lower incisors tipped forward - has anyone else had this?

[Faerydust]

So I posted this already and didn't get any answers, but maybe this title will work better. My retainer fitting appointment is Dec 3rd so my teeth are naked for now, but my lower incisors are tipped forward like this / and I really don't like the way this looks.





I pointed out to my ortho that I don't like the way my lower incisors tip forward and he said they're like that because I didn't have any teeth extracted on the lowers. Then he said he can upright them with the retainer. I'm getting the Hawley retainers which he likes because they can correct small things here and there.

I'm a dental assistant at a children's dental office and I've seen many patients during and after braces and the one case where I've seen tipped lower incisors after debanding was a girl who goes to the same ortho that I see.

Has anyone else had this? And if so, is it fixable with just retainers? If he had known this could happen, why not recommend removing my lower bicuspids? I'm seriously stressing about this because I don't want my teeth stuck like this. I would prefer to have the braces back on if that's what it takes.

[acrobat]

My lowers tip forwards just like yours.
I talked about it to my ortho during my last appointment (already more than a year after braces). He says it's ok like that, because that way they fit better to the upper teeth. So he claims there's no problem at all.
It's true though that if he would straighten them, the overjet might be a bit worse, aren't you worried about that?

I will ask him though if it can be fixed a little with retainer (allthough i doub it...where would they move to?)

[Faerydust]

I see what you mean about where would they go, that's why I'm having a hard time picturing the retainer fixing that. And yes, it would cause an increased overjet if the lower incisors were upright and that wouldn't look right either.

I guess I'm just super conscious of it because I work in the dental field and see straighter teeth all the time. My coworkers also saw it and asked why they are tipped without me pointing it out.

If nothing can be done then I'll just have to get used to it. It's just disappointing to spend the money and time wearing braces to have somewhat odd looking teeth in the end. I'm wondering if all orthos would agree that this is the best that can be done or would they find some way to attain a more aesthetically pleasing result?

[acrobat]

actually my teeth look quite a bit like yours (you can see the pics in the thread 'accepting relapse'). Except that also my upper teeth stick out..*sigh* Ortho says this is the best he can achieve but i do think they moved a bit, even though i wear a fixed retainer and a removable retainer (every night). Can teeth even move then?

My case is just a little worse since my jaw also relapsed, so now i have an overjet that is already quite severe, i think it would look quite bad to get my lowers straight.

I really don't know if there is anything they can do for us...i'm also in the struggle to accept or to go for second opinions...
To be honest i'm quite at the point now where i would go for braces and even surgery again if it could be fixed...but both my ortho and surgeon say it's not that bad???
Do we expect too much?

[Faerydust]

Do we expect too much? Well I guess it's not knowing if we received the best possible treatment that's unsettling, at least for me. I'll see what happens after I go to my next appointment and get my retainers.

Maybe my ortho did HIS best, but maybe other orthos would've done things a little differently to achieve a better result. I think that's my biggest question right now. I'd have no problems putting braces back on if that was necessary, but I can't afford to pay another ortho right now.

In your situation you have the surgeon backing up what your ortho says, so perhaps there is nothing else that can be done. I don't think I would risk surgery if my ortho and surgeon weren't confident that you'd get a better result on the second try. I'm not sure about how your teeth moved with a fixed retainer either.

I'm also not too happy about going so long without a retainer. I'm in Hawaii and he has them sent to a lab in the mainland which takes about 3 weeks to have it made and shipped back. It'll be almost a month by my next appointment and my bottom teeth have shifted quite a bit. One of my lower centrals has shifted so it's slightly behind the tooth next to it and my midline is now off. He said the retainer will correct any shifting, but it's making me uncomfortable.

[z17jrsa]

Your teeth look like mine. I was told my teeth are just about perfect, but I don't like that they stick out in front instead of straight up. Everyone keeps telling me that my teeth look great.

[Faerydust]

My lower teeth aren't tipped as much since I got my retainer, but now I have a slight overjet. I guess it can only be one or the other.

[alimommy1]

I know this is a super old post but if you're still around this board - I have the same problems lol. My ortho said he can upright the teeth with a retainer so I'm happy. I wish I had been paying attention near the end of my first treatment and maybe I could have asked that it be fixed before....

[sisi]

My lower teeth tip forward because I opted not to have extractions. I prefer the "tipped forward" look to the big overjet I had before braces. Besides, in my case my lower teeth are quite concealed by my lower lip.

[alimommy1]

I had extractions - four of them I had no overjet before braces and I have no overjet now, although if my lowers were uprighted, I would have a normal overbite again, which is what I want. I thought it was really weird when I was examining my teeth and realizing it wasn't a problem with my jaw sticking out, it was just my teeth tipped forward.. ugh.

[Faerydust]

I haven't checked this forum in ages, but looks like I came back at a good time.

So as far as the incisors tipping, I'd say my retainer mostly uprighted them, but I have a whole 'nother issue! My lower right central came out of line during the time between debanding and my receiving my retainer (about a month). I ended up having the retainer remade with a spring to push that tooth forward. So now, 8 months later, the tooth has come forward slightly, but it's still obviously out of line.

I went in for my checkup today and my ortho said he could adjust the spring or I could do braces on the bottom again for a few months (at no charge) and put a bonded lingual retainer on the same day I get the braces off so the tooth doesn't have a chance to move again. Because this tooth is so stubborn, I decided to go with the second option. Not excited about being braced again, but after all of the money/time spent wearing braces, I want straight teeth! I have an appt. in 4 wks to put braces back on.

[Faerydust]

ali - I didn't notice the tipping until the braces were off. I think the wires/brackets kind of disguised it, but when my teeth were naked, it was obvious. At least it can be fixed with your retainer!

sisi - I know what you mean. There will be a slight overjet if the teeth aren't tipped forward, but I think I prefer that over the tipped teeth. But at this point, I'll just be happy when my teeth are aligned again.

[alimommy1]

I would LOVE it if my ortho was willing to just put braces back on again to fix this without charge but I've had a lower bonded retainer on them for 13 years, plus I moved to another state. I had to go have consults with orthos here all over again. Honestly, if there was going to be no charge, I think I'd probably get the braces again, since it would likely correct everything exactly, even if it would take another 2+ years. The reason I'm not going that route is the expense...

Good luck with yours, my ortho said he'll place another bonded retainer after the active treatment is finished to make sure they don't tilt or flare out AGAIN.