits to my general dentist and an endodontist to take care of a dead tooth I found during one of the consults (it was gray in the pictures, and I asked why, and the root canal is what I got), I chose an ortho, and I learned not only will he straighten out my two front teeth, he will fix the upper and lower crowding and straighten up my bite and overjet (sorry, I'm still learning the terms).

They already took the molds of my teeth, and I go in next Tuesday for the -- is it the final consult? And also get some spacers put in. I have crowns on three upper molars, so my ortho said he would band those, but I'm a little concerned about the tooth that had the root canal last week. My ortho told me not to get the crown yet because the braces would scratch it up, so he recommend I have it permanently filled and he would band it. Well, it's a bicuspid, an eye tooth, and I can see it when I smile, so I'm wondering if anyone knows about banding any of the eye teeth. I know I haven't had the consult yet (I know, it may be a different plan next week), but he said my treatment will be between 18 and 24 months, and I don't know if it would bug me more that the band would be visible when I smiled. I know, I'll have metal all over my teeth, but it just seems like it would stand out even more. I mean, I had a hard enough time making the decision in the first place. Also, can anyone tell me the chances of crowns making it through banding? I'd really like to only move my teeth, not lose what I worked so hard to keep in.

My ortho's plan is to start with porcelain uppers on the six eye teeth and Damons on the rest, and in six or eight months, put in Damons for the bottom arch to anchor the elastics for the bite improvement.

So that's my intro. I'll keep you all posted as my dates are set (and, hopefully, I'll have learned how to do pictures by then, too). Thanks for all of your comments and stories already archived in this forum, and thanks in advance for your support and what you're going to teach me.

Grace

#2 Post by **Luella** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:24 pm

Hi Grace!!! Welcome!!! You're going to love it here! Congrats on starting your treatment. I have a couple of weeks until my brace day, I'm really excited. And don't worry about the terminology- you'll catch on, and people here are great about figuring out what we're talking about lol! And we LOVE pictures around here! Good luck on your treatment!

#3 Post by **kaleeky** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:38 pm

Thanks, Luella! I knew the support would be great here.

It looks like we might be getting braced around the same time. I'm going to shoot for the week of May 19 to 22. I thought about waiting till after July to get them put in because I'm going to see my H.S. classmates for the first time after 20 years (it's a reunion), but I figured the sooner I get them in, the sooner they will come out.

#4 Post by **Flaka** » Tue May 06, 2008 9:02 pm

Hi Grace! Congrats on making the decision to get braced.
I am sorry I can't be of any help in regards to the crowns, I dont have any (so far...knock on wood) but I do have Damon braces, so that is something we will have in common

Good Luck and don't worry about how long it will take, at the end you will be happy you did it!

#5 Post by **catfish** » Tue May 06, 2008 10:40 pm

Hi Grace - Welcome! I had bands put on my crowns (two of them), and so far, so good. We'll have to see what it's like when it's time to remove them. I actually am glad to have crowns under my bands, because I've read several entries from people who are concerned about decay under the bands. At least I don't have that worry!

BTW, my ortho tried bonding the brackets to my crowns, but they just wouldn't stick. Since the brackets popped off so easily, I'm assuming the bands won't be too hard to remove.

#6 Post by **kaleeky** » Wed May 07, 2008 5:57 am

Flaka, catfish, and Ken, thanks for your feedback and support!

I'm glad to know crowns are okay so far under bands. You've eased my mind a little. My concern (and also my general dentist's and endodontist's) is the tooth that had the root canal that my ortho doesn't want to put a crown on. My GD and endo did their work to make it as strong as they can for the ortho treatment, but they both told me there is a risk of the tooth breaking and, of course, me losing it, and that would just kill me.

Are the metal uppers more comfortable than the ceramics? Ceramics and porcelain are the same, right? I've been told they're the same, but the porcelain ones my ortho showed me look as thin as the Damons. I'm just tryng to decide if I want to go with metal or porcelain on the uppers.

I'll keep you all posted!

#7 Post by **catfish** » Wed May 07, 2008 10:37 pm

I don't have any experience with a tooth with a root canal and no crown, so I don't know how that will fare with braces. I did have a tooth with a root canal and an onlay, and THAT didn't work out! Chunks of that tooth broke off twice, and that led me to fire that dentist and go find a good one. My new dentist, who I trust immensely, told me that teeth with root canals are typically too brittle for onlays. My experience aligns with that opinion.

I do wonder why they think it's better to brace that tooth without a crown. I'm not sure I'd choose avoiding scratches to my crown if the trade-off is a risk of the tooth breaking.

As for the comfort of metal vs. ceramics, I only have metal (Damons) so can't compare them to ceramic. But I haven't had any trouble with the metal. It took about a week to get used to them, now they are just a part of me.

