Teeth Not Moving!! Comfort in Making Suggestions to Ortho?

[patientlywaiting]

Long time listener! First time caller!

So, I'm 10 months into my braces journey. I decided to get braces to close the spacing in my teeth. (I had a lot of spacing. All but my front, top four teeth had some type of space in between. I even have all of my wisdom teeth!) While some of the spaces have gotten smaller, none have closed completely. There are some that look like nothing is even happening.

I was given what seems to be the standard 18-24 month estimate of how long I'll be braced. I think I've done okay with not getting too worked up about the progress (or lack thereof) of my treatment. But now that I am about midway to the midway point of my projected timeline....I am just having a hard time with it being close to a year and my teeth still having so many gaps!

I do notice my arch is very straight, but my teeth were never crooked to begin with. Just a lot of spacing. I'm in rectangle wires on both top and bottom. From what everyone says, power chains work like magic. Well, I've been in power chains on the top for four months and the bottom for two and nothing. Honestly, I have not seen any change in spacing over the last 4-5 months.

Do orthos usually correct spacing or alignment first? The only changes I've noticed are related to alignment, but I thought that came after the teeth are al in order. I shared my concern with my ortho, but perhaps it came off as being impatient because, at my last adjustment I just got the same old power chain and wire.

I don't feel like I can tell my ortho what to do just because I watched a few youtube videos, but I do think they can crank it up a notch. How do you go about voicing your concern while not trying to tell the ortho what to do? I want them to double up on the power chains, give me a thicker wire, maybe some springs. Something to make me feel like movement is happening!

Any advice is appreciated!

[EmilyTravels]

I really can't help with your question, but I did want to empathize and share my experience . I am also ten months in and still have a couple of teeth up top (left central and left lateral incisors) that don't seem to want to straighten out. Ortho is working on it, but since my original estimate was 8-14 months, I am much closer to the end than you, and it concerns me that these teeth don't want to straighten out completely. I am regretting getting clear brackets on the "social six", since my bottom arch has straightened much faster, and I think the metal brackets just work more quickly.

I hope we both see some good movement soon!

[strinder]

Hi! I also have braces because of spacing.

When I got my braces my ortho said that those who have issues with overcrowding see the difference with braces early on while those of us with spacing have to wait until the end of the treatment to see our difference. He said the priority is to deal with all of the other issues and spaces is one of the last things they deal with.

I've been in braces for 13/14 months now and I've got powerchains on my teeth now but I've still got spaces and I've been given a 24 month estimate.

[assertives]

The alignment usually gets worked on before the closing of spaces, and then the bite gets worked on. That was the same for my case too. My ortho worked on unraveling the crowding, then aligning the teeth and then only started closing my spaces almost a year after I got my braces.

So it's not surprising that you are not seeing any changes with respect to your spaces. I'm not sure what advice I could give you except to be patient (which is hard I know), but you can't really rush such things.

[solo321]

Hey there. Sorry to hear that things seem to be moving very slowly. It is very annoying when orthos don't really address the concerns we have. Ask them if they wouldn't mind going over the treatment plan with you. Have you tried bringing it up along the lines of "So how are things looking? I'm really curious as to what the treatment plan is looking like right now; what stage are we currently at?" If so, then I suggest you raise the issue again, explaining you are feeling a bit out of the loop because you feel as though there hasn't been enough communication about the treatment plan and you would appreciate more dialogue.

I had quite a bit of spacing and my ortho is very impatient (the opposite haha). He wanted to finish my case fast and I don't really like it. In fact, I'm going to ask the manager if I can switch to the other ortho that works there as a lot of people said he was excellent. Made a mistake going with my current one.

All the best!

[djspeece]

I was in the same boat, with my 24 month plan morphing into 36 months. Part of it was probably due to my age (63 at the time), dense bones ("Well Dan, some people are just more dense" my ortho loved to joke)and then once he suggested that i was haunted, due to a bone graft from a cadaver I had placed before starting braces (for the record, I enjoy this type of banter. I gave him a fair amount of it back). All this to say -- it will happen when it happens. Near the end he deployed a couple of closing coils (tiny springs to supplement power chains) and a couple rounds of Propel therapy. At one time my fantasy was that the teeth would surrender from sheer fatigue to the forces of the powerchains and my whining, and smoothly close gaps. Of course that didn't happen but it was fun to think about. Talk to your ortho, as suggested above, but expect to hear something like "everyone is different and we can't go too quickly." Best of luck to you!

[patientlywaiting]

[quote=strinder post_id=503180 time=1531004883 user_id=29916]
Hi! I also have braces because of spacing.

When I got my braces my ortho said that those who have issues with overcrowding see the difference with braces early on while those of us with spacing have to wait until the end of the treatment to see our difference. He said the priority is to deal with all of the other issues and spaces is one of the last things they deal with.

I've been in braces for 13/14 months now and I've got powerchains on my teeth now but I've still got spaces and I've been given a 24 month estimate.
[/quote]

I’m glad I’m not alone and that is good insight. Most of the resources show overcrowding treatments, so I often wonder what does progress look like for those with spacing. Thanks!

[patientlywaiting]

[quote=assertives post_id=503183 time=1531022825 user_id=30576]
The alignment usually gets worked on before the closing of spaces, and then the bite gets worked on. That was the same for my case too. My ortho worked on unraveling the crowding, then aligning the teeth and then only started closing my spaces almost a year after I got my braces.

So it's not surprising that you are not seeing any changes with respect to your spaces. I'm not sure what advice I could give you except to be patient (which is hard I know), but you can't really rush such things.
[/quote]

Oh, patience. What is that? Haha. I’m surprised I made it this far without questioning everything. But as I creep to the one year mark I can’t help but wonder, are these things working 🤔 (I know they are, but, again, patience).

I will reserve my next line of questioning for until after the new year. By then I’ll be over a year in and hopefully seeing the progress I’m expecting.

[patientlywaiting]

[quote=solo321 post_id=503185 time=1531023959 user_id=32120]
Hey there. Sorry to hear that things seem to be moving very slowly. It is very annoying when orthos don't really address the concerns we have. Ask them if they wouldn't mind going over the treatment plan with you. Have you tried bringing it up along the lines of "So how are things looking? I'm really curious as to what the treatment plan is looking like right now; what stage are we currently at?" If so, then I suggest you raise the issue again, explaining you are feeling a bit out of the loop because you feel as though there hasn't been enough communication about the treatment plan and you would appreciate more dialogue.

I had quite a bit of spacing and my ortho is very impatient (the opposite haha). He wanted to finish my case fast and I don't really like it. In fact, I'm going to ask the manager if I can switch to the other ortho that works there as a lot of people said he was excellent. Made a mistake going with my current one.

All the best!
[/quote]

I think when I asked this time, she interpreted as a general conversation versus me being concerned. I think I’m asking my questions as you suggested my convey my interest in how things are progressing. Thanks!

[patientlywaiting]

[quote=djspeece post_id=503213 time=1531166055 user_id=20342]

At one time my fantasy was that the teeth would surrender from sheer fatigue to the forces of the powerchains and my whining, and smoothly close gaps. Of course that didn't happen but it was fun to think about. Talk to your ortho, as suggested above, but expect to hear something like "everyone is different and we can't go too quickly." Best of luck to you!
[/quote]

Haha that is my current fantasy.

Thanks!

[EmilyTravels]

One thing that has helped me is taking photos, at least once a month (earlier on I took them weekly). When I think I haven't seen many changes, I look back at my photos and can definitely see changes. It does help keep the faith! But it is hard to be patient....