Not wearing retainers can push teeth back?

[kvj187]

Well basically my story isthat i had braces at the age of 13...(the age were puberty strikes)
wore them half way about a year, then decided to take them
out myself with tweasers.

i never wore retainers.. now 2years later i see how my face has change, especially my jaw area. and im experiencing pressure & discomfort in my lower jaw all the time

is this possible that by not wearing retainers,(and not letting one's braces do there job) can shift ones facial profile?

[Denise]

Absolutely. Your lips, cheeks, chin, the look of all of those can change as your teeth move. If you are able, you definitely will want to go have your braces put back on and follow through with the treatment. Trust me - you may think they're a pain at 15 years old...but try having them at 30 (hint: NOT fun, way more painful, and you may have to wear them a lot longer - plus you have to pay for them yourself). By the time you graduate high school (and probably sooner) you'll have a beautiful movie star smile!!

[kvj187]

Hey Denise, my mom got on my case when i took them out with tweezers.
it's gonnna take a while to convince her to get them back

maybe its puberty!
but yeah my face did change alot, to compare from what i did look at 12.
like my nose grew in a awkward direction, and my jaw looks long even when i have my motuh closed from the insde (long face), as if it drag'd my face down


im affraid cause im feeling discomfort in my lower jaw and i dont want to get jaw surgery if it needs to happend..i havnt heard anyone with my situation so i had to post it...

to be honest, my teeth arent that bad, i guess since kickin it cold turkey , my teeth sent sailing back off balance, but if i got braces again, can it fix my situaution... again i arpecaite all your replyis it means alot2 me

[newsboysgrl777]

Kv...I'm no expert, but I'd say that if you jump on it and get braces RIGHT NOW, you may be able to have your jaws fixed without surgery (if that is even needed). The reason? From the little I know, I think it's b/c of the soft palate...which may not have fused yet. This is why adults need jaw surgery to correct their jaw alignment, whereas children/those whose soft palate hasn't fused yet, can have it corrected without surgery.

[kvj187]

Thats why im worried, cause i know it gonna be a while for my mom to give me money for braces. and im in an age were my body is almost completed

i know i can see how my jaw has change, my motuh looks funny i am very disappointed at myslef for making the mistake!

newsboysgrl777,, do you think at the age of lets say 19, will it be too late if worst case scenerio my jaw is still soft enougn not to get jaw surfery and braces can help my jaw

(again this is all speceletion wherether i need jaw surgery)

[Sunny]

kvj you need to talk to your Mum about how you're feeling and then go see an ortho or two to hear what they have to say.

Due to your age, it's natural for your face to be changing, and this usually has nothing to do with teeth, but everything to do with you moving from childhood.

Surgery for jaw problems can be at any age ... but before you begin worrying about this, you need to talk to a professional and find out if you have problems. These problems are related to the way you bite, so it shouldn't take an ortho long to find them. Most people do not need jaw surgery, but a few do and when they have it, they achieve excellent results.

You write that you wore your braces for about half your treatment and then took them off. This means that your teeth most likely never reached the stage that retainers were meant for, so it's doubtful that an ortho would have given you retainers when you're half way through treatment at age 13.

Good luck with sorting out the facts with a professional ... and please stop worrying about things that may not be.

[Zoso]

I both agree and disagree. How the teeth, palate, jaws, and jaw muscles develop are all inter-related. However, I absolutely agree that there is no sense in wasting emotional energy stressing about what might be, and "what if"s. As Sunny said, your best plan is to talk to your mother about how you feel, and see about heading in for some professional opinions on your teeth and jaws.

That said, if it should turn out that surgery is necessary, be prepared for the fact that you may need to wait, since it is more usual for jaw surgery of this sort not to be carried out until you have finished growing.