Were you told you would get worse?

Message

#1 Post by **beth1966** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:06 am

Hi - has anyone else been told that has you age your particular ortho issues will get worse? I have a narrow upper arch - had the expander as a kid but my teeth are moving in and forward.

I was told that in 10 years from now I WILL be worse and my problems will become harder to treat - since I will be worse.

Is that pretty much always the case?

#2 Post by **TumbleDryLow** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:23 pm

I also have a very narrow upper arch. All the orthos I consulted told me it was a good thing I was seeking treatment because my crowding would simply get worse with age. I never asked why. But, I assume if your teeth are not properly aligned, they are also very unstable, hence constantly moving even more out of alignment.

#3 Post by **dissonance** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 3:36 pm

Yes, my ortho told me that as well. She said that as we age our teeth will always shift. (That's why it is so important to wear your retainer as instructed to help keep them in place.) She also said my teeth's crowding would only get worse, so if I waited another 10 years, fixing them could involve extractions.

#4 Post by **tom tom** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:06 pm

I've been told this a number of times but I never listened to them. I've had lower arch crowding since I was a child (maybe 8-10 y/o from what I remember). I'm 36 now. I don't think it has gotten worse but my father said it has, so I'll take his word for it. However, it has not gotten so bad I would need extractions.

I don't know if the docs are trying to scare you into getting ortho or what. But in my case it has not gotten significantly worse, just mildly so ( if that).

#5 Post by **sauerkraut** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:16 am

I also had a narrow upper arch. I also had an expander (removable) as a kid, but never wore a retainer (none was on offer). My teeth also started moving inward and forward.

No-one told me it would get worse -- but I wish they had. Because I did wait 10 years, and it did get worse. Much worse. It was very gradual at first but then it seemed to accelerate and before I knew it one front tooth was protruding so much I could hardly close my mouth.

I've now had SARPE and am very glad I did

#6 Post by **sauerkraut** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:17 am

I also had a narrow upper arch. I also had an expander (removable) as a kid, but never wore a retainer (none was on offer). My teeth also started moving inward and forward.

No-one told me it would get worse -- but I wish they had. Because I did wait 10 years, and it did get worse. Much worse. It was very gradual at first but then it seemed to accelerate and before I knew it one front tooth was protruding so much I could hardly close my mouth.

I've now had SARPE and am very glad I did

#7 Post by **danish** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 7:26 pm

As far as I know (without being a dentist myself) our teeth move all our life. There is a tendency of permanent posterior teeth to migrate mesially (mesial drift) in the dental arch. This compensates for proximal wear. In other words: molars are continually pushing against the rest of our teeth. So if you have a dental problem now (malocclusion) your problem could very likely be worse 10 years from now.

Danish