Hello, I am new to these forums. I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice. I have been thinking about getting braces. My teeth are actually pretty straight but my smile seems to be unaligned. Before I consult an orthodontist I wanted to get any insight from anyone who has had a similar issue. Do you guys think braces can correct my problem or are other methods such as surgery necessary? I have included some pictures. Thanks for reading my post!
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Can braces fix my problem (pics)
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starryeyedfairy
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 7:10 pm
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WiredforSound
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:51 pm
Welcome Treetornkee!!
The best thing to do is to see a couple of Orthos and get their advice.
I went to the Ortho thinking that I had mild crowding and my teeth looked pretty good (in fact my friends were surprised when I said I needed braces). But once I had the xrays and molds, I found out how much was actually wrong with my mouth and what damage it was causing to my jaw and my molars.
The only way to know for sure if you need any treatment is to see an Ortho and get their professional advice.
Good luck.
The best thing to do is to see a couple of Orthos and get their advice.
I went to the Ortho thinking that I had mild crowding and my teeth looked pretty good (in fact my friends were surprised when I said I needed braces). But once I had the xrays and molds, I found out how much was actually wrong with my mouth and what damage it was causing to my jaw and my molars.
The only way to know for sure if you need any treatment is to see an Ortho and get their professional advice.
Good luck.
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Hi Tree,
I must say, like you I decided to get braces to correct some minor issues and during the process realized that my gum/jaw line was not aligned. So right now I am near the end of my treatment (after only 8 months) and I am wearing the elastic rubber bands to align my gum/jaw line in the proper position.
What you need to know is that usually when you get braces when your teeth are pretty straight to begin with, once treatment starts it is literally like opening up THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.'s box. You and the Ortho will find so many other things wrong with your teeth and often time more issues will occur as treatment is being administered because your teeth will enviably get worse before looking better.
So all in all I would say I am happy that I am going through this because I know I will be much happier with the results in the end.
Good luck and be sure to have a consultation with several Orthos before making a definitive decision.
~Dwire
I must say, like you I decided to get braces to correct some minor issues and during the process realized that my gum/jaw line was not aligned. So right now I am near the end of my treatment (after only 8 months) and I am wearing the elastic rubber bands to align my gum/jaw line in the proper position.
What you need to know is that usually when you get braces when your teeth are pretty straight to begin with, once treatment starts it is literally like opening up THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THIS IS SPAM PLEASE REPORT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.'s box. You and the Ortho will find so many other things wrong with your teeth and often time more issues will occur as treatment is being administered because your teeth will enviably get worse before looking better.
So all in all I would say I am happy that I am going through this because I know I will be much happier with the results in the end.
Good luck and be sure to have a consultation with several Orthos before making a definitive decision.
~Dwire
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treetornkee
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:45 pm
Thanks for your responses guys. I understand that getting professional advice would be best, however I have looked up several orthodontics places in my area and they all have fees for initial consultation. I was hopping to get some feedback from people who had a similar problem to mine before going to a professional. It isn't causing any medical problems, but I am very self conscious about it.
If you are self conscious about it, ask your dentist for a referral/recommendation to an orthodontist and go see him/her.
Otherwise you may wind up like me, close to 50 and finally correcting a smile/bite that was really not bad but had bothered me for years.
And yes, sometimes things get worse before they get better. I'm in the middle of the process so I can't say from experience it is worth it, but others here will tell you it is and they know better than I do.
Good luck,
Elle
Otherwise you may wind up like me, close to 50 and finally correcting a smile/bite that was really not bad but had bothered me for years.
And yes, sometimes things get worse before they get better. I'm in the middle of the process so I can't say from experience it is worth it, but others here will tell you it is and they know better than I do.
Good luck,
Elle
Spacers, Nov. 1; Braced Nov. 8, 2006; Braces off March 26, 2008, just short of 17 months. Glad it's over but the jury is still out on whether the game was worth the candle.
Definitely get a consult!
Hi Tree. Your bite is a lot like mine, actually. People say, "You don't need braces! Your teeth are straight." Yeah, they pretty much are, but my jaw is misaligned and I have headaches and neck aches and grinding problems and a lot of damage to my teeth from uneven wear. If it were just cosmetic to fix my crooked smile, I probably wouldn't bother, but as it is I run the risk of needing to have teeth capped or pulled and needing a bunch of root canals if I don't curb the damage.
Most orthodontists don't charge for a consult, so go to see one or two and hear what they have to say. If it's purely cosmetic, make the decision that feels most comfortable to you. But be aware that you might do some real longterm harm to your teeth if they aren't aligning properly in your mouth.
