I need em' again, dont I..?

[Oops]

Well, Ill let you decide.

I got my braces off in May of last year, but my teeth just dont look "aligned", the front teeth stick out too much and one tooth is abnormally smaller then the rest. That specific tooth also has like a little "growth" behind it, I dont know how to describe it, its like part of the tooth but it shouldnt be there.

Picture-



They are shiny though

I was thinking about getting them filed down very very slightly (the 2 front teeth).

[Zoso]

Why would you get perfectly healthy teeth filed down for no clinical reason?

[Stephanie]

Based on that picture, I wouldn't get baraces... I think your teeth look good...

Def don't file teeth.. I did that to my canines* and regret it...

Can you still fit into your retainers?

[Oops]

Yes my retainers fit perfect and I wear them everyday.

I want to file down those teeth because I feel they are way too long .

...well actually when I look at that picture it looks like that one deformed tooth on the right is way to short. It doesn't feel like a regular tooth in my mouth, a piece of sticks out in the back. I don't know how to describe other then it doesnt feel *smooth* behind it.

[Stephanie]

well, if it bothers you than, you could probably jump into braces again and using several techniques they could have that tooth more level with the others..

Get SEVERAL consultations first and make sure they are confident with their work to get the job done... and you probably wouldn't want to go too fast, as you need the stability of long term...

But this is all just speculation... get the consultations and see what they say.

dont stress yourself out though.. its really not a big deal and I think your teeth look great!

[Zoso]

It sounds as if your lateral (the one you describe as "deformed") has a supernumerary cusp (a fancy way of saying it has an extra cusp) perhaps of the type commonly referred to as a talon cusp. Unfortunately, since the pulp cavity often extends into these cusps, it can be risky to attempt to grind them down. When I first looked at your picture, I wondered why the orthodontist had not brought the laterals (the second teeth from the centre) down a little more, but my suspicion is that perhaps if he had done so, this extra cusp might then have interfered with the bite.

I don't think that your centrals (those middle front teeth) are too long - they just appear to be so because the laterals (or particularly the problem lateral) are a little high. My advice would be to have a chat to your orthodontist about your concern, and see if it is possible to bring that lateral down. But if it is not, you may want to explore with your general dentist whether bonding might be an option on that tooth - if it were made level with the other lateral, I am convinced that you'd be far happier about the appearance of those centrals.

Edited to add: I agree with Stephanie though - I don't think your teeth look bad at all. We are often our own worst critics, and sometimes unfairly so.

[Oops]

Thank you, I'm actually visiting my dentist on Friday . I will talk to him about it, and my orthodontist said to come back in 6 months, and March marks the 6th so I wont have to wait too long.

Thank you for explaining this to me! Im so happy that there are options !!

[Oops]

Oh yeah, if my orthadonist agrees in lowering those teeth, how will he do it? Through braces again? How long will I have to wear them, and how much does tooth bonding cost and is it covered by most insurances?

[Zoso]

Bringing those teeth down would probably mean a short spell in braces again. No idea how long it would take, or what it would cost.

No idea either on the cost of bonding. Whether it would be covered by insurance would probably be down to whether it could be argued that it is clinical as opposed to merely cosmetic (which might be a hard case to sell). But it really would depend too on how liberal your dental insurance is.

[Zoso]

I should add: if the general concensus turns out to be that this is too large an area (especially as it is on the incisal edge - the biting edge of the tooth) for bonding to be viable, you could still look into other reconstructive methods such as veneers or crowns, but these tend to be more costly, and do involve removal of some tooth structure.

[Oops]

Alright, but is it OK to go to my orthodontist a month early if my orthodontist said to come back in 6 months (it will be 5 in February)

My mother certainly doesn't think so, but if it comes to him putting braces in my mouth (again...). I would rather have it done sooner. It would be such a shame because last May I remember feeling so awesome that I was getting them off, I even cut school to go early and then I bragged to my friends.....and now I might have to come to school AGAIN with them in my mouth, people would say "hey you got them off!"...and now they will be like "hey you got them on, what happened there :\" .

[Zoso]

Well, if you feel unhappy and want to discuss, I don't see that it would be inappropriate to call them up and see if you can head in early.

[Oops]

Well, I went to the orthodontist today and he said everything is fine, and that the front teeth are supposed to be longer then the others or else its "not quite right".

But...then again, I still feel that maybe they would look better if my two laterals were the same length, so maybe I should pay a visit to my dentist (he said he does things like teeth bonding/filing...)

[Zoso]

Your orthodontist is correct that the upper laterals are supposed to be a little higher than the centrals, and the canines are meant to be just a little lower. I do still reckon that the left one looks a bit on the high side. ... or does it? I can't see your gumline. If he brought it down (assuming it could be, given the extra cusp) the gumline would remodel along with the tooth movement. So if it is actually that that tooth is smaller, then that would leave you with an uneven gum line. Hope that made sense.

Well, let's see what your dentist has to say about the possibility of bonding.

[Oops]

Hi guys, just thought I would update you on my now very sad story.

