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
November 18th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Love how the guy stresses that straight teeth “DEPENDS ON YOU” in all caps nonetheless. Well, I had braces when I was 13-15 and then wore my retainer for 3 years with a wire on lower teeth. I am now 37 1/2 and my lower teeth are going crooked. How is this MY fault?
January 4th, 2009 at 1:18 am
man i’m so pissed, i went on a one day trip and i have braces on the top, retainer on bottom (because my top teeth moved from losing my retainer) On the trip i lost my retainer– i’v been searching EVERYWHERE. I’m really upset >:[ I should’ve just left it at home. I’m afraid my BOTTOM teeth will move now. This is just horrible.
January 20th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
GSH it is and isn’t your fault.
Reality is our teeth keep on moving all our lives – it’s referred to as mesial drift, and tends to be worse on teh lower arch. This is why your lowers are getting crowded now.
To have avoided this, you would have needed to continue to wear your retainers, even if only a couple of nights each week. (So there’s the part where it is your fault) but my bet is you actually did exactly as instructed (in which case, it’s NOT your fault!) – professional advice on continued retainer wear has changed over the past couple of decades. Sorry you got “bit on the bum” by this
January 24th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
I’m 23 and I’m going on 4 years now with braces- I’ve had nothing less than a nightmare with my experience, which ironically, has inspired me to be an Orthodontist. My original orthodontist sold her practice within a month of me starting my treatment!! So, to make a long story short there have been 6 different rotating Dr’s that have all had a different idea of how my case should be handled.
Now, for the past year and a half there has been a consistent Dr. who lacks the most important skill of all, communication, and doesn’t want to hear what I have to say. My bite is still off, she has shaved my teeth unevenly and most recently has said, “you know, now that I’m looking- all your brackets are out of order.”
I thought, “Did she seriously just say that out loud?”
I’m thinking about calling corporate for the 2nd time (1st time was 8 months ago when they wanted me to sign a new contract and start paying again). I am wondering if I have a case that would stand up in court on the basis of suing for ’specific performance.’
I’d like to just get my money back and leave it at that but I know there is more that goes into it than sending a letter these days.
-Ashley
October 29th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Ya thanks for this beneficial content. I face the same situation for last three weeks. I know that this is very painful but these surgeries are must.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:29 pm
I did everything right, but my teeth are going crooked again (I am 22):
1. I had braces for 2 or 3 years when I was in high school.
2. After my braces were taken off, the gums around the front four teeth in my upper jaw were cut (to severe the nerves, so that my gum would ‘forget’ where the teeth used to be).
2. Then I wore a retainer on the top jaw all day/night for a while (and after that, just at nights).
3.The orthodontist put a wire behind the teeth on my lower jaw (after I got my braces off) to keep them inline. This wire stayed fixed onto my teeth for three years.
My gums must still have a memory. I am so frustrated with my teeth. The crookedness of my front teeth (both upper and lower jaw) is something that I am constantly aware of and irritated by because I can feel it with my tongue. My teeth look fine from the outside, but to my tongue they feel really annoying and crooked. I want to file my insides of my front teeth down, so that they are smooth enough not to irritate my tongue. Another problem is that my upper teeth now don’t sit well with the position of my lower teeth when my jaw is shut.
I am still really glad that I got braces (my front teeth overlapped very noticeably before I got braces). However, it has only been a few years since I got my braces removed and my teeth are already going crooked – it is really annoying my tongue – and I am a bit worried that my teeth will continue getting more and more crooked and irritating.
Could I get the backs of my front four teeth (2 upper and 2 lower) filed down a bit so that they are more smooth for my tongue?