Advise needed :(

[j191]

Right okay so I have had braces for going on about 2 years nearly, I am perfectly happy with how my teeth are as I don't even think they will get any straighter. I am just sick of having braces especially now I am coming on 17 soon, I know loads of older people have braces but I just don't like it and it's really hurting my confidence. I'm scared to talk to my dentist about it because he is a complete (word remove due to inappropriate use for a board open for general use)
I really want them off and I know it's within my rights to get them removed whenever I want to but if I did then would I still get a retainer? And if I didn't would my teeth move DRAMATICLY? to the train wreck they were before.

Ah some advise please Really really fed up now.

thanks.

[Denise]

Yes you will have to wear a retainer. Ask the (mostly) older adults on this board why they are wearing braces again in their 30's and 40's and you'll never miss a night without it. You think it's fun at 16, try it at 30+.

You can have them off if that's what you, your orthodontist, and your parents agree to. I'm guessing your mom/dad/guardian is paying for this treatment, and if your bite still isn't where it's supposed to be then you need to keep it on if they object to your getting them off. I work with a girl who has had them for five years. It's a small price to pay to do it right the first time and not have to do it again later in life.

If you're that concerned about it, call your orthodontist and make an appointment for him, you and whomever is paying for your treatment to sit down and discuss what more has to be done, a time frame in which you can accomplish it, and what you both can do to hurry the end of your treatment. You've got a lot of time invested in your teeth to stop treatment before it's complete.

[Zoso]

Please know that braces are not just about straight teeth, but are about establishing a good bite - and that is harder for us, as laypeople, to see/judge. Your teeth need to last you teh rest of your lifetime, and they will do that far better if they are in teh best bite that is reasonably possible.

I know that it may all seem just so dreadful to be in braces and almost 17. But the time remaining to complete your treatment is just a drop in the ocean compared to the rest of your life. Better to stick with braces a bit longer now than potentially have more dental issues than you would have needed to later in life as a result of quitting prematurely.

I suggest that you talk to your parents, and together discuss with your orthodontist what remains to be done inyour treatment, and approximately how long that should be expected to take, as well as what sort of retainer regimen will be appropriate for you afterwards. And I strongly suggest that you check at the door any attitude that this dental professional is a c***.

[chris james]

i have to comment here as i do feel for this person as ii remember my frist time round i was at secondary school and was a popular guy but when i had a brace fitted to my top teeth people took the pi## out of me something awful so i gave up
now im 35 and started again but it seems to be much better but i do still find people stairing at my teeth when a i talk
ps my first ortho was also rather nasty and my girlfriend had orthodontic treatment as an adult and that guy was a twat also
think long n hard bout it but if it is what u want then its up to you
but always remember to wear your retainer as they will move trust me on this
good luck with whatever you do

[Sunny]

J if it's your right to have your braces removed, then exercise your responsibility and talk to your ortho about how you're feeling. Remember to be assertive ... not aggressive or passive, as if you use the wrong type of language, you'll miss the chance for some real communication to happen.

It's important for your ortho to fit you with retainers and to follow up with these for a period of time ... usually between six and 24 months. Most important is your committment to wearing your retainers for life. To begin with this will most likely be full time, then to night wear only, and finally it might be two or three nights a week ... for life. Without retainers your teeth will return to where they were before you had braces and then keep moving, as teeth move for as long as you're alive. How fast/slow they move is an individual thing, but if your teeth have been recently move due to ortho treatment, teeth will move more quickly ... and you don't want that after two years of effort!

Good luck getting your ortho treatment sorted!