PLEASE advise - I'm worried about my teeth since braces.

[Bananabongo]

I've had my braces on for almost a year. I'm 39. I started off with an overcrowded bottom set of teeth and a couple of my upper teeth were overlapping each other. I was happy with my profile though, it looked pretty "normal". Now my lower teeth have straightened out I have an underbite which I did not have before. The orthodontist told me I'd need 2 extractions to make room for the lower teeth to be straight. However, having read a couple of stories about people's facing sagging/sinking in after extractions for braces and bone loss - I cancelled the extractions. I then went and saw the orthodontist and he said I didn't have to have the extractions but it would mean I'd have to live with the overbite. I said that was ok but I have since come home and taken photos of my profile. My chin and bottom jaw are definitely protuding further than they were before. I am very unhappy and don't know what to do. So taking all that into consideration what would you do? I honestly wish I'd never spent all the money and had my old overcrowded teeth back! Plus my middle of my front teeth is now not in line with my lip centre - that was ok before. So should I:
a.) get extractions and risk my face looking more sunken in.
b.) live with an underbite and sticky out jaw (don't think I can!)
c.) or just get the brace removed and forget the whole sorry episode?! Will my teeth return to how they were?

I would really appreciate your advice especially people with similar experiences. Thanks.

[Bananabongo]

I corrected this to say Underbite not overbite - but it posted it again. I cannot delete one of the posts. It says I cannot edit or delete my posts at this time?

[BBQ Grill]

Hummmm why didn't he tell u all that before starting braces? Doesnt seem like a good ortho.... But yea...c is not an option ill take...to much money n time invested....ill go with extraction...

[Kristyar0]

Bananabongo I feel your pain! When I first saw my ortho it was a straight forward case. However after a year in braces I developed an overbite (about 5mm I think) . So the opposite to you really. I was then told by my ortho that I needed jaw surgery to fix it. It was devastating as I'm saving for a trip to Europe and $5500 from my fund then had to pay for the surgery.
If I was you I'd get it fixed. You've come this far and if you just give up and get your braces off I think you'll regret not seeing it through.

[belistic10]

well i am yet to get my braces on but i also have lower crowding and also have an overbite. My orthodontist (who is meant to be one of the best here in australia) looked at my profile etc in the examination and apparently he is very good at telling how things will look at the end. He suggested for me either jaw surgery & braces for the optimal result, OR braces only option with 4 extractions (2 lower second bicuspids and 2 upper second bicuspids) which would give proper alignment but wouldnt be as perfect a result as jaw surgery. I chose option 2 as with young children i cannot be in recovery from surgery for ages as i need to look after them. So going off that i would think extraction would be the best choice if your orthodontist thinks that would help. With mine they said removing 2 at the bottom was the create room for the lower crowded teeth and they have to do the same at the top to keep things looking normal. I can understand though that you would be wary of trusting this orthodontist now, can you go anywhere for a second opinion? i know this may cost you though

big hugs

[Bananabongo]

Thanks all of you for your comments. From what I have heard from others I suspect my orthodontist is not very good He has looked at my face but he didn't take any photos? Is that normal? I have also now noticed the mid line (between my front teeth) does not line up whereas it did before. I realise things keep changing whilst you have your braces but he pretty much said the other day that what I have now is my final teeth position.
I can understand people suggesting I get the extractions after coming all this way. I thought I might but have read stories about sunken in faces and that causing depression and people not going out! I am tempted to get the braces removed and screw the expense and learn from the mistake. If I knew my teeth would go back to how they were before then I would do it! I looked at photos and actually prefer how they were before. I was led to believe they would be pretty much perfect after braces. He didn't explain any possible complications or downsides. It seems I have paid all this money to exchange a gap (that people actually said was cute!) and an overlap of 2 teeth for a quite big underbite on one side. I would not have done it had I known!! Plus I am sure my face looks thinner. I tiold the ortho but he implied I was becoming obsessive and imagining it. I can see my photos with my own eyes though! My husband admitted he could see a difference too!
I would get a second opinion - I may still but I am out of money now.

Thanks again for all your advice. Good luck to all of you and I hope yours works out. Jaw surgery must be a worry I hope I dont have to end up with that!!

Do any of you know if the braces are removed - do they definitely move back to how they were before? I hope so!

[Ionika]

i also have an overbite that appared during treatment..my case was so so complicated, but my Ortho is fixing my overbite now...
anyways i had to go with the extractions from the beginning, they explained to me mathematicly that the lenght of my teeth put tohather, is so much bigger then my jaw and that it cant fit all my teeth..

about the sunken profile, people said that i lost weight even though i didnt.. thats all they noticed..to me it looks the same because the changes took place in a long period of time..
from the pictures i can see that i have more of a chin now... thats all..i will judge the final pics, they took the initial ones and said they will give it all to me once we are finished.. before and after
7 months to go...