Underbite Fixed WIth Braces Only

[toddmichaelNY]

Hey Gang - I thought I would share my experience.

I had an underbite since a little kid and in highschool is when my jaw began to grow even more.

I saw about 5 orthodontists and they all said I needed surgery, so we slapped braces on the bottom just to fix some spaces and I decided to leave it, since my family could not afford the surgery.

Well here I am 30 years old and making OK money so I decided to fix the one thing that has always bothered me.

Again, I saw about 3 orthodontist and 1 oral surgeon and they agreed I needed surgery.

Until I got one more opinion and this orthodontist said he could fix my bite with just braces.

If he couldnt' get it with just braces than we would do surgery mid way and go back to braces after.

About 8 months into my treatment, my top teeth were above my bottom. I was really impressed.

Now 2 years later, my bite looks perfect and I get them off shortly. WIth the use the of archwire, rubberbands, etc. he made it happen...

Just goes to show that you can never get enough opinions...

I'll see if I can find some before and after pictures.

[mariahfromchicago]

That's great!

[Sunny]

Great that your teeth have progressed so quickly!

I started treatment with a minor class III ... my teeth met biting edge to edge. As my arches rounded, the class III became more obvious, and my upper teeth closed touching the back of my lower teeth. My orthodontist has used archwires and elastics and my front teeth and right side are now in a class I bite, but the left side is still class III unfortunately.

My progress has been slow, and I've been assured this is not due to my age ... I started treatment when I was nearly 48. My progress is mostly affected due to the roots of my teeth being long ... which is usually a good thing, but often slows orthodontic movement. Also I've an impacted upper right canine, that has refused to move, and the decision had to be made to move all teeth behind it forward ... very slow!

Great your braces will be off soon! Congratulations on having consultations until you found the person you felt most comfortable with!

[Zoso]

Congratulations! Sounds like you've got just the results you're looking for!

My only word of caution to others reading your story and hoping for the same for themselves is that they should be sure to raise with any orthodontist the subject of the stability of the results. Sometimes these issues are just dental (all about where the teeth are) and a really nice, and stable result can be achieved using orthodontia alone. But if there is an underlying skeletal issue, then often a purely orthodontic approach can lead to results that whilst looking good are not stable in the longer term. Naturally too there will be cases that fall somewhere on the borderline.

[Stephanie]

you are absolutely right.. hence why my husband had braces on twice.. and even then not a perfect solution to his underbite.

[braceface]

Your story really helped me. I was told the same thing and can understand how discouraging it is to have surgery as an only option. I recently got 2 quotes one for $9,950 with invisalign - he almost guaranteed a perfect bite, but I don't have $9,950. So I have another quote from another dentist and with the removal of some wisdom teeth I should have a class 2 bite. I'm a little worried about wearing metal braces at 31, but I want it to be over quickly so that's what I opted for. Tomorrow I get my impressions. I hope I am just as happy with my resul as you are with yours.

[Stephanie]

do you have an underbite? If so I would not rely on Invisalign to fix this for $10,000!.

I would expect your results to be better with the metal braces even though both do not really guarantee anything. It really comes down to the experience of the ortho and how will yoru teeth are to the treatment.

Good luck and don't sweat metal braces.. you can even get ceramic (clear) on top... time flies by!

[HeadJam]

Find out about the Damon system, even faster. Less pain too. Faster = less cash

[Zoso]

The marketing machine behind the Damon system likes to boast that it is faster than any other system. But those claims don't hold water. Self-ligating bracket system (and Damon is far from being the only such system) might be able to trim a month or too off a typical 18 - 24 months estimated treatment time, but they can't work miracles. And, as I mentioned, this is not unique to Damon - the same advantages hold for other SL systems.

As to less pain, this is entirely unsubstantiated. Speaking for myself (and I had one arch treated with an SL system, the other with traditionally tied brackets) I could detect no difference - and that makes sense, since all of these systems rely on the same sorts of archwires, powerchains, springs and so forth. And, again, even if there were a reason to feel that a SL system made for a less painful time in braces, the fact is that Damon is far from being the only such system.

Also, these systems tend to be more pricey than traditionally ligated systems, so what you gain in trimming a couple of months off the timeline, is often consumed in the higher cost of the brackets themselves.

[HeadJam]

OK well I'm gonna keep the thoughts in my head that it hurts less. Thanks anyways. I'm gonna like the convenience of the pop-open, pop closed. I studied civil engineering at university, so I'm very intrigued by the mechanics of it all this time round.

Plus, they're nice and small. I'll be getting the latest generation of them

[Zoso]

The doors can be convenient, although I had some assistants who were so nimble-fingered they could change ligs out darn near as fast. Also, the doors become extremely inconvenient if you are one of the unfortunate souls who produces tartar at such a rate that the doors get jammed closed. Doesn't happen to many, but happens to some, and also seems just a little more common with Damons than with some of the competing brands, that have different "door" designs.

Also, small size can sometimes be a mixed blessing. One instance I recall was someone who came close to needing their brackets changed out towards the end of treatment because they were almost too small to get the job done - the mathematics of levers comes into play.

I didn't mean to come down on you like a tonne of bricks. It's just that there is a mythology springing up around Damons, based on their massive amount of marketing, and it can cause some people to choose an orthodontist for the wrong reason - there are many factors about your choice of orthodontist that do matter, but the brand of brackets he or she prefers to use is not one of them.

[HeadJam]

Well we'll see what he recommended. Thx for speakin' engineerspeak with the leverage, etc. Check out my blog to see the smile that's getting them (hopefully). Nothing's 100% though.

[ToothMarketeer]

True, many orthodontists use Damon brackets, so choosing a doctor based on the type of brackets they use might be ill-advised. However, if your chosen doctor ascribes to the Damon System's philosophy of treatment (and does not simply use the bracket,) you should be in for a good experience. The Damon System approach is all about using lighter forces and lower friction. I've spoken to hundreds of Damon patients and of all the fixed-appliance treatment options available today, I think it's well worth considering.

[Zoso]

Originally Posted by ToothMarketeer

True, many orthodontists use Damon brackets, so choosing a doctor based on the type of brackets they use might be ill-advised. However, if your chosen doctor ascribes to the Damon System's philosophy of treatment (and does not simply use the bracket,) you should be in for a good experience. The Damon System approach is all about using lighter forces and lower friction. I've spoken to hundreds of Damon patients and of all the fixed-appliance treatment options available today, I think it's well worth considering.

Do I spy a Damon rep?

Good lord - to read a post like this, you'd think that any orthodontist who doesn't subscribe to the Damon Syatem is using rusty fence wire, and tightening patients' braces with the aid of a fork lift truck! The Damon System is not the only system that relies on lighter forces and lower friction, and anyone who claims otherwise is either mis-informed, or lying.