Will my teeth get crooked again?
Mon, May 12, 2008
I have worn braces as a kid and still now my teeth are crooked again. I can’t understand why. I was under the treatment, it was all looking good. And still in some years my teeth look ugly again.
This is the story of some orthodontic treatment patients who just can’t understand how their teeth are not looking good anymore. Others are scared to even try the braces since they know their teeth will get crooked again. Will my teeth get crooked again?
Well, it’s POSSIBLE.
How does this happen? How did others have this issue?
Simple: the teeth move to a new position once the braces are on. These braces “tell” your teeth how to be placed now and they move the teeth from the “right” position (the one they were used to, the natural one for them). Sure, the new position is the CORRECT one and the healthy one, but the teeth don’t “see” it like this.
There is something called “tissue memory” that makes teeth tend to move back to their previous position once the treatment is over. Sure, this would make the entire ordeal of wearing braces not worth it, since we’d straighten the teeth, they’d get crooked again, we’d straighten them and so on.
Don’t worry, in reality the problem is not like this. In order for the teeth to remain in their new position and get “used” to it, our orthodontic specialists came with something called “retainer”. This is a small device that looks like an Invisalign aligner, or a small wire device or even a “wire” that’s bonded in the lingual side of the teeth. In all cases your orthodontist will help you make the best decision.
Some patients require the retainer for some months, others for 1-2 years, while the most complex cases might require a longer time (lifetime even). If the retainer is worn properly and without too many “pauses” the chances to have crooked teeth go very very low. Most people who have respected their orthodontics treatment have absolutely no problems and have that superb smile for a lifetime.
So, if your teeth will get crooked again DEPENDS ON YOU. Just do as your doctor advises you and, after 1-2 years of braces, you’ll have the most amazing smile ever. Perfect teeth, aligned properly that will remain in that new great position for as long as you exist. Millions of people straighten their teeth and they have that great smile for a lifetime.
Tags: braces, crooked teeth, retainer
May 13th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
My daugther braces were taken off two months ago. She is 13 years old. Now I found out she still has overbite. People first see her will ask me to bring her to the orthodonics. I said she just did. That tells how obvious the overbite is. I went back to the orthodontists. He said that is it. Nothing he can do.
Unless the two upper and two lower teeth need to remove. Why he did not tell me two years ago when we started the process. After spend around $5000. This is the result my daughter gets. I am not satisfied,and helpless. Don’t know what to do.
Thanks,
Jason Tieu
May 13th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Hello Jason and welcome to my small blog. You are the FIRST to comment, I should offer you a prize or something
So sorry to hear about her. This is just horrible. Being in braces is hard and not having a good result is the thing that really lets you down.
I am not an orthodontist, I am just another patient, who’s done some reading. The overbite could have been treated too in the same time with the missalignments. How could he not solve this too?
If you allow me to offer some personal advice: just relax for a bit now (there’s nothing you can do in this matter related to the orthodontist you had, maybe sue him for mallpractice, don’t know) and prepare for a metting with ANOTHER ONE. Try to discuss this with some friends of yours and other people and do a bit of research. I am sure you will find a GOOD orthodontist and the problem will get solved.
It would cost you some money again, but it will work. The clinic I go to has clients from other orthodontists who failed the treatment. My orthodontist is one of the best in Romania (he’s got the main business in Germany), he’s accredite in all systems (Damon, Invisalign, Incognito) and is a very talented one. There were patients who came after finishing the treatment and not solving the issues or still in the treatment and he was able to repair.
Normally I assume this might take a shorter time than the initial brace treatment (am assuming now). Anyway: if those teeth moved once, they will move again. So, just try to find a decent doctor this time and go there. And try to confort your little angel and prepare for another round. At 13 she will have excellent results, since she’s so young. Just don’t give up. I am sure someone there knows how to really treat her and she’ll get the healthy teeth/jaws and the beautiful smile she and you deserve after going through this