I have a Few questions

[annmarievulaj]

hi I am 20 years old and in my 4th year of pharmacy school.... and i just found out yesterday that i need braces i went to 11 different orthodontists and i am NOT a candidate for INVISALIGN unfortunately.... this is the problem i have beautiful perfectly straight natural teeth... however i have a k-9 tooth that is still a baby tooth and just last month the adult tooth is finally coming in BEHIND THE BABY TOOTH!!!!! and aparently with invisalign they wont be able to move it forward. and i cant find anyone to do lingual braces. so basically im getting ceramic braces.... now for the questions.... How long do you think this process to complete. ( they need to put on the braces , then remove the baby tooth, then pull the tooth forward ) ... sencond is their any way to speed the process i heard a few places that if i do my adjustments every 3 weeks instead of every 4 weeks that can shave off a month or two. and i htink those are my only two questions... Im really sad i have to have braces when my smile is like 98% perfect.... but apparently i have to now or 10 yrs from now.. and i even asked about removing both teeth and putting in a fake (implant) and many doctors refused to do that also they said its silly to remove 2 perfectly healthy teeth anyways any help will help

thank you in advance

Ann marie

p.s. sorry for all the spelling errors.

[Zoso]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but having more frequent appointments will not hasten the treatment along. The teeth can only be moved just so fast - try to move them faster and you risk permanent damage or even tooth loss. orthodontists know and understand this, and so move the teeth at a biologically appropriate pace, and the frequency of appointments does not really even factor into that - often you might have several appointments without the archwires even being changed, because the ones that are in place are still busily moving the teeth.

Only your orthodontist can give you a useful estimate of how long this treatment will take. But realise it will be just that - an estimate, albeit one that is based on years of education and experience. Your actual treatment time could however be longer or shorter depending how your teeth respond (and on how well you comply with instructions, particularly in areas such as correct any removables like elastics).

Btw - I am glad that you were guided away from the idea of just pulling the teeth and having an implant. It's generally preferable, if at all possible, to work with your natural teeth. And besides, implants sometimes fail.

Good luck with your treatment. And don't fret about braces - they're really not such a big deal

[Sunny]

Hi Anne marie and it's great that you already have such a great bite and smile ... that will make your choice to have braces a lot easier.

You're also lucky to have a canine teeth that can be brought into place, which allows your mouth to have an even number of teeth on each side.

Zoso is correct with her advice about adjustments. Speed does mean good results, so my advise is, if this is what you want, you'd be best to stay satisfied with your 98% great teeth and not do braces and risk mucking up your alignment and also risk the health of your gums and the roots of your teeth. A retainer could be used nightly to keep your teeth as they are not ... and keep everything in your mouth healthy.

If you choose to go with braces, realise how lucky you are to be able to do this and carefully follow the instructions your ortho gives you, as this is the best way to make sure things go to plan.

Good luck ... and remember you do have choices and if you choose braces, make sure you take great care of your mouth by keeping well hydrated and using wax generously if any brackets rub!

[Bunny]

Hi Anne Marie, well from experience I can tell you are on the right track, I had the same, an undecended "canine". I had the baby tooth out as a teenager and the canine was ment to grow down/forward-it didnt and after time caused my front teeth to bear towards the canine. I am only getting treatment now at 32yrs of age as I can afford it myself-lucky lucky! So its good you are getting things looked at early. The implant Idea, I was told the same thing. Implants dont always work and can look odd.
So listen I am as vain as they come and was petrified of my ceramics, honestly in photos you cannot even see them-I keep trying to up load one to show you but I am having issues! I will keep trying though! With Ceramics all I will say is keep them clean, no curry as it can dye the brackets/elastics. They will not stain if you look after them.
I have adjustments every 6-8 weeks and my teeth have moved like nothing I could of hoped for, having quicker adjustments could damage your teeth so just go with your Ortho's plan, he/she is the expert and will get the best result for you.

Its ok-honestly!!!!! xx

[ccoleman95]

hey there anne marie...i am currently in the spot you are soon to be. i just had my baby tooth pulled, and am working on getting my impacted canine into place. my ortho guesstimated 18 - 24 months of wearing braces followed by a permanent retainer. i feel your pain b/c im 28 and i never needed braces, or so i thought!!! after having them the short amount of time i have had them has already put my teeth in different position and they look amazing!! so, if you do decide to do it, remember, its only a short amount of time, pain is temporary, but pride lasts a lifetime!!!
good luck with your decision!!

