So so disappointed :o(

If you have finished with your orthodontic treatment and are wearing retainers (or will be soon), this is a special place to connect with others in your (enviable) situation. Ask a question or make a comment about life post-braces.

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beanstix
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:46 pm
Location: UK

So so disappointed :o(

#1 Post by beanstix »

Hello All

Apologies for the non-positive post, people, but I am beyond disappointed with my teeth, they are a real mess. If I take a photo with my phone camera, it won't show the problem clearly, the quality is not good.

It's a long ortho story - synopsis - I had a lower incisor extraction, the incisor had moved forward and the teeth were closing in behind it. It shouldn't have been removed. Ortho was a perio who "dabbles" in ortho - didn't realise until it was too late what a huge mistake it was.

Found another ortho who I thought would be able to carry out "damage limitation". Fast forward 2.5 years, upper brace has been removed.

The upper front four teeth flare out. I have 6+mm overjet. I look like goofy.

Earlier this year I had a (very expensive) second opinion on the state of my teeth - the opinion was that the lower incisor shouldn't have been removed (tell me something I don't know) and nothing could be done about the large overjet (6mm) and circumference discrepancy between the upper and lower arch (the lower being too small).

In about a month the lower brace will come off and the full horror of my overjet will be revealed.

Net result = increased flared upper arch, much decreased lower arch. Lower teeth are way too far back.

I can't tell you how upset I am as I was never told by my ortho that my upper teeth would flare. She had said that she couldn't take them in as it would make my face "fall in", however I had confidence that at least the uppers would look okay - but no.

You know how people's teeth look when they have dentures and the top teeth don't match the lowers and they look odd and mismatched - well, that's me.

I so wish I had never started all this. :-(( There's nothing that can be done. :cry:


I guess I'm posting this as a warning to people out there to carefully consider extractions.
Lower incisor extraction & metal lower: 31.03.05
Ceramic upper: 27.05.05
Treatment time: 18 months

DavidT
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 4:03 pm

#2 Post by DavidT »

Sorry about all the problems, that's gotta suck. Are you sure there's nothing else you can do? I'm going on 36 months now and not stopping until it's done right.

beanstix
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:46 pm
Location: UK

nothing can be done

#3 Post by beanstix »

Hi there

No, sadly nothing can be done.

My lower arch is 5mm or so smaller in circumference (the space the removed incisor would take up if it had been *pushed back into the arch* instead of being removed).

Nothing can be done to expand out the lower arch - unless I have it opened up and an implant tooth. Can't face that - it would take years and I don't have the £££££££.

After 2.5 years, I am exhausted with braces. And now I have to wear the pigging retainer, which I don't feel like wearing as I now don't care about my teeth. And I've got a perm upper retainer which feels awful, lower to be fitted in a month or so when the lower brace comes off. I am dreading it.

What a bummer.

:cry:
Lower incisor extraction & metal lower: 31.03.05
Ceramic upper: 27.05.05
Treatment time: 18 months

mogwai
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:52 pm

#4 Post by mogwai »

oh no, so sorry to hear that :(
if your ortho wasnt fully aware of the consequences of taking out one of your teeth she should have sought a second (more informed) opinion herself!

could you not ask your new ortho about possibly removing a tooth from your upper arch, and continuing treatment til both arches balance out? i dont understand why your face would fall in...i had 4 teeth removed, not counting my wisdom teeth, and my face hasnt fallen in ..yet! (touch wood)..

but please do wear your retainer, as it sounds like the last thing you want is to deal with more teeth related disasters..
Image
Image

beanstix
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:46 pm
Location: UK

#5 Post by beanstix »

Hello Mogwai (I like your name!)

"if your ortho wasnt fully aware of the consequences of taking out one of your teeth she should have sought a second (more informed) opinion herself!"

It wasn't her (current ortho) who extracted it. It was the first perio/ortho who I went to. He is a periodontist who "does" ortho. I'm a mug for not realising that he didn't know what he was doing ... Current ortho had to pick up and try and "fix" the previous bad work but her attitude became lacklustre. I guess you could compare it to a hairdresser trying to fix a bodged short hair cut when there's not much that can be done to make it right as it's been chopped!

"Could you not ask your new ortho about possibly removing a tooth from your upper arch, and continuing treatment til both arches balance out? i dont understand why your face would fall in...i had 4 teeth removed, not counting my wisdom teeth, and my face hasnt fallen in ..yet! (touch wood)..

