BraceFace2o1o's Story

[BraceFace2o1o]

It's a great forum to be on, especially in the early days of having braces. I know another braces forum but much prefer this one!

One of mine have popped up but I can still see it down at the gumline.

It almost sounds like what happened to me. I phoned my ortho to check and he said it would be ok like that... I must admit I was worrying myself over it.

I can't wait Until Thursday so I can floss really well back there!!

Counting down the days! not long to go now. Oh yeah I know what you mean about ot being able to floss back there, it kinda feels bad that you can't lol.

[NICURN85]

Less than 24 hrs and I can floss those MOLARS!!

[BraceFace2o1o]

Less than 24 hrs and I can floss those MOLARS!!

Then you'll have to learn to get the hang of flossing with those braces!

[BraceFace2o1o]

As of yesterday I have been in braces 20 months It's gone quite quick but doesn't stop me wanting them off soon.

Teeth have been clicking on and off, mainly the front teeth. I hate it! Just feels odd but things are still moving I guess.

[BraceFace2o1o]

I have been thinking a lot this evening about my braces and my teeth, taking photos and and studying them. I have actually been doing this for months. I can see things I am not happy with, some stuff can't be corrected with braces like I said a couple of posts ago... but some things are niggling at me terribly and I am convinced they can be corrected with braces but my ortho doesn't even see what I see. Who knows, maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm imagining it! It's just getting on my nerves and I need to try and sort it before I get debraced, even if that means someone else tells me I'm wrong and all is fine with my teeth. I just do not want to get debraced and not feel 100% happy that everything that could have been corrected wasn't.

So basically I have decided to try and get a second opinion. Unfortunately in my town there's only 2 (at the time of me looking into braces in 2010 I only knew of mine but this evening discovered another!), but I am willing to travel if I have to but not that far. 20-30 miles max. I just did a search on the BDS and found the other one in my town and will either phone them next week or call in when I'm in the area to ask if it would be possible to have a second opinion on my braces/teeth so far. I have no idea if they'll agree and I have no idea if they will charge me or not. I am willing to pay for this second opinion/consult but hopefully it's not too expensive. One thing that I'm not too sure of is I think this orthodontist deals with children mainly (he does NHS braces at the local hospital) and ideally I would have liked my second opinion to be with an orthodontist who sees more adult patients (my orthodontist deals with more children than adults, so probably doesn't have many private patients). The good thing is he's been an orthodontist for about 20 years, longer than my current. I have no idea if the years of experience makes any difference. I mean once you know how you know how, right?

I feel slightly bad that I'm considering visiting another ortho. It feels as if I am being sneaky and going behind someones back. I also don't want to sound as if I am putting my ortho down because that is not the case at all. I just need a second opinion to put my mind at rest as it's all driving me crazy. I don't want braces ever again, 1) because I wont be able to afford it (how poo would it be to have to pay for braces twice when you could only just afford the first time) 2) they can be a pain in the butt! I have to remember I'm paying and need to feel happy as possible with the way things are going.

So at the moment I have one office to contact and if they can't help me I'll have to search for somewhere further away or give up.

[BraceFace2o1o]

My second opinion appointment is booked for tomorrow. I was a little shocked at how much they are charging me for it: £100 ($155 USD) and I can't believe I forgot to ask what it included. I don't actually think it includes anything more than them having a chat with me and looking in my mouth because they did not mention x-rays or anything. So it's going to be an expensive chat, better be worth it for that price! and it will be worth it if it puts my mind at rest. I did ask was there a time limit and they said no not really so I hope I don't feel rushed. They are very busy but managed to fit me in otherwise I would have had to wait a good few weeks.
This office runs totally different to my current one. My current one the orthodontist is the one who does all the work on his patients, the assistant is there to enter data onto the PC and pass tools etc. My orthodontist also is the one who does the consults, x-rays, impressions etc. The one I'm going to tomorrow I am booked in to see a patient coordinator but they did say I will also see the head orthodontist at some point during my appointment.

Anyway it will be interesting to see what they say. I bet they are one of these places that charges really high prices for braces because when I went in there it all seems posh and very very busy, also the price they are charging me for this appointment is quite a lot too lol. So a big part of me hopes they say my Orthodontist has done all he can and nothing more can be done so then I can learn to live with the things I dislike and have these damn things off very soon and not spend anymore money

[NICURN85]

I hope everything goes well tomorrow for that price!! Let us know how everything goes!