#8 Post by **kaleeky** » Wed May 07, 2008 10:50 pm

Wow, catfish, you've got me really thinking about my tooth again. I really don't want to lose it. That's the reason I had the root canal done and was getting ready to get the post buildup and a crown, but then my ortho told me about the crown getting ruined, and he said he would just band the tooth. He did mention the overlay (now that you mention it, I remember), and he reassured me that banding it would make it even stronger. I'm going to talk to my dentist again tomorrow. She's going to tell me (like she stressed in the beginning -- along with the endodontist) to go ahead and get the crown.

Oh boy! Am I ever going to get these braces on?!?

#9 Post by **catfish** » Wed May 07, 2008 11:13 pm

I hope I didn't scare you! But it's worth giving it thorough consideration since you will be living with the consequences forever. I'm glad you will have a chance to talk to your dentist tomorrow. It would be nice if your dentist and ortho were on the same page with this issue.

BTW, the failed onlay I had was on a big molar next to where my wisdom tooth would have been if I had one. My dentist said they work better on front teeth than molars because of all the chewing forces. I don't know how a root canal factors into that equation, though. Personally, my experience burned me on onlays. I have several crowns and don't have any problems with them, so I'll stick with them in the future.

It may seem like a long road if you delay your braces so you can get a crown. But if that's what you choose, I'm sure your patience will be rewarded!

Good luck with your journey, and keep us posted!

#10 Post by **Jessiemae** » Mon May 26, 2008 8:43 pm

I'm agonizing over this same issue...I had a root canal on a big molar and don't want to lose it, but want to ge these braces on!!!

Well, I guess I'll do w/e my ortho recommends on the 10th.

#11 Post by **MsViola** » Mon May 26, 2008 10:00 pm

Hi Kaleeky:

Welcome

I have too many crowns to count (yet another reason why I am in braces) anyway.............I have lots of crowns!!! 6 to be exact!!!

I now realize that I MUST have x-rays at least twice a year. By the time I feel like something is wrong it is very bad.

I said all that to say, I have molar bands around all the crowns and so far so good. My Ortho actually said I had the most bands out of all of his patients. I had just had a root canal on a pre-molar when I decided to get braces. Had I known I would have just had the tooth pulled (It was pulled in December) and saved the money. Anyway, my ortho told me not to have it crowned, in case I agreed to go ahead with the extractions of my pre-molars. He bypassed the tooth and did not place a bracket on it. Fast forward 11 months, and the removal of my 2 pre-molars. Needless to say I am glad I didn't have it crowned. As for the rest of my crowns, they are doing wonderful and like others I am glad I don't have to worry about them decaying.

If possible, maybe you should have your dentist talk with your Ortho so that each is aware of your "mouth" history

Good luck!

P.S. - Temporary crowns are not a good thing

. I accidently swallowed mine after it popped off (this was on another tooth). I am sure it was the pressure from the braces because I have never had problem with a temp crown even if I wore it for months. I have had no problems since I got the permanant crown.

#12 Post by **kaleeky** » Mon May 26, 2008 10:21 pm

Hello, Jessiemae.

Yes, I actually worried myself awake at night for two weeks thinking about the tooth that had the root canal. I feel much better about it now that I've got my braces on.

I told my endodontist that I was not getting the permanent crown for my ortho treatment, and with that knowledge, she put in a stronger cement in my roots, and then I went to my dentist, and she put in a permanent filling. They both warned me that I could risk erupting my tooth, but my ortho is confident that banding it (as long as it's got the strong cement and a permanent filling) would be strong enough for my treatment; that way, when I'm all done, I can get it prepped for a nice new permanent crown, and it won't be all scratched up after ortho treatment.

So I got braced last Thursday. They bypassed that tooth, and at my next adjustment, he will band it and bracket it, and I'll continue my journey. I feel really good about all the dentists getting together and discussing my treatment. Everybody knows what's going on.

Is that one particular tooth getting banded? One thing my general dentist warned me about temporary crowns is they're not strong enough to withstand the movement. She thinks that would be worse than bracketing the tooth without a band. So when my ortho told her he was banding it, she felt better about the treatment, and she went ahead and did my permanent filling.

So make sure all of your dentists are in communication. I'm sure as long as they all know what's going on with you, they all can make good decisions on the best treatment for you.

Good luck on the 10th!! Don't forget to let us know how Brace Day goes!

#13 Post by **kaleeky** » Mon May 26, 2008 10:37 pm

Hello, MsViola!

That's a bummer you had to pull that tooth you had the root canal on, but I'm glad to hear you didn't get that permanent crown. Did he ever band that tooth before you had it pulled?

I've had my braces four days now, and yes, I'm still in a lot of pain. One of the things I tend to pay a lot of attention to are my crowns; I've got three of them, and two of them are banded. I notice the pressure on the crowns feel different than the pressure on my front teeth -- sort of like they are loose, but then not really. Was that something you felt in the very beginning? I'm not all that worried about it, but I'm just wondering, since you've got six of them, if you remember feeling the same thing.

I can't believe you swallowed a temporary crown!!

Thanks for your advice.
Take care!

#14 Post by **shoezy** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:12 pm

Hello kaleeky,
Hope the braces feel ok - I got Damons also
Look forward to your pics. hun and best of luck!

-S