Don't think that's an option as my whole mouth would then be much smaller top and bottom. She has never suggested that and it would make my mouth unbalanced. My three lower incisors are positioned evenly and I have no midline, I can't figure if that would be possible to do on the top.

Apparently she couldn't do IPR as it would reduce the height/width scale of teeth - there is a name for this that I don't know. My teeth are quite small and triangular shaped.

I guess we all have such an individual mouth set up/size of teeth, etc etc. For example, I don't have any wisdom teeth, they never formed.

Will definitely be wearing my retainer. Have got it in now as I type! It does make me sleep with my mouth open and snore loudly though. Wow, I'm just so gorgeous!

Trying to rationalise things - as I have to face the fact that it's done now, my fault for choosing wrong ortho in the first place. It's a bitter pill to swallow though. Also, I guess ortho can only work with the raw materials you have and my teeth whilst not bad, couldn't be described as great.

Thanks for cyberlistening.
Lower incisor extraction & metal lower: 31.03.05
Ceramic upper: 27.05.05
Treatment time: 18 months

beanstix
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:46 pm
Location: UK

#6 Post by beanstix »

Thanks to you All for cyberlistening and empathising.

Only other braces wearers could comprehend the rotten sinking feeling and disappointment.

Guess I just have to go through a period of adjustment and accepting the way my teeth now are.

It really is a crap sitch.

:cry:
Lower incisor extraction & metal lower: 31.03.05
Ceramic upper: 27.05.05
Treatment time: 18 months

dubnobass
Posts: 423
Joined: Sat May 28, 2005 1:34 am
Location: London, UK

#7 Post by dubnobass »

Hm. I understand the problem, but it's hard to envisage without seeing a pic. Even a cruddy one from your phone taken in daylight would give us an idea..

Could you seek a third opinion? I agree with Meryaten's way of thinking.

If expansion of the lower arch isn't possible, then reducing the size of the upper arch is the only other option, to balance things back out again. How about interproximal reduction? They can shave a tiny bit of tooth off the side of each the front 6 teeth and pull them all back together again. I'd guess you could regain 3-4mm or so of space from this, which might reduce the overjet.
Maybe your current ortho doesn't want to even try anything else because she's scared to botch up an already botched-up job.

Must be very depressing, though, to have to go through the expense and pain of braces, only to get a disappointing result at the end of it all. You really do have my sympathies :|
Braced May 2005
Bimaxillary surgery Aug 2007
Debraced Jun 2008

beanstix
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:46 pm
Location: UK

#8 Post by beanstix »

Thanks for replies.

Apologies that my posts are negative - that's just the way it is, I'm afraid.

I will try and get a photo organised so you can see what the score is.

My bite is ok and my side and back teeth mesh together well, however the front lower arch is receded and smaller than it should be - and gives that false teeth look.

I had no idea until the upper braces were off that I'd have the flaring. It was only when I got home and examined in broad daylight that it became apparent. I anticipated that at least the uppers would be okay.

Haven't yet told ortho that I'm unhappy with the flaring, thing is, she never mentioned at any time that this would be the sitch ...

Ortho knows in general that I'm unhappy with the overjet and the fact that the *big mistake* was the initial extraction by the other "ortho" who, as it turned out, wasn't a "proper" ortho.

Think my ortho just wants to see the back of me - and I agree with dubnobass, I believe she doesn't want to make a botched job worse.

I did mention IPR a while ago re: uppers - to reduce the overjet but she said it was a no-go due to the height/width ratio scale and it would reduce down further the size of my mouth - there is a name for this?

Have adjustment appt for lowers in 10 days - will discuss the flaring - but no doubt she'll not be interested.

Well, the uppers are off now - not much can happen now. Could I expect them to be put back on?!

This is what I find hard to figure - the lower is reduced, the upper is increased - surely something should have been planned for the circumference discrepancy?

It seems so *obvious* to me that flaring upper teeth would make a large overjet even worse?

Thanks for cyberlistening.
Lower incisor extraction & metal lower: 31.03.05
Ceramic upper: 27.05.05
Treatment time: 18 months

beanstix
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:46 pm
Location: UK

#9 Post by beanstix »

Sorry, me again, folks.

Just had a thought ...

okay, is this a dumb question?

Is it possible for my retainer to be adjusted to knock the flared front four teeth back a tad?
Lower incisor extraction & metal lower: 31.03.05
Ceramic upper: 27.05.05
Treatment time: 18 months

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