[BraceFace2o1o]

I hope everything goes well tomorrow for that price!! Let us know how everything goes!

Thanks NICURN85, it did go well but now it seems it's all gone wrong! lol.

The orthodontist said my orthodontist has done a very good job and the things I was being picky about are meant to be that way basically. He said I should have my braces off now, even with the bite issue. He said the bite would probably improve as the teeth settle in retainers but it could take 6 months. He said if I was his patient he would take my braces off now. I was so glad to hear all this as I did not fancy being in braces even another 6 months and certainly couldn't afford another £3000 to pay a new orthodontist.

I was with the patient coordinator for the first 10ish mins as the ortho was busy with another patient. When the ortho was free I probably spent about 15-20 mins chatting with him and he had a quick look in my mouth. An expensive 20 minute chat huh? I didn't get anything else like x-rays or impressions, I guess I wouldn't if I'm already in braces? I have a feeling they were charging me a consult as if I was a new patient who has never had braces though

Anyway I made a thread about it in the Metal Mouth part of the forum... Basically, I was told by 2 staff members I was free to go without having to make the £95 payment. But today another receptionist phoned me saying I had not paid my bill yesterday which upset me because it felt like they thought I had just walked out and not paid. I wanted to pay, I waited in the queue to pay but the patient coordinator whispered to me I was free to go and so did the nurse at reception! The receptionist on the phone today said the other receptionist made a mistake. I asked if I could speak with the patient coordinator seeing as she was the first to tell me to leave but she's now on holiday until September! argh how convenient.

I had every intention of paying the £95 but I am angry that 2 staff members told me otherwise and now I am being asked to make the payment. I think it's unfair and it's not my fault if 2 of their employees made a mistake. I will end up paying though as I'm sure they will send me letters then court and then the bill will be even higher due to court costs blah blah.

So over all happy that everything's good with my teeth but fuming with the mixed info!

[NICURN85]

I am glad everything went well besides the mix up with the payment!! So, will your ortho be debanding soon or will he keep you in braces a little while longer?

[BraceFace2o1o]

I am glad everything went well besides the mix up with the payment!! So, will your ortho be debanding soon or will he keep you in braces a little while longer?

At my appointment just over 3 weeks ago he said I could have my braces off at my next appointment in August, so I assume not much longer at all. Although, I have delayed things by complaining about my bite . Even though the other orthodontist said it should sort itself when the teeth settle I think I'll still try the elastics for a short while first. So I'm estimating possibly being debanded towards the end of September or maybe even October because my next appointment isn't until late August and I'll probably get the elastics then. I'll be so glad to actually get a date though!

[fulldiastemahead]

"I had every intention of paying the £95 but I am angry that 2 staff members told me otherwise and now I am being asked to make the payment. I think it's unfair and it's not my fault if 2 of their employees made a mistake. I will end up paying though as I'm sure they will send me letters then court and then the bill will be even higher due to court costs blah blah. So over all happy that everything's good with my teeth but fuming with the mixed info! "

Ugh, I would be too. I would definitely have a chat about that with any of the staff members involved. Let us know if you get it worked out. £95 for a 20 minute conversation is ridiculous

[Mitch11]

Hi it's August !!!
How's the braces going? Or have they gone?

[BraceFace2o1o]

fulldiastemahead - I plan on going in and having a chat about the whole thing, hopefully we can get it sorted

I was not made aware of what that cost did or did not include, I know I should have asked and not assumed... but yes very expensive chat!

Mitch11 - Everything seems to be going ok thanks Mitch11. Apart from a little gap and a bite issue other than that all seems to be done. Still in braces, my next appointment isn't until another week. Hopefully only another 3 months max in braces!

In 2 days I'll have been in braces for 21 months so 3 months would take me to the 2 year mark... *sigh* I was hoping for 18 months but never mind

[BraceFace2o1o]

Another adjustment done. While there I mentioned a small gap had reopened up and it's now closed, I have no idea how it's closed so quickly because I can't see a chain of any sort to close it. I had a few wire ties replaced and the others were left as they were. No wire change. My ortho decided to go ahead and removed part of my brace today to see if those teeth settle and correct my bite in the next few weeks. So now the upper right 1st premolar, 2nd premolar and 1st molar are no longer braced and it feels very weird, it feels as if my teeth are loose (they're not... I've checked ). I don't like this feeling! I have an appointment in 3 weeks to check on how those teeth have moved. If they have moved enough to correct my bite then the braces will be coming off but if not then we will try elastics for a couple of weeks and go from there. So that means there is a possibility I could be brace free by mid September .