So I finally went to the dentist concerning bonding, and before I said anything I opened my mouth and she said "Has anyone ever told you to go to an orthodontist".

I think I died that moment. That was 2 years of my life gone down the tubes.

I said yes and I have already had braces and I wear my retainer. She said "and THIS is how he left your bite", "I'm SO sorry".

She said that I have a massive overbite (which explains the overly large front teeth and why they cover my bottom ones completely), and she told me to get a second opinion and she gave me the number for a different orthodontist.

She also said she wonders how I don't have a speech impediment (a lisp), and she recommended invisalign or something...

I'm really not surprised, I knew something was wrong and my teeth didn't look right, but when I visit my orthodontist he says everything is fine. Heck, I even broke a piece of my retainer and he said that part isn't that important.

I guess I will be consulting the new orthodontist as soon as possible...for another trip with braces if my parents can afford it. Hopefully I will finally get the results I want, I mean it shouldn't take that long...my bottom teeth are relatively straight...I guess.

Also, should I continue to wear my retainers? Or should I wait until its official, because I would love to take them off for a very very very long time now.

[Sunny]

Sorry to read that things are as straight forward as you'd hoped Oops!

Definitely keep wearing your retainers, as they're keeping your teeth straight and if you do need more ortho treatment, it'll be better if you start with straight teeth.

Please consult with a few orthodontist's, so you get opinions you can compare. It's interesting your dentist was able to diagnose your bite by only looking at your teeth. In your photo it's possible that you can see an overbite/overjet, but it looks minimal and a class I bite, does require the upper teeth to be slightly in front of the lowers.

If you choose more treatment, check whether you need surgery, as if you really do have a 'massive overbite', it's likely it's not going to be fixed by only wearing brackets and elastics. If your ortho says it can, ask about the stability of your final results.

Good luck with your research!

[Zoso]

Hang about here... remember that the overbite is how far the upper front teeth overlap the lowers in the vertical plane - an excessive overbite is also referred to as a deep bite. Very different than an overjet (where the upper front teeth are too far ahead of the lowers). And what Oops describes sounds more like a deep bite than an overjet ("which explains the overly large front teeth and why they cover my bottom ones completely").

[Oops]

Well, before I had braces I did have an overbite, according to my orthodontist. So I assume it either came back or just never went away. I found it strange how I never wore elastics or anything special for it...

That dentist didn't only look at my teeth for a minute, she really had a good look as she was cleaning my teeth.

Well I guess I will only find out when I go to the new orthodontist. Which is hopefully next week.

[mariebelle]

Sorry to hear of your news - if your dentist noticed something was wrong and your orthodontist didn't then that's a worry. I am pleased you are going to see a new orthodontist, will be interesting to hear what they have to say. I don't think your teeth look bad at all - because we get braces etc we spend a lot of time looking at our teeth and noticing every movement or every little thing!

[Phoenix461]

Goodness, I'm sorry to hear about your problems. As everyone has suggested, get a couple of opinions / consultations with other orthodontists before you proceed. Keep us posted and good luck!

[Zoso]

Too true - a second opinion from another ortho definitely sounds like the way to go at this stage. Good luck with it, and do let us know what you learn.

[Oops]

Unfortunately, I have to go back to the same orthodontist. I lost my top retainer for the first time . I had to do a presentation and I had no time to put it anywhere so I stuck it in my pocket, I tried to take something out of it later on and I guess my retainer flew out.

I cant see him until Tuesday, but how much will my teeth move until then?? I guess it doesn't really matter that much if he puts braces on me again since I plan on mentioning what the dentist said...even though it will probably be extremely akward?

[Sunny]

Good chance to check things with this ortho Oops, but it might be wise to check with another one or two, before proceduring with any more treatment.

Good luck!

[Oops]

Well, he said I have a little bit of an overbite, buts its not worth getting braces again for because the changes would be very minimal, and my other teeth already touch and line up.

I'm also getting my new clear retainer next Tuesday and I only have to wear it at night. Ive been without a retainer for a week already, and it just feels weird .

The other orthodontist cost's 125 dollars JUST for a consultation...Im thinking about leaving it alone until later.

[Sunny]

I'm sure if you'd spend as long training as orthodontist's do, you'd be expectiing people to pay for your professional services!

Great you've not got long to go till you get your new retainer! Good luck with wearing it!

[Oops]

Yeah so I decided against braces, I just don't have the money to do it all again, and I decided to walk into the world of cosmetic dentistry. I actually got my front teeth slightly filed down and evened out. Its not that noticeable, but I just feel good about it and it feels better when I close my mouth . I plan on later asking about bonding and fixing the other tooth, but I was wondering if I would need a new retainer then if the tooth was lengthened and squared? My retainer still fits even fits (with tiny gaps in the front teeth area) but will it...stretch if my tooth is made a bit larger?

[Sunny]

Great you're feeling so happy about what's been done Oops!

You probably will need new retainers if your teeth are reshaped. The only person who can confirm this, is your ortho!

Good luck!