A few questions

[Sneakerhead]

Hi, I just registered here in order to get a bit of help on a few questions. Not all will be on overbite/oro surgery, but that is my biggest concern so i placed the thread here. I'll try posting the same story at a couple different boards.

My history with my teeth hasn't been the greatest of all, and I've always been lagging behind with checkups. I am 17 right now, 18 soon and going to college this fall, and with no summer job,so i want to get rid of a bulk of the problems while I'm still young.

I have a few problems right now, the biggest one being an overbite. I've probably had this for years, even had braces for years (it was 4-5 years I believe with a lot of lag time in between checkups not to mention I should of gotten them removed a long time ago. My family is just really behind on a lot of things). The bigger problem here is that when I had my braces removed, my dad was stupid and accidently threw my retainer away a day or two before I realized he did, and I believe it was around garbage day. I never visited the orthodontist to get a replacement and I dont remember why I did not.

I believe this overbite is just becoming more of a problem as I feel the lower jaw is a bit far out too. I dont have a bad overbite as one would imagine, but it's been something that has bothered me for so many years and I'd like to get rid of it. And in the last year, i've been experiencing jaw clicking on my lower jaw.

I've worn braces and the headgear for the young years of my life. i didnt wear the headgear so often because it would just look silly on me, cause weird distortions for my hair, or just be a pain where I would take it off because it was in my control to. Bad Idea, i know.


Just recently, I made it a duty to get these fixed before I head off to college in the fall, or at least have an idea of what my future plan is.So the last 2 checkups to the orthodontist consisted of getting an x-ray or making models of my teeth, and the orthodontist wants to talk to me and my father next week about possible solutions (I haven't really talked to him in the 2 checkups, so I don't know what's on his mind yet).

To top off all the bad problems, just 2 years ago i bumped my upper front tooth where it has loosened back a little, and has discolored so I figure i would need a root canal sometime soon so that the tooth isn't loose anymore and has some sort of support to at least make it whiter since brushing isn't doing the trick solely. I visited a dentist for a checkup but he didn't say much at all in regards to my bumped tooth.

I was wondering if he would ever suggest jaw surgery to me, or would he suggest me fixing my upper front tooth (most likely root canal since i reserached htis) and getting braces. Most likely I am getting braces, so my BIG QUESTION for braces is whether I can get these 'ibraces', (if the orthodonist would even approve of that with my current situation of overbite) in addition with a possible jaw surgery, so I don't have to dread with an overbite and braces like I did for most of middle school and one year of high school. Trust me, it wasn't cool to have. Or better yet if invisalign works. I took some self assessment and they tell me it should help.

Most likely I will try to get a suggested jaw surgery, because I feel as if I don't, then he would suggest a headgear which I absolutely refuse to wear, even more because I am an entering college student. I'm okay with the painI know my family has enough money to fund whatever, though my dad is a bit stingy.


To put this in somewhere, I had a wisdom teeth surgery ( all 4 out) a few months ago, so I know what intense pain feels like. The wisdom teeth also caused my lower farthest back molar teeth to move outwards then the usual lining, so that is a + for the possibility of having braces.

Thanks, and hope somebody takes the time to read my story and help me out with a few suggestions.

[Stephanie]

well, since your overbite is not too bad and you are young, you can probably get it done with braces alone... However, traditional braces are probably your best bet, as you are going to need elastics, powerchains, etc and it is all easier with braces on the front teeth.

On this forum, we like to use surgery as a last resort when orthodontics can't do the job or if the bite is so severe that it is obvious you need it.

I woudl get SEVERAL opinions as you may find a doc that specializes in your case and maybe even ibraces if you are worried about eh appearance...

Good luck

[Sunny]

You are young to be having ortho treatment, so hopefully you'll learn to be grateful for what you already have had done and hope to have in the future. I also recommend you talk to a few ortho's and find out what treatment they recommend.

Where I work, we never use headgear, and for overbites use a variety of different braces (clear, metal and ibraces). Overbites also require the disciplined wearing of elastics and of course excellent oral hygiene.

Some people with bite problems do need surgery, especially if the bite discrepency is as a result of jaw developement, under or over development. Your ortho would be able to tell you this, when working out your treatment.

Good luck with your consults!