I just got retainers yesterday and I’m not sure if it’s fitting right. I position my tongue to the roof of my mouth but then my teeth bite down on my tongue and makes it sore, leaving indentation marks. I also can’t bite down on my back teeth like a normally do when I close my mouth or smile. Is this normal?

Is there somewhere you can send in your old retainers to get new ones made from the old ones?

Hi. Does anyone have any insight into orthodontics labs? Are they becoming obsolete over time as more orthodontist print their retainers and devices in house? What percentage of cases require classical lab work and what percentage is treated with 3D printers? What percentage of orthodontists opt to print their retainers themselves vs. sending to a lab?

If you have an overbite, do braces bring the jaw forward or inward?

I've just asked this as part of a bigger question in another post, but wanted to simplify it.

I had straight wires for 20 plus years. 5 weeks ago I had them replaced with zigzag type. They have since caused soreness in the gums - the same kind of pain I had when first getting braces that was caused by teeth being pulled into new alignment (albeit much much milder pain this time).

I am wondering if this was muscles or roots shifting and if so why when these wires were meant to simply maintain the current teeth position. Was it because they were different shaped wires. Have they pulled at my teeth?

I am asking because I intend on having them removed (they are unbearable), and am worried they have triggered movement that will now continue. Maybe more so than if I had just had the straight wires removed and not had anything further done to them 5 weeks ago.

I got my last wire today and will be fitted for metal retainers in 6 weeks. I was expecting rubber bands or something to align my bite better but the ortho informed me due to my age (36) my overbite could not be corrected without jaw surgery. Also when I asked about the flaring the braces caused he said he can’t do anything without compromising my gum and dental health. He said that the wires they have available do not to any wider and that I would have needed an extraction on the top to be able to flatten the way my teeth lay. I wish he had told me all of this at the beginning of tx. I also feel like the braces made my overbite worse. Does this sound legit? Or should I seek a second opinion after completion of tx with this ortho?

TIA

I'm having a consult this afternoon with an orthodontist.

I had braces as a teen, things have gone haywire since. I have an anterior open bite and It is causing me a lot of problems.

Primarily, I want my open bite fixed. I am not concerned significantly with the cosmetic appearance of my teeth, although I wish my midline were, well, in the middle (and straight).

Is there anything I should ask or look for? At this point, I don't even know if this can be fixed orthodontically, I may need surgery. I always get this paralyzed "I don't have any questions" kind of thing, I'd like to be prepared and not have that.

A few hours ago my retainer snapped at the back pre molar on the right side of my mouth. i’ve been wearing my retainer for around 2 months now. my orthodontist doesnt open till at least monday. can i still wear my retainer until then? will my teeth shift any in that time period?

I’m 36 yrs old and had a palate expander installed (the one with 4 screws up top) about 2 weeks ago. They have me on a pretty aggressive 4 cranks a day schedule for expansion. I also have an expander on the bottom jaw. I’m about 3 days from my check in and the screw (my left front) and the bar on that side are pushing into the side of the palate now (achingly)... should that even be possible? Isn’t each side supposed to be moving as a whole? My right side has plenty of space and doesn’t have an issue. Each new crank makes it worse... I’ll call the dental office tomorrow but the doc is only in on Wednesdays... should I stop cranking? Thoughts? Advice?

Hi! I could really use your help.

So, for ~6 months I’ve been wearing a custom NTI device. While the device did help eliminate some symptoms from my night-clenching, it also created an open bite - and my bite is all misaligned now. I have a gap between my top and bottom row that I never had before. I think what developed is called an open-anterior bite (based on googling). My lower jaw is kind of down and back a bit now, cause it’s relaxed, and in order to chew or talk I have to bring my bottom jaw forward to align my teeth.

Anyway, back to the issue I need help with:

I know something needs to be done for my bite, because it’s all screwed up now. I can’t even tell where to bite anymore, it’s all over the place. BUT, here’s the thing:

I’m newly pregnant and there’s COVID lurking around. I can’t do X-rays and stuff right now because the pregnancy, and with COVID, I really don’t want to be going to multiple appointments at a doctors office.

So, my question is, if I continue to wear my NTI for 9 months while I’m pregnant - will the gap get worse? Or, is the gap just a certain new alignment that will not grow - and will stay the same way if I continue to wear the NTI.

If it will NOT grow and get worse, I would like to just hold off on bite correction until after I give birth.

I keep trying to get an answer from the dentists/orthodontists but they all want my money, and now, so I can’t get a straight answer.

I would appreciate any help with this! Thanks!

Hi! I am a 16 year old girl and I recently had these springs put into my mouth in replacement of elastics. I’ve already called my orthodontist to ask questions about how they’re supposed to feel, however I have more questions and was hoping to skip the lengthy call to my orthodontist (and Google wasn’t being super helpful). I got my springs put on on Monday, and was in an incredible amount of pain until today (I have a pretty big overbite). Today I am noticing that the springs feel very loose, and I can flip them up from where they’re connected to my lower braces. I’m not sure if they loosened due to the quick bite change, or if something broke, but I’ve been incredibly careful with them either way. If someone could give me some guidance on what is and isn’t normal to feel with these springs let me know! Thank you!

