Orthodontia Options
 

Braces -- (the kind on your teeth--not attached to your pants.. .er, trouseers.. for those in the UK) -- it's about that time.

Miss Dallas is missing 2 permanent teeth. She saw an orthodontist for an initial evaluation today. The options are:

• Braces for two years with the goal up opening up the appropriate spaces where the permanent teeth would be, then a retainer to keep the space open until she's 17-18 or so and then implants
• Braces for 18 months with the goal of taking the existing permanent teeth and evening/closing up the gaps, with no thought toward actually replacing the two missing teeth

We're leaning toward the second.. has anybody done this? Any regrets/suggestions?

I've never done it, and don't have any expertise, so of course I'll throw my two cents in to say that option 2 sounds less painful overall, easier, faster, and cheaper. And probably good enough, or the doc wouldn't give it as an option.

My mouth is extra small so they removed four teeth when I was a lad.

Outside of my dentists, no one has ever said to me, "Hey, did you know you're missing some teeth?"

I have had my braces off for a year and a half. I was missing one tooth from the second tooth on the left top with no space for it. My teeth were in excellent health but extremely crowded and crooked. My ortho was effing phenomenal.

We removed one tooth from the bottom center and set out to open space for one in the top. The reasoning was the eye is drawn to symmetry at the top where they are visible while smiling but the bottom it is more important to just be straight. I wore my braces for just under two years with expectation of an implant going into the space on top. When the day came it made more sense to go with a bridge there because of the space and symmetry. I've worn my retainers at night pretty much every night since then and have been extremely happy with the results.

Important note: I went with the Damon brace system (self ligating) and had not one moment of regret. Fewer adjustments, no broken brackets, only one broken wire (damn ice). I swear by them and strongly urge anyone considering braces to visit an ortho who specializes in the Damon system. Yes, I believe it that strongly.
Damon

I fell on the playground in second grade, pushing my permanent front tooth into my skull. They removed it, and I had a partial plate all my growing up years, and braces on again, off again, root canals (previous unknown damage to other front tooth), hours upon hours of dentistry and orthodontia...fun times. Fun, fun times.

When I was 18 they bridged between the other front tooth and whatever the one is on the other side. This required filing down the two teeth to fit the bridge over. They said it would last 20 years. It's been 26. Could use replaced, but it's still there.

If these are not front teeth I might go for the second option. If they are teeth that will be easily noticed I would probably do the first option.

Tell her that I said that someday she will thank thank thank her parents for caring enough to spend the money so she doesn't have to grow up toothless. I know I do. ;)

This is the exact same thing I was going to say, down to the number of missing teeth. Unless it leaves a really obvious asymmetry, like one missing incisor, you really don't need all those teeth.

The problem with moving teeth to fill the gap is that they then don't correctly align with the other set (top/bottom), which can lead to grinding during normal use which leads to earlier fillings and eventually crowns, often with root canals. Lots more $$ for the dentist and lots more grief down the road. I would ask the dentist about this before choosing.