Thinking about Braces

[thedistrict3]

Hey all!

I've been thinking about braces for the past two years, but have never taken the steps to get it done.

1) I'm afraid braces won't fix my problem. I have an overbite with my two front teeth sticking out from the rest a bit. All my other teeth are straight, just the two front teeth.

2) Can braces fix a mild-medium overbite?

3)I don't want to look terrible on campus at uni as im around girls all the time.
I've seen friends get braces and while going through they're treatment, they have huge gaps in there teeth from the movement.

4) Is it painful?

Can anybody answer my questions? Would be greatly appreciated

[coconut]

Making that decision is a hard call for some (all?) of us.

1) the only person who can advise whether braces can fix your problem is an orthodontist.

2) see 1 above.

3) whether you get gaps or not will depend on what needs to be done. But gaps can come and go through treatment as teeth get moved around....

4) it can be, but usually the pain is concentrated e.g. when initially braced and adjusting to it, and immediately after adjustments. For the most part, you shouldn't be bothered by pain.

[Zoso]

I agree with coconut that you really need to consult with an orthodontist to understand what might be possible. Sometimes an overjet can be corrected with braces alone, whilst for some cases the best approach might be braces and extraction; for yet other cases the only way to a fully corrected and stable result might be through surgery. Only an orthodontist who has the opportunity to examine you will be able to say.

Don't worry about the appearance - most people won't even notice or care. And you should look at it this way: a few months of this minor inconvenience would buy you a lifetime of having a smile and bite that you are happy with. In short, you'd be investing in your future happiness and oral health.

As to pain, I pretty much agree with coconut. For most people it is minimal and only limited in duration. For some lucky patients orthodontia is an entirely pain-free experience.

[mariahfromchicago]

You are a university student so I assume you are pretty young. many adults get braces after their 20s
Good luck!
1. Maybe you should consult an orthodontist.
2. EDIT: Same as #1
3. Well any girl worth your time would not care about the braces. Also you notice the braces the most because it is your mouth. No one really notices or cares, it's a good conversation fir about 10 minutes and then it gets boring.
I didn't get any gaps from the movement of the teeth. Well, it's part of the "it gets worse before it gets better" but like the others said it all depends on what needs to be done to your teeth.
4. It is painful mostly after the braces are put on and after they are tightened. It can hurt even up to a week after an appointment. After the pain goes away, it's not bad.

Hey all!

I've been thinking about braces for the past two years, but have never taken the steps to get it done.

1) I'm afraid braces won't fix my problem. I have an overbite with my two front teeth sticking out from the rest a bit. All my other teeth are straight, just the two front teeth.

2) Can braces fix a mild-medium overbite?

3)I don't want to look terrible on campus at uni as im around girls all the time.
I've seen friends get braces and while going through they're treatment, they have huge gaps in there teeth from the movement.

4) Is it painful?

Can anybody answer my questions? Would be greatly appreciated

[Zoso]

2. Yes they can fix one but the elastics help fix that. Well it probably can be fixed without surgery.

Mariah - that's not right. You don't know. Maybe it can be fixed with orthodontics alone, but it may require extractions or surgery. We don't even have pictures, and even if we did, neither you nor I are qualified orthodontists who would be able to make a judgement based on such.

[mariahfromchicago]

Oops sorry about the mistake.

Mariah - that's not right. You don't know. Maybe it can be fixed with orthodontics alone, but it may require extractions or surgery. We don't even have pictures, and even if we did, neither you nor I are qualified orthodontists who would be able to make a judgement based on such.

[Sunny]

Hi and welcome to this forum thedistrict3 and I hope you benefit from the answers above.

Questions 1 and 2 - The most important answer is ... see an orthodontist, in fact see several and find out what your options are. A trained person is the only one who can tell you what treatments are the best for you. Make sure you ask questions and get answers that you understand.

3 - Mariah is so right on that one. If anyone finds you having braces is a problem, then it's a good thing that you've found out how superficial they are. Remember braces are temporary, whereas poor attitude is often permanent!

Gaps ... well you might have gaps, but most people won't notice. Maybe you noticed coz you've been thinking about correcting your own teeth and therefore you looked at the treatment of your friends teeth. Most people have busy lives, and what's happening to your teeth don't really rate spending time on.

4 - For me the answer has been no pain. But some of our patients do experience pain, usually for a very short time and it's easily sorted. It's important to remember that we all feel and react to pain differently. Some people find there mouth a bit sore after having braces put on, but the use of wax and warm salt water rinses, sorts that for most people. Some find their mouth is sore after some adjustments, depending on what is done. An over the counter pain med or two, plus chewing usually helps with that. The most common feeling is a bit of dicomfort and a bit of tightness ... and the reward is ... movement.

Most important for you is a committment to your oral hygiene, which includes visiting your dentist/hygienist regularly. It's essential to keep your teeth and gums in great condition while you're having orthodontic treatment and that will mean spending a little more time than usual flossing and brushing. But the end results will make this worth while!

[sonny53]

Generally speaking, mild-med overbites can be corrected with braces. Many orthodontists will have you wear elastics or rubber bands to do this. You usually have to wear the elastics 24/7 to see any improvement. Other orthos will cement appliances that mimic the forces of the elastics such as a Herbst. As far as cosmetics goes, there are now many cosmetic braces available which look a lot better than the metal ones. You can check out this link to learn more about different kinds of braces. If you really don't want anything to show, you can also try lingual braces which are placed behind your teeth, though this is a very specialized field and many orthos may not offer lingual braces. On the subject of pain, pain from braces is less than before because there are now more elastic wires which which exert gentler forces on your teeth, but still move them well.