Guru's advice is needed

[lavra]

Hello everybody, (at this moment I would love to smile but got used during many years not to do this)

I am at the point of life where I can no longer wait and I can afford. Prior to orthodontist visit I wanted to hear opinion of people out there, who have been through it or who are dealing directly with it.

I had braces when I was 7 for about a year but due to my immature attitude to life it didn't work. And later an orthodontist told me when I was 15 that nothing can be done in my case without removing teeth to get some space. Now I have a couple of questions:
1. How do you think, did technology or science develop any kind of way of straightening teeth like in my case without removal (attached are pics)
2. What method would work? Considering that I would give preference to something that is least visible

[Phantom Muse]

Dear Lavra,

Have you visited an orthodontist (or two or three) recently to get an opinion about your situation? If I were you, I would start there, as an ortho is always the best person to assess your situation.

That being said, many of us undergoing Invisalign treatment have had IPR done, which is minimal filing of the teeth to make room for crowded teeth. I have yet to have it done, but expect to in a few weeks. My uppers look a bit like yours, and I think there are a lot of people on this forum who have had success using Invisalign for this kind of crowding. One ortho I visited suggested that I go the metal braces route, and that he didn't feel I would need any filing or removal. I was set on Invisalign, so that is the decision I made. It was helpful, however, to have so many opinions. Again, visit a few orthodontists and compare their assessments. Different orthos have different ways to get to the same place!

Congratulations on making the decision to go forward, and SMILE! I have learned recently that even though I am obsessed with my teeth, no one else even notices them!

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[istarr]

By looking at the picture you posted I seem to have similar looking teeth. I went for invisalign because traditional braces wouldn't fit my lifestyle. If Im a candidate then you should be too. I have overcrowding, and somewhat of an overbite as well as crossbite. So I think you should get an invisalign consultation and see what happens..
Hope this helps.

[lavra]

I am so much thankful for such a cheerful response! Really appreciate this!
I will definitely go and see a couple orthodontists, just wanted to have a broader idea of my options and more hope for positive result.
I'll definitely keep posted on my success ....
But just one quick question, what would be the downside of teeth filing? Will it ruin an enamel?

[Stephanie]

I don't think you need extractions at all. Def get several opinions...

In those pictures, it actually looks like you are a candidate for Invisalign, but again hard to tell for sure.

I personally prefer braces over Invisalign just to save some money and ensure I am going to get the exact results or close to it that I am looking for.

Invisalign is awesome though and there are some dentist/orthodontist that are really great at it.

[Sunny]

Hi and welcome lavra! It's important to realise that it's not possible to tell from photos what treatment a person may or maynot be suited to.

Hopefully you'll consult with a few ortho's ... three being the rcommended number. Ortho's won't extract teeth unless it's essential and x-rays and measurements, will need to be done, to see if you need them or not. Most people don't, but still there's a few people who have a mouth that is too small for the teeth they have. To align teeth when you need extractions will leave the teeth looking nice, but the mouth finishes looking unnaturally full and most people aren't happy when they see their final smile.

Good luck with your consults and although this phase can take a while, if it's well done, usually your treatment will go smoothly.

Here's to everything working out well for you!

[angel9165]

lavra,

I am 44 and doing my second round of braces. The first time I was almost 30 and they removed 4 teeth, 2 upper and 2 lower. That left a bit too much room in the lower so they did some bridge work that over time crowded the lower teeth again, just not nearly as bad. I have a very small mouth and the teeth were just too crowded so not extracting some wasn't an option. My first go around with braces was more to be rid of the constant cavities I got between my teeth due to the crowding (haven't had a cavity since =). Thanksgiving I broke off part of the tooth on the lower that was the most crowded so after discussion, we decided to pull it and try invisalign. Invisalign, for me, is definitely for cosmetic purposes. I wasn't thrilled about braces again but wanted them to look as good as they could. I'm very happy with them. Just got them on this week. Good luck and as Sunny says, your ortho will do what's right for you.

[lavra]

Tahnk you everybody for sharing your experiences! Great to know that people not in teen age are also able to have some positive results with braces. This is what I hope for.
Before going to ortho and discussing my options with him I want to be fully ready and aware of everything, I am a geek by nature
So if I manage to avoid extraction what would be pros and cons of filing teeth?

[Phantom Muse]

From my understanding, the minimal filing that takes place with Invisalign (and maybe other types of braces - I don't know!) for the most part files away the part of the tooth that would naturally have worn away of it was in alignment with the tooth next to it. I can't imagine this process would be something that orthos and dentists alike agree upon as a good therapy if it left permanent problems. I have yet to have the filing done (but will), so others might have more information to offer.

Good luck, and hope this helps!

[Sunny]

Larva there's loads of information available on the internet, just be aware of the source when you're reading it.

Some articles make unrealistic statements about some types of treatment ... mostly these articles are funded by the manufacturers ... so it's marketing that's at fault. Also many personal stories are published, so remember they're exactly that ... personal. They may or may not be similar to what you'll experience.

I did loads of research on the internet before and during my consults. It gave me more questions to ask at each appointment, and to phone back to the previous appointments with. I was aware my alignment and bite were going to be difficult, but I still wanted to be realistic about the possible outcome. Some ortho's told me they could do amazing things ... other's refused to treat me ... and some were more middle of the road and talked about what might be possible ... with no mention of 'possible only if you the type of equipment I have available etc'. In the end I chose one of these people to treat me, as I didn't want to be sold a product, I wanted to be paying for an orthodontist who felt any product combined with his skill would result in achieving the best possible outcome.

The beginning stage is tough, as for most of us we're dealing with an industry and science we know little or nothing about. Wise research and not rushing this stage usually result in smooth treatment.

I've had IPR (filing) done a few times and I've never felt a thing. Afterwards there's a gap to be closed, and one of mine took a while ... which is typical, as my teeth don't seem to want to move ... and the other was quite quick, as it was a smaller gap and my ortho tied the brackets of the teeth on either side with power chord ... which definitely helped. Here's an article that you might find helpful.

Good luck with your research and search for the right ortho for you!