Braces off and unhappy

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#1 Post by **xostephie** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:57 pm

I got my braces off today after 16 months, and Im not 100% happy with the results-we've been struggling for like 2 months with one of my front teeth. I expressed my concern earlier with the orthodontist(Who btw, I have had MULTIPLE issues with over the months) and he told me that the reason it did not look right was because one of my front teeth was square and the other had a rounded edge-so he rounded the edge on the other and it looked ok so we took the brackets off. Well after looking at them more closely this evening, I still believe that the front tooth is somewhat crooked. Im going back tomorrow to pick up my temporary retainer-should I mention this issue or is it too late? I just cannot believe I spent 4k on getting my teeth straightened, and then he does a shoddy job. At the same time though, I suppose this is something I should've realized prior to the brackets coming off. The teeth look even, but they are not perfectly aligned, with the left front tooth jutting out a bit from the right. I suppose this should be an easy fix right? I'd think possibly shaving down the left one a bit would fix the problem, but Im just not sure.
What do you all think I should do? Is it too late?
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

#2 Post by **xostephie** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:16 pm

Sorry, my sister has my digi cam so I can't take a picture of my teeth at the moment. I did go in for the retainer though, and while the Ortho was not there (visiting a different office today), I explained to one of the dentists and the ortho assistant how unhappy i was-both were completely shocked that he even took the braces off yesterday as it was clear I was unhappy with the results, and that the teeth were definetely not straight. If this were a back tooth, i really wouldnt mind-but this is one of my front teeth, so im pissed. Anyways, so i talked to the ortho assistant, and she said she would call him tonight and see what he wants to do, because I should be happy with the results. I guess we'll see!

#3 Post by **ScarlettRose** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 5:27 pm

I know how you're feeling. Braces straighten teeth but aren't all that successful in achieving a PERFECT smile if your teeth sizes aren't desirable. They're a dramatic improvement though. I have teeth that i dont like the size of and i think my smile would look better if they were larger, so I'll consider cosmetic options in the future. My orthodontist is lovely but she said 'we're not magicians and can only work with the teeth that you have, we cant change tooth shape too much'.

It IS disappointing because you expect braces to give you that million dollar smile you're after.

#4 Post by **ScarlettRose** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 10:40 pm

My orthodontist was honest from the start- I was only 17 when i had braces put on, but one tooth had alot of wear from a very crooked bottom tooth that bit on it constantly. She said that it wouldn't look terrible but if I wasn't happy with it, I'd need cosmetic dentistry. And it was amazing how much more irregular it looked while still braced; once the brace was off, the tooth looked okay. I was so upset in the brace and looking at that tooth- but turns out it was the brace that was making it look bad.

Being in NYC, there are PLENTY of cosmetic dentists and alot of people are using them. I recently disocvered my bosses' perfect teeth were porcelain veneers. I would not have even been able to tell if it weren't for her telling me. She had braces as a teenager but never got that 'hollywood smile' she was after. My orthodontist also mentioned that she has alot of teenage patients who expect 'miracles' from her. She had to keep telling patients that while orthodontics is great, it wont completely transform a smile like cosmetic dentists can, and the hollywood stars they want to look like have usually had veneers because they stay perfectly white. She said- Orthodontists straighten teeth, cosmetic dentists can change colour and shape of teeth.

#5 Post by **ScarlettRose** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:34 am

Absolutely. I'm glad that i had someone I was very comfortable with. I like to ask questions as I know that being uninformed about things and making 'guesses' can drive you insane when you have no idea of the facts!