[annmarievulaj]

I decided i am getting them in 2-3 weeks... my orthodontist said 8-12 months at most 14... do you think this is accurate im hoping more for the 8 month period..... your impacted canine... is it down yet mine is half way down its just behind my baby tooth.... what do you guys think will i be in braces for 2 years? if so then im just either gonna no do it or stop treatment early... lol im in pharmacy school and this is such a unneccessary huge added stress for me its killing me, im so nervous. IDK

[ccoleman95]

oh dont be nervous!!! just think how nice your teeth will be when youre finished! my canine is completely impacted in the roof of my mouth. i just recently had it exposed and attached to my braces. its only for a short period of time, and if youre going to spend the money on getting the braces you shouldnt stop your treatment early!!! they are so common now, there is nothing to be ashamed of sister!!! im guessing you feel that since you are in pharmacy school that it is too late?? well we are all professionals, and let me tell ya...im a hairdresser in the biggest salon in cincinnati AND i have a horrible lisp, but having a beautiful smile is whats important to me!! good luck with your decision...

[Sunny]

Ann Marie great that you're preparing to start treatment.

Technically your canine is not impacted, as it's coming down on it own and therefore doesn't need to have surgery to expose it and keep it from attaching to your jaw bone etc.

I would suspect for a person who's bite is already so good, and their treatment is mostly about the movement of one tooth, then the treatment time could be quite short. Of course only your ortho can see what your teeth/bite need to do, to be in their best place, so that's the person who will give you timeframes and adjust these if necessary.

Hopefully everything will go well for you and please follow your ortho's instructions and most important, don't try to make things happen faster ... as this often results in treatment going in reverse.

Good luck!

[annmarievulaj]

ok UPDATE... i just got back from the dentist.. and apparently he thinks he can get invisalign... so should i get them or no??? now im even more confused because i came to terms with getting ceramic braces and looking ugly for a year.... but now i can get invisalign.. my only question is do the results of invisalign actually come out good???? its only going to cost me an extra 1000$ and im ok with that im just wondering if i should risk them not coming out perfectly straight with invisalign.... what do you think how do the results with invisalign coe out??? and thank you soo much for helping me i will post pictures soon of the situatuion

[chris james]

hey ann marie
im 35 and am like many people on here a second time around person to ortodontics
the thing is that when you r young you dont want people seeing that you have braces so you think that you wont care 10 years from now but you will
i had crowded bottom teeth and a bad bite when i was younger but i hated having braces so i did the teenage thing and gave up but i wish i hadent as i knew it bothered me for ages so now at 35 i say to heck with what people think i want the best smile i could have so go for it and the brace will be on and then off before you know it
you wont regret it
best of luck keep us posted

[Sunny]

Ann Marie invisalign has been around long enough now, that if you go to a well skilled orthodontist, you should be able to get very good results. There are still a few things that invisalign can't do as well as bracket braces ... but they're getting less and less. Moving teeth like your canine is something reasonably new to invisalign, so make sure you check your ortho has done this successfully before, best to ask for before and after photos. The thing you must remember with invisalign, is that it takes more discipline than bracket braces. You need to be able to wear them for a minimum of 22 hours a day for good results. You mustn't drink anything other than water, and no eating, while wearing the aligners ... this is where the discipline comes in. Invisalign is not invisible, but it is less obvious than many of the ceramic brackets ... although it's still braces ... and if you're convinced you're going to look ugly with braces, then you'll be the same with invisalign.

Good luck ... and I really feel you need to wait till you can adjust your attitude past the ugly part ... and then it should go well for you!

[ccoleman95]

GREAT advice sunny! AnnMarie, you shouldnt feel like braces make you ugly, for they are fixing something that you obviously do not like. And as i said earlier, its only for a short time!

[Bunny]

Anne Marie-could not agree more with the other postings, I am a professional and work in a busy Office and go to Court with my job and have to stand up in front of loads of people I don't know. Ceramics-I can speak from experience are great, hardly noticeable and have moved my "fang" down and into position nicely. I was far uglier before with wonky teeth! What ever you go for don't worry, think of it as doing something for you. You are lucky to be able to change things for the better and really 12 months, 18 months is not long at all. The only attention I get from braces is people asking me where I got them! Or saying I wish I had the guts/money to get them so you have both-go do it. You wont regret it!!! xxxxxxxx