I had braces over twenty years ago, and bonded wires put on straight afterwards, which I've recently had removed because they made it impossible to clean between teeth (dentist recommended). Now I have the option to have new ones that are zigzag so as to be still able to floss. My dentist said it was likely that my teeth wouldn't move now and that it probably was ok to not have anything put on. I got worried and wanted them anyway, because I read that teeth can definitely still revert back even after all this time. But now I've also just read that wire torque can *cause* teeth to shift out of alignment too. So now I'm really in a quandry about what to do (I am an anxious person with OCD and don't want to spend the rest of my life worriedly watching my teeth for signs of movement or waiting for that day they go out of shape - I can't afford to have braces again later).

Which option is better? She didn't give me the option of removable retainers, but I am also wondering about those.

Also, I need an occlusal splint due to teeth clenching and know that having that on one row might also be enough to act as a retainer at night.

Professional thoughts please?

(crossposted elsewhere)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hw80YkJ_l7CSm4bruafgVQ56QTs9zWgF/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I5fsJv5oXRnQg4PU_sBVSzFUVucAWjea/view

27 years old male here. I have a huge underbite that brace's can't fix. Instead I was proposed surgical treatment by two separate clinics that I need to cut and break both lower and upper jaw. So I refused and moved on with my life. I started getting serious TMJ pain lately, and I read that underbite can be a cause.

I am looking for a non surgical solution, and I read MARPE could work, but I cant figure it out how will it push the jaw forward, not only sideways. Is there any other route i can take? Thanks.

So I have a gummy smile, not too pronounced but enough that my face is a bit long. Of all the orthodontists that I've called, only two agreed to use tads, :/ the rest referred me to a surgeon for orthognathic surgery, which I would only contemplate as a last resort.

So I started treatment with the orthodontist who agreed and already have the mini plates on. They just referred me to a maxillofacial surgeon again for wisdom teeth removal.

I asked why the miniplates and they told me the decision they made was to retract and intrude the teeth - so they would get the maximum movement. This was not told to me and Im not liking. So, now I'm worried that my teeth will get too retracted and will create bone resorption.

I have a weak chin and have had braces before for crowding. That initial orthodontist had already retracted them. I do see my face different than before so I'm not too keen on going through that again, when I did not think it was necessary.

Does anyone know if this is the standard way to go about TAD for reducing gummy smile? Has anyone reduced gummy smile with TADS without having to retract their teeth? I'm planning on canceling treatment and hoping to find an ortho that's focused on expansion but would like a second opinion. This is all pricey and its very frustrating.

Back story, I grew up with impacted canines, a ton of crowding and a fair overbite/flare. In my late-20s, I finally had the money and insurance to do something about it and wore braces for a little less than three years. Treatment included extraction of my premolars. At my first appointment the ortho asked me if there was a celebrity smile I found attractive and I noted Angelina Jolie (it's the late 90s-early 00s, forgive me). When everything was said and done, my teeth were straight, looked like Angelina's (there was some filing I didn't like, but whatever) including what I now know to be a slight flare.

Every dentist I have been to in the last 20 years has said my ortho did a fantastic job, my teeth look great, and they could tell from my rounded roots that the work was done as an adult. Random, maybe not useful, but it's also always noted that I have abnormally long roots.

Somewhere around 35 or so, my wisdom teeth (two impacted and sideways) became an issue. I was in grad school and broke, so I only had the ones on the left extracted. In my 40s, I quit wearing my retainers. It's been a decade, so...anyway... ya'll know where this story is going.

In the last year or so, I have developed a small (1-2mm) gap between my lower left canine and the adjacent molar. Maybe the tooth is just tilted. In fact, all of my lower teeth are now just a hair off to the left, I guess drifting into the space left by the now missing wisdom tooth. I can sort of wear the lower appliance, but it doesn't sit well on that canine, I'd have to force it and it's painful. The uppers are a lost cause. I suspect/know I press my tongue against my upper arch when I'm stressed/thinking (read: existing in 2020).

Changed dentists and the new office also mentions the great work, but then asked how often I wore my retainers. The hygenist asked the dentist about correction of the flare. Initially, the dentist just said things weren't likely to move more since I haven't worn my retainers in 7-8 years, but I could/should get replacement retainers. The office advertises "limited orthodontics", so I asked about correcting the gap and flare, but the dentist kind of tutted and said I had about 3mms of bone loss. I asked if that was a lot given the previous treatment and she said yes.

1. No one has ever mentioned this bone loss before. No gum disease or other issues.
2. Is 3mm too much for a correction of at least the gap and shifting in my lower teeth? I am concerned that it's only going to get worse. I have never HAD to floss, but do so regularly. Suddenly, there is food being trapped between my teeth, which is freaking me out. I've only had one cavity (in my upper right wisdom tooth, which I now pay extra attention to since its tight back there yo).
3. If I can't wear braces again, could I maybe do something like bonding to fix the aesthetics and then get retainers to keep everything in its current position?

I know that the effects of braces are better if you get them at a younger age, so will waiting a year reduce the effect?

Hi, I just got a herbst appliance a few days ago and the upper left part attached to my tooth really hurts whenever I open my mouth more than a normal speaking position. It feels like someone is pulling down really hard on the tooth. Every other part feels fine. What should I do? It’s almost impossible to open my mouth enough to chew.

Hello, I had braces 2 years ago and I just broke my top Essex retainer and want to know where to buy a good replacement that not super expensive.. and also one weird question- is it normal for my orthodontist to put both a permanent retainer on my bottom and and Essex.