anyone else in braces to reverse damage by thumbsucking?

[Anna5]

Hello!

I was just wondering, is there any of you who is having braces now to reverse the damage done by thumbsucking (like me).
I would love to know and share stories!

Anna

[Anna5]

Nobody???

[Duckyfuzz]

Me!! Just started treatment 8 weeks ago for a narrow arch and hoping to reduce my overjet a bit too. Surgery would give me the best result but I don't want to go down that path. What is your treatment plan?

[Anna5]

Hello!

Thanks for your message. I was also recommended (SARPE and upper jaw) surgery for my open bite and narrow arch/ crossbite, but declined (at least for now). I want to first see what improvement braces alone can bring. My original sentence was 9 months in braces, but I am sure this will be much longer ( I am in braces for almost 8 months now).
Here is a link to my pictures/ progress:

http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/viewtop ... 61#p439061

What is your treatment plan? Do you have pictures as well?

I wish you very good luck with your treatment!

Greetings from Anna

[Duckyfuzz]

Just looked at your photos. Amazing progress. Your teeth look fantastic and a narrow arch is not evident at all. I'm too embarrassed to post mine now! So much worse. My overjet is my worse worry but the narrow arch is awful too. My fang teeth (forgotten proper name!) are rotated and my lowers very crowded at the front.
My dentists plan is as follows:
Ceramic braces on the uppers initially. My molar teeth all tip in so by pushing them out my arch will widen. He then tells me the arch will widen further due to the arch wire and new bone development. I hope he is right! This should reduce my overjet a little.
At some point the lower ceramic brace will go on too. Although my teeth look really crowded at the front he assured me this is a much easier problem to fix and widening my upper arch will take far longer. He won't put them on until my top arch has made a certain degree of progress. Kind of gutted at first because my upper arch feels like it protrudes even more and that people must be thinking why isn't she sorting out her crooked lowers too. However , used to it now and love that it only takes me seconds to floss my lower teeth.
Although he has stressed only surgery will give me the perfect smile, he says I will notice a dramatic improvement in my smile. He hopes to half my overjet, which is 9mm at the mo. I would be very happy with that.
Will post some photos if I get the courage. Not ready yet I don't think. I hate seeing my smile.

[Anna5]

Hello!

Thanks for your message. I am happy that you started treatment and that the ortho is sure that you will see a dramatic improvement. I hope your arch will widen a lot and that your overjet will reduce. I am sure it will because your ortho is confident!
And, of course, only post pictures if you are comfortable with doing this. But the people on this board are all very friendly and encouraging, so you don't need to be shy. Nobody were will judge you or laugh at you, since we are all in the same boat.
I also thought (and still think) my teeth are very bad. For me it is reassuring to hear the honest opinions of others. Often, you are your own worst critic!
I wish you very good luck with your treatment, keep us updated!

Anna

[zanygrrl]

I just got my braces to correct the damage caused by a lifetime of thumbsucking. I have metal uppers and lowers. I'm very fortunate that my thumbsucking didn't cause any major damage and regular braces should do the trick.

[Anna5]

Your are lucky!!! Good luck with your treatment!

[Beckley816]

Me! Kind of... My teeth are crooked due to my thumb sucking as a child but I was blessed with a small mouth and under developed jaw so that's why my bite is messed up. I never knew my bite was messed up til I went to the orthodontist. I just wanted straight teeth!

[Anna5]

Good luck, Beckley816. I hope you will get a great bite and straight teeth soon!

[Anna5]

Anyone else who sucked his thumb and it now paying for this?

[BraceForIt]

Me! I was born with a narrow arch and dummy use/thumbsucking caused even more of a case of overbite :(
Safe to say when i have Children, i will be pedantic about dummy use/thumbsucking!!

[Anna5]

Good luck with your treatment, Bracefort1! What is your treatment plan? Do you need surgery or can your ortho fix it with braces alone? I hope the latter! Once again, good luck, and keep us updated!

[BraceForIt]

Thank you :) i had the option of surgery offered to me, but after consideration and financial limits i decided to go down the path of braces only.

[Anna5]

Me too! I was also recommended surgery, but went the braces only route, at least for now. What surgery were you recommended? (I was recommended SARPE for my crossbite and upper jaw surgery) . But hopefully we both get good results with braces only! Are you already in braces?