I asked about the retainers and my ortho said hawley on top and bonded on the bottom but then said a clear would also be fine on the top... So it sounds as if I could actually choose. One thing I am a little unsure of is he said no removable retainer for the lowers, just the bonded from canine to canine. I asked how the other teeth (premolars and molars) would stay in position and he said they don't tend to move, it's mainly the front teeth and canines... hmm personally I would still prefer a removable on the lowers as well so I will be requesting one and hopefully they will be ok with that.

I just hope that with the removal of 1/4 of my upper brace that it wont cause things to go wrong or mess things up. Fingers crossed. I've come this far and I don't want anything interfering or ruining things

[BraceFace2o1o]

To quote myself...

I just hope that with the removal of 1/4 of my upper brace that it wont cause things to go wrong or mess things up. Fingers crossed. I've come this far and I don't want anything interfering or ruining things

LOL! . I think I jinxed it

I am p*ssed off right now. I have been paranoid all day that the removal of 1/4 of my brace would mess something else up, in particular my upper right lateral incisor. I was so paranoid because I finally got that tooth in to the position I wanted and I had also eventually come to accept it was misshapen and nothing else could be done (something that's difficult for me to do) blah blah. Well guess what... a space has appeared between my upper right central and lateral incisor! a very small space but still it is a space. I mean what the hell, of all my 28 teeth it had to be the 2 damn teeth that took me months to get my orthodontist to agree to reposition the bracket. After the repositioning of the bracket I noticed in photos that it corrected the tilted tooth and therefore closed some of the space between the central and lateral incisor (the space was about half way down the between the teeth - the contact point was close to the gum then a gap further down) which I was SO happy with. I finally felt happy and ok with the removal of my braces (apart from my bite). But now it has all been undone

This was my teeth a few weeks ago after the bracket was repositioned and all had corrected itself:


I was so happy with them^^

This is tonight (you can just about see the space between the upper central and lateral incisor):


It is a bit more obvious to me in person than in the photo... I dunno, I don't think it's fully showing up in the photo. The gap is there though because now my floss goes between the teeth ridiculously easily, like WAY TOO easily where as before I had to do the sawing back and forth motion to get the floss in between the teeth.

If I knew that this would happen I would have said NO to having that part part of the brace removed just to correct my bite, I would have said leave it and I'll just have to live with the funky bite on my right side.
I'm not even 100% sure whether the space has opened up because of the removal of that part of the brace or if it's because my Ortho shaved between my premolars... I would imagine it was because of the shaving. It's just weird how it's created a gap between 2 teeth that aren't meant to be moving, after all they are still braced! and the 2-3 teeth that are now debraced haven't moved at all when they are actually meant to. So annoying. I remember while my ortho was shaving between my premolars I thought to myself "uh oh why is he shaving between my teeth?! this will surely create a gap?!" but it's pretty much impossible to ask why when you've got someone's fingers in your mouth

Unless a miracle happens and in the morning I find that the tooth has moved back to where it was I am going to have to ring up when they are next open and see what they say because this is bugging the hell out of me now. It's 1am and I should be asleep but instead I'm freaking out over a stupid space ha! I really am kicking myself.
If I have to I will ask to be fitted in asap and have the full wire/brace put back on and the gap closed, then I'll say to leave the bite as it is and I'll just have to live with a dodgy bite. I guess I should have listened when my ortho said braces can only do so much then when we get too picky and try to correct small things it can create other problems... yep I totally realise that now. No one wants to be left with a gap or gaps when they first started out with NO gaps and very crowded tight teeth. Maybe not so bad to be left with a space towards the back of the mouth but not right at the front! grrr. It seems since having IPR during my treatment all the gaps/spaces that have appeared have all been at the front of my mouth which is extremely annoying because it's more noticeable.

Maybe they will be able to put my mind at rest and say it's normal and all will come back into place... but right now I feel like I have messed things up and should have just left them as they were