Braces for 2nd time at 41. Three weeks in and problems.

[Oedgar]

Hi, Everyone.
I decided to post here, because my poor husband is probably sick of my obsessing about my braces. This is a much better place for it. A bit of background: I had braces as a teen for an anterior open bite. However, I was non-compliant with rubber bands. As teen years went on, I drove myself to appts, and my parents just let me be. My ortho finally gave up and de-braced me after nearly 4 years. My top teeth were straight and I was happy, not realizing the harm to come from a bad bite.

At age 28, I lost a back molar from clenching hard on it every night. It cracked and two root canals failed to save it. I started wearing a night guard then, but wore throught them frequently. This is when severe TMJ issues, headaches, and an episode of my jaw locking nearly shut happened. We started a family and that took my time and attention for years. I just lived with the ever-painful and ever- more- crooked teeth.

in 2010, at age 38ish, I decided to deal with the teeth. I had developed one that especially stuck out in front, in addtion to the major open bite. It has affected my self esteem and ability to be outgoing very negatively. I saw an orthodontist, who told me the only way to properly fix it was surgery plus ortho. He sent me to a surgeon in Houston, Tx... Dr. Terry Taylor. Dr. Taylor said I needed upper and lower jaws worked on. We sat with his financial people, to find that DH's company excluded this reconstruction of a congenital defect for those past age 19 on the health insurance. We were shocked. I dropped the matter for a year, feeling hopeless. But more TMJ pain and more hate of my appearance made us try to appeal to his HR department. We and my doctors/dentist wrote letters, sent records, and my case was discussed at a meeting. It got us nowhere, Basically, the company said if they covered surgery for me, they would have to allow it for anyone. I guess they were afraid a mass of people company-wide would turn up with deformed jaws?!

Spring 2012, my children, ages 8 and 11, both required the start of braces, both with palate expanders. Their work has progressed nicely. This was the same ortho who had seen me, and he began discussing how he could help me with braces alone. He mentioned TAD's and I did some research on those. He made it plain that I would get the best result from surgery, but felt he could at least put me in a much better situation than I would be in doing nothing.

I got my kids phase I mostly paid for, and decided it was my turn. I had a cleaning and regular dentist in late January, and she cleared me for braces. I'd had the extensive full mouth xrays on the previous visit, so I felt good about that.

Nearly three weeks ago, I was put in upper and lower brackets, and light rubber bands. It was very sore and a big adjustment, but I was so pleased to have them. Soon that dreadful one tooth began to look straighter.... but then it began to change color, to a slightly darker, brown/pink color.

Saw ortho today, and he could find nothing on xray. He took off my top wire and is sending me to an endodontist. He has never had this happen to anyone in 5 years. Naturally, it would be me. He says if it does need root canal, he can still do the braces. But there will be a delay of 3 to 6 mos.

So I am stuck with freaky looking wobbly feeling no wired upper teeth. And they will probably relapse. So disappointed right now. I am trying to see the bright side that he says he can still fix them, just need more time.

Thanks for reading this far.

[SunshineRay]

Aww hugs! I hate that you finally made the decision and now obstacles are being thrown at you from everywhere.

[Tobilei]

Hugs from me too! I know that feeling. I'm that one person that if one person in 500 000 has something happen or some side effect it will always be me I'm sorry you're having to go through this, especially as we all know how hard it is to do something for yourself once you become a parent. I hope it's nothing serious and you can get it sorted and back to working on your bite.

(PS. Our husbands should get together and moan about us I've no doubt I've nearly sent my deaf with my going on about my braces, my bite, my teeth, my potential implant....)

[White Fang]

Oh man. I can so relate! It takes me forever to make a decision because I have to research everything and think about it and sleep on it... in the case of braces, for years! So then it stinks when you're finally like "full steam ahead" -- only to have the universe turn things upside down on you!

Take heart that your ortho didn't see anything weird on the x ray. Surely if the tooth had died it would have been apparent on the x ray, right? Also, I have a front tooth that had a root canal done years ago and it went through braces fine (you can see photos on my story page -- it's the cracked front one.)

I know the delay is soooo frustrating when you were all ready to go NOW but you have waited this long, a few more months is nothing at all! Soon you'll be ready again for the big braces-on day and we'll all be here to cheer you on!

[Oedgar]

Thank you everyone for your kind replies. It is a comfort to see other adults in these complicated ortho situations.