Moving Back Teeth Forward

[maxhammer]

Hey guys.

I've had four extractions (1st bicuspid) to fix crowding/move my front teeth back. I didn't like how far back it was going, so I told my ortho, and he said he could bring the back molars forward a few mm using TADS. Basically they lock the front teeth in a desired position, and allow us to pull forward the back teeth. This sounds good, but are there drawbacks?

Concerns:

1. By bringing back teeth forward, will the cheeks loose support and sink in?
2. Bone loss in the back of the upper jaw after teeth move forward (i.e. the 2mm they move forward will leave "empty" jaw space)
3. Improper occlusion/bite.
4. Stability (long-term, is this safe/stable?)

My ortho told me I'd lose 2mm of bone in the back where the molars move from. Does anyone know how this affects asthetics, bite, etc? He said it's fairly routine and not something to worry about, but he is in the business of calming patients.

ps. I'm 35 so expansion isn't an option.

[Sassee]

I hope someone else can chim in with this information because I would like to know too. I had the same 4 teeth extracted and my ortho if moving my front teeth back a bit first and then moving the back teeth forward but didn't say anything to me about using TADS.

PS. Expansion could still be an option, just not from your Ortho. I am 30 and my ortho used an expander and I now have 8 mm more. Apprently it's a little bit of a controversy that it can't be done in adults (some Orthos say it can be done well others say it can't. I am living proof it can be done) Some say the expander in an adult is just pushing the teeth outwards. Mine did not.

[Canadienne]

I'd just like to add as well that expansion can be done on adults. I wore an expander for 9 months, so it can be done. I was 18 when I had mine put on, but I was completely done growing and two orthodontists refused to do it. It worked wonderfully, though I did have a complication. My orthodontist left the expander on too long and my gums swelled around it, so it was a mess to cut it out. Maybe get a second opinion?

[Sassee]

I'd just like to add as well that expansion can be done on adults. I wore an expander for 9 months, so it can be done. I was 18 when I had mine put on, but I was completely done growing and two orthodontists refused to do it. It worked wonderfully, though I did have a complication. My orthodontist left the expander on too long and my gums swelled around it, so it was a mess to cut it out. Maybe get a second opinion?

Yeah my Ortho said he is the only one in my province who will use it on adults. I should be getting mine out end of January, which will also be about 9 monthes. He told me that the expander had to stay in for 6 monthes AFTER I stopped turning it. How much more room did you get Canadienne?

[NarcoAngel]

Sounds like my story... I would be wondering the same questions, but I already know that my back molars are already angled forward, so I have no idea how they would do that with mine.

[maxhammer]

I hope someone else can chim in with this information because I would like to know too. I had the same 4 teeth extracted and my ortho if moving my front teeth back a bit first and then moving the back teeth forward but didn't say anything to me about using TADS.

PS. Expansion could still be an option, just not from your Ortho. I am 30 and my ortho used an expander and I now have 8 mm more. Apprently it's a little bit of a controversy that it can't be done in adults (some Orthos say it can be done well others say it can't. I am living proof it can be done) Some say the expander in an adult is just pushing the teeth outwards. Mine did not.

Isn't it done by tilting the teeth outward rather than expanding the jaw? The jaw can't expand once it is finished growing. I think the controversy is in tilting the teeth and how stable those results are...

[Sassee]

Isn't it done by tilting the teeth outward rather than expanding the jaw? The jaw can't expand once it is finished growing. I think the controversy is in tilting the teeth and how stable those results are...

No the controversy is whether the jaw can be expanded once you stop growing. My jaw has expanded, theres even an 8mm wide white line on the roof of my mouth where the new bone is growing to prove it. My teeth are not tilted all either. I had a lot of people on this forum tell me that he was just tilting the teeth to give me more room so i asked my Ortho about it because i was worried, i don't want tilted teeth. He explained the controversy, and showed me my orginal pictures compared to the most recent ones to show me the difference. Theres is not a huge difference because it's only 8 mm, but I have had friends and family tell me that my face shape looks different, better like i finally fill out my face - i hope that makes sense to you.

[maxhammer]

Do you have photos? I'd be very curious to see them.

[Sassee]

Do you have photos? I'd be very curious to see them.

On my profile page I have photos but not of the expander itself at the moment. My Ortho took them so I wont get those until the end of treatment. I can try to take a photo myself later, but I am at work right now. But if you want to see how my teeth have changed in the first 5 months pictures are up there. i didn't take any photos for month 6 or 7 because I was waiting to have teeth removed so there was no change and the 8 month picture I took on wednesday so I haven't posted it yet either.

[maxhammer]

Cool, thanks.

Does anyone know if moving the back teeth forward (~1-1.5mm) causes the cheek to cave in?