Good luck!
-Jade
Most orthodontists don't charge for a consult, so go to see one or two and hear what they have to say. If it's purely cosmetic, make the decision that feels most comfortable to you. But be aware that you might do some real longterm harm to your teeth if they aren't aligning properly in your mouth.
Good luck!
-Jade
P.S. (Important!)
Hi again! In looking at your photos, I notice that one of your eye teeth is pointy while the other one (on your left) is much more rounded. This may indicate that your teeth are wearing unevenly because of your bite. Please get this checked out! If you don't want braces, they might recommend that you wear a nightguard (a clear plastic thingy that snaps over your lower teeth) to protect your teeth while you sleep. Good luck! Keep us posted!! -Jade
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treetornkee2
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:48 am
im baccckkkkkk
Thanks for all the answers everyone. I decided to go ask the orthodontist and they were very honest with me. First they told me that this sort of problem could be easily corrected with jaw surgery. I have no medical insurance and currently a college student so I ruled that out. Then they told that they believe they can fix it by using something called orthodontic TADs as anchorage devices. They told me that it was something new to them and in order to move my teeth they needed powerful anchorage. I researched this online and found out that some people who had orthodontist tell them that their bite issues could only be corrected with jaw surgery were able to go to a different orthodontist who used TADs and was able to get the same results as oral surgery would have achieved. I went ahead and decided to go with their plan. It cost about $5500 total so not too bad. I had braces put in summer of 08. For months i just had regular braces on while my orthodontist planned for the TAD implants. He said that normally he could put them in himself, but cause of some of the position of my teeth, he recommended me to an oral surgeon to do it. Originally they were gonna put one at my top left and one at my bottom right, but after they consulted they added a total of 4. They only charged me for 2 implants however The implants would have been free at the orthodontist but it cost 600 at the oral surgeon. The procedure takes only like twenty minutes and is suppose to be painless, but it felt like someone punched me in the mouth. The TADs were put in a few weeks ago and now they finally chained my braces to them to start shifting my teeth around. They also put in a TPA bar after i got the TADs put in which makes it really hard to eat They estimated the whole treatment would take 1.5-2 years so im hoping that ill be done at the end of this year.
Ive attached some recent images of my braces and a pic of my two bottom screws in case you guys haven't heard of them.
Here is a regular picture of my teeth with braces: IMG_0513.jpg picture by treetornkee - Photobucket
Here is a picture of the bottom TAD implants:
IMG_0510.jpg picture by treetornkee - Photobucket
And here is an article to someone who a similar issue with me and her teeth were straightened out with TADs in just 4 months: http://www.proseorthodontics.com/Dr_newsletter_2008.pdf
Over the next few months I will post my progress pics. I don't expect too much improvement the first month but on my next appointment they are gonna start to really tighten things and put me on rubber bands as well.
I think TAD implants are really gonna change orthodontics and eliminate the need for jaw surgery in most cases. I consulted with a few orthodontist and only the highly rated office which i go to knew about them and used them before. If JAW surgery is out of the option for you it might be worthwhile to ask your orthodontist if they are familiar with TADs.
Ive attached some recent images of my braces and a pic of my two bottom screws in case you guys haven't heard of them.
Here is a regular picture of my teeth with braces: IMG_0513.jpg picture by treetornkee - Photobucket
Here is a picture of the bottom TAD implants:
IMG_0510.jpg picture by treetornkee - Photobucket
And here is an article to someone who a similar issue with me and her teeth were straightened out with TADs in just 4 months: http://www.proseorthodontics.com/Dr_newsletter_2008.pdf
Over the next few months I will post my progress pics. I don't expect too much improvement the first month but on my next appointment they are gonna start to really tighten things and put me on rubber bands as well.
I think TAD implants are really gonna change orthodontics and eliminate the need for jaw surgery in most cases. I consulted with a few orthodontist and only the highly rated office which i go to knew about them and used them before. If JAW surgery is out of the option for you it might be worthwhile to ask your orthodontist if they are familiar with TADs.
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treetornkee2
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:48 am
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kittenmaisey
- Posts: 91
- Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2008 3:39 am
- Location: uk
After orthodontic treatment my daughters teeth slanted like this too. It drives her crazy and shows up in pictures that she has a slanted mouth. When i would bring this up to the ortho he would say the only way to fix it was through surgery. never gave us any other options so we finally took off the braces anyway. We went through her pictures before braces and though you can slightly see it in her pictures it is way more pronounced after braces. It will be interesting to see your progress pictures and how long or short this could take to fix.