TADS to correct open bite

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#1 Post by **bervgirl** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 7:38 pm

Hello all! I'm new to blogging but wanted to see if anyone was going through the same treatment as me? I have an skeletal anterior open bite that my Orthodontist is treating with the use of TADS. I have 4, two facial and two palatal. My upper molars have intruded very well but my bite is a complete mess right now. I am only hitting on the left bicuspids. He is now considering TADS on the lower to pull the lower molars down. Yikes! And, my open bite is signficantly more open than ever. I am lisping now and everything! I am 42 and wondering what I have done to myself!!!!

#2 Post by **lav1** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:55 am

I don't have TADS, but do have an open bite. As they corrected crowding issues and put all the teeth in line the open bite got worse. As they widen the arch it starts getting better. Reverse curves also help alot because they bring the top teeth down if they are flared out. You can also extrude the bottom teeth a bit to close it up. Intruding molars should really help! Especially if they erupted too much. How big is your open bite? Did they pull pre-molars? There is someone on this board that has had amazing results, I had to look at her pictures several times! Good luck!

#3 Post by **bervgirl** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:17 pm

My open bite was not that bad and my molars were in Class 1. I was mostly interested in being able to bite with my front teeth. Now my open bite is extreme. I did not have to have bicuspids removed. I haven't heard them discuss reverse curves yet...is that a type of arch wire or what? Anyway, I am just hoping things work out and am encouraged to hear that it helped others on this board. Thanks!

#4 Post by **lav1** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:48 am

The reverse curve is regular archwire, just curved downward. If your front teeth are flared out it brings them inward and downward. You can do the opposite on the bottom too and extrude the bottom teeth a bit so that they can help meet up with the top. I think that all the teeth have to be in alignment before you can do this. My open bit did get worse when they put all my teeth into alignment. From the front the open bite didn't look too bad at all, but I hate the look of an open bite from the side! Good luck!

#5 Post by **bervgirl** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:40 am

Sounds like the reverse arch is in my future! I didn't have much of an alignment issue, the top teeth moved into alignment in just over a month but the lowers are taking a bit longer because my canines were rotated. My open bite looks worse from the front when I bite together...yikes! Glad to hear the worsening of the open bite is normal in this process! How long did it take yours to close? Also, did you ever have a tooth that was extremely loose? I have one that is higher than the rest and I can compress the thing like crazy!

#6 Post by **arieswithbraces** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:59 pm

I have an open bite as well....a rather bad one since I just couldn't stop sucking my thumb till well into my teens

I thought mine was the worse thing in life, but I got over my fears and I've been in top braces only for 4 months and I have noticed my bite has closed a little. It looks like a lot to me since I can't fit a finger in between my teeth like I used to before

! My ortho told me maybe TADS but he definitely wants me to have the surgery (he's somewhat of a perfectionist) I've had my second premolars pulled due to cavities and chipped fillings.

#7 Post by **bervgirl** » Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:07 pm

I wonder if your orthodontist is keeping the TADS as an option if things go well? I hope so...it'd be great not to have to go through surgery! But, I've seen some amazing results with surgery too! Glad to hear your bite is closing a bit....looking forward to that day myself! Good luck arieswithbraces!

#8 Post by **lav1** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 2:24 pm

As soon as they put that reverse curve in it took about 2 mths for the bite to close. Mine wasn't that that bad and of course every mouth is different, but I def. had an open bite. I do have some loose teeth and it drives me nuts, but they tell me that it is normal. Even though my bite is closed some of the front teeth still have to come down more so no gaps are showing inbetween teeth. I am really scared about maintaining this bite, what are your thoughts on retainers? They said that they are putting me in a permanent upper and lower, but I am thinking about a second retainer for the top.

#9 Post by **bervgirl** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 2:54 pm

lav1, I do know that the retention is the most important part! (I'm actually a hygienist) I would definitely have the upper and lower fixed retainers placed. They might still make you one to wear at night also. Do you have a tongue thrust? That's my situation. I will absolutely have them place a fixed retainer on my uppers if and when the bite closes. The tongue is such a strong muscle and can move those teeth so fast! As long as they are retained you will be fine...but I see a lot of young adults who had ortho when they were younger and opted to have their retainers taken out who now have crowded teeth again. That would be so disappointing! Sounds like your case has been pretty simple so far. Great! Did you have to use elastics at all?

#10 Post by **lav1** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:26 pm

Thanks for the information. That is what I was thinking of, an additional retainer for nighttime. I was thinking about a essex (sp?) since maybe (?) it could retain and protect the teeth from grinding. I was thinking that a hawley would do a better job of retaining, but then it wouldn't protect the teeth from grinding. I do tongue thrust and have been working on it. I did go into elastics as soon as the reverse curve was put in. I started out with Class II elastics during the day and night. One month into the reverse curve I went to Class II during the day and at nighttime I am taking one elastic and going from the lower bottom molar to the top canine down to the bottom canine. I can't open my mouth at all!

#11 Post by **bervgirl** » Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:22 pm

Oh wow...that must feel pretty crazy at night wearing those elastics! My orthodontist had mentioned starting elastics soon but my lower teeth are still moving quite a bit (only had them on for 3 months) cuz they had to move my canines which were rotated. Also, while my upper back teeth were intruding, they began to flare so now he's working on getting them uprighted. I'm not sure why he didn't use a TPA like some others have mentioned having??? (I think it has slowed the process now but what can you do???) Anyway, I actually don't know the difference between the various retainers you mentioned...but with a tongue thrust habit the more you can hold things in place the better! Did you ever see an oralfacial myologist to help with the tongue thrust? It is extremely difficult to undo...I even had speech therapy as a child and it didn't help the swallowing at all. It only helped my lisp. Oh, and if you grind you definitely want something to protect the teeth from wear and keep the muscles relaxed. How close are you to finishing treatment?

#12 Post by **Clo** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:46 am

Hi,

should I or shouldn't I ? Tell you the link to my story that I wrote here some time ago. Because it isn't a happy story and up to now it has not a happy ending either. Well, yes, I'll show you the link :

viewtopic.php?t=27507

It is all about mistakes, open bite, elastics, lots of them, more open bite, several orthos, and also indeed TADs (bone anchors in my case). There are some pics too. I hope it gives you some information. And I really hope your ortho knows better how to handle open bites. Best of luck.

#13 Post by **bervgirl** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:32 pm

Wow Clo....I cannot believe what you have been through! I'm so sorry you have had to endure so much! It's amazing that an open bite can occur from ortho! My tongue is definitely the cause of my open bite, but I cannot see how the tongue had anything to do with yours! Thanks for sharing your story and much luck to you!

#14 Post by **milliondollar** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:33 pm

lav1, I have the same elastics configuration as you. I hated it at first but the results have been great. Do you have any progress pictures? I have pictures on my page, if you click www below.

My ortho originally told me we'd use TADs but with the progress from elastics I dont see them being necessary.

#15 Post by **bervgirl** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 12:04 pm

Just saw the Orthodontist yesterday. Finally able to go up to a heavier wire on lower arch now that all rotations are corrected. One of my TADs fell out AGAIN on the upper palate but he chose not to replace it. He started me on elastics too...from upper canine to lower canine/1st premolar. OUCH...didn't sleep well last night!!! Doesn't want to put me in reverse curve archwire because it could increase the gummy smile which has improved so well. Will be evaluating me for lower TADs in 6 weeks. Just not getting the closure he would like even though the uppers have intruded quite a bit! He told me 1mm in back = 3 in the front so this just doesn't make sense to me. Trying to hang in there and be patient.