Irrevocable damage to enamel and face structure from braces?

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#1 Post by **ilmank** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:17 pm

Hello, I'm 19 and just got my braces off for the second time. First, for the second time I only wore braces on my lower teeth. Now they feel rough and not smooth like my upper teeth, like the enamel is damaged. Is this a typical unfortunate side effect, and is it permanent? Also, I read on a few websites that braces may potentially damage the structure of your face by encouraging vertical growth and make your face less attractive. Is there any truth to this? Thank you for your response.

#2 Post by **swan** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:39 am

Do they feel rough just on the surfaces where the braces were? Maybe they didn't get all the adhesive off?

#3 Post by **ilmank** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:16 am

No, I've been to the dentist since and he said that it's not the adhesive, it's that the surface of the teeth is damaged. He said it's typical, but it seems really excessive to me since I had braces on my upper teeth before and this didn't happen to them.

#4 Post by **Dr. Randall** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:27 am

It is NOT typical at all. Usually roughness is due to excess adhesive on the teeth. Go to your orthodontist and ask them to take a look. It could be that you have decalcifications on your teeth, but that has such a distinctive appearance, you would have mentioned that already.

Any orthodontic treatment will increase the vertical dimension of your face, but a good orthodontist knows how to control the forces to limit this to a very minimal amount.

Randall

#5 Post by **ilmank** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:45 pm

Is the increase in the vertical dimension of the face permanent? If so, do orthodontists make it a point to warn the patient before starting the treatment? Do many people have a noticeable difference?

#6 Post by **Dr. Randall** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:59 pm

Yes it is permanent, but usually it is not measurable without sequential x-rays and is so small that it is inconsequential to the outcome. Any website that states that it does make a noticable negative difference is exagerating. Some people just have a tendency to grow in a vertical direction and that is totally out of the orthodontists control.

Randall

#7 Post by **mackenzie** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:19 pm

I saw pictures of a girl once who had treatment at and early age (7) and something supposedly made her face grow more vertically, so by age 13-ish she looked much less attractive then when she was little. Is that possible?

#8 Post by **Dr. Randall** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:47 am

Again, if done properly, orthodontics will not result in a negative vertical increase in facial height. Some people are genetically programmed to grow in a somewhat more vertical pattern and virtually nothing can be done to prevent that. So it is possible for people to change dramatically and grow more vertically, but that is what they were genetically programmed to do.

Randall

#9 Post by **bbsadmin** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:15 am

Also, from what I understand, doing extractions on a young person (still growing) can result in a more vertical flat dimension on the face. This is why extractions in children or teenagers should be very carefully considered before proceeding.