To worry about orthodontic treatment

[WorryMonster2]

Hi all,
My dc has been having Orthodontic Treatment for almost a year now. Dc has the standard metal braces. At the start dc's teeth were very crooked and crowded, two front teeth overlapping each other and lower teeth crowded as well, because of crowding pre-molars had to come out. Dc had no overbite at the start.
I can see they are much straighter, but the braces have pulled two front teeth forward and down, so they look a little bit like 'rabbit' teeth now, much longer and it also exposed the gums.
My dc's smile is completely different, when dc laughs out loud it looks a bit like buck teeth with a gummy smile. Also Dc cannot close mouth nicely without straining the muscles in chin. It wasn't like that before the orthodontic treatment started.
I mentioned this to the orthodontist (who has a large practice and a reputable name in the area) , but he told me teeth are looking straight and now dc is getting elastic bands to pull lower teeth forward to meet the upper teeth.
OMG does this mean that dc keeps the 'rabbit teeth' which touch bottom lip, dc's mouth looks so different.
When dc smiles or laughs out loud it doesn't look good but the Orthodontist never really looks at dc, just asks to sit in the Dental chair and tightens the braces, it usually is about a 15 minute appointment.
I'm sure clinically dc's teeth look straight but aesthetically it doesn't look right at all.
Dc looks like a different child with a different, not very nice, smile, TBH the crooked smile (no overbite and mouth could close nicely) was much nicer then this gummy smile with an overbite. What can I do? Has anyone else experienced this as well? Can anyone give me advice please? I'm having sleepless nights over it, so scared it will stay like this.
Thank you!

I had similar concerns while I had my own braces (as an adult). Once the braces were off and the orthodontist had worked his magic my teeth looked fantastic.

You just have to trust the process.

Thank you Divgirl2 I never expected this to happen.
I naively thought it's straightening teeth and that's it. But dc's smile/face has changed and as we are quite far in the treatment i'm so scared this is not going to change.

Does anyone else have any advice? Please.

You sound quite anxious OP, not sure if that is down to you or the teeth.

Were the front teeth angled backwards before which is why they look different now? Did you get a report or a letter detailing the reason for treatment, it may mention overjet (possibly with a measurement).

Really, you need to speak to the orthodontist - it could just be that the teeth look different now they are straight, I would imagine they would look longer because they are not overlapping.

My son has just had his braces removed after nearly 5 years! He looks amazing and is so confident and his smile is so wide!

Trust the professional and wait for the whole thing to be finished.

His orthodontist had photos of his teeth originally and worked from them.

@chicCroissant, thank you for your reply. I am anxious about the teeth. Somehow i feel guilty as dh and me made the decision to go for orthodontic treatment and now my lovely dc looks so different. I've been looking at photos from last year and i wish we never started this treatment.
We did not get a letter with explanation as such, just the plan and a copy of the x-rays and a recommendation to make an appointment with the dentist.

@Bigearings Thank you for your reply, our orthodontist has photos too as well as 3D scans and x-rays, but they don't seem to look at them anymore and don't look at my childs face either. The changes started a couple of months ago, In the beginning dc still had the crooked teeth without (noticeable) overbite

It is hard to judge without pictures. Not all orthodontists have the same aesthetic vision. I suspect you need to wait for the treatment to end. If the final result isn’t pleasing you can always try another orthodontist.

You need to speak to the orthodontist, maybe put your concerns in writing or seek a second opinion. Not being able to close his mouth properly would concern me as I’ve got the same thing and it’s very uncomfortable to close my mouth when it naturally wants to hang open.

I’d trust your gut instinct and book a private appointment for a second opinion. Hopefully they’ll be able to reassure you.

Ah, we got a letter with details of the overjet in, DD is only a few months in to her treatment (also had extractions) and the difference in her top teeth is amazing already! The bottom teeth do seem a bit slower to move for my DD but as I said, it is very early days. One top tooth that was much further back than the others has really come forward already.

I think you'll have to speak to the ortho for reassurance really.

Try to relax...your dc hasn't finished treatment yet. This isn't the finished result. My ds went through two years of treatment which involved twin blocks, metal fixed braces and then elastics. The elastics work wonders in aligning the jaw, so if your dc looks a bit 'goofy' now, I'm sure the elastics will sort that out.

You need to be very clear about your concerns at your next orthodontist appointment and ask how they will address the issues of the overbite etc. I'm sure they'll be able to reassure you. My son had an overjet of 11mm at the start of his treatment which has been beautifully corrected. They won't stop your son's treatment until his is corrected.

I could be wrong but you say that

dc is getting elastic bands to pull lower teeth forward to meet the upper teeth.

Will this not push his bottom lip out so that his upper teeth won't sit on his lower lip? And then all will look good?

I think you need to discuss it with the orthodontist and be reassured. I know you have tried and maybe he is not good at talking/ explaining...
My ds has a brace and used to go to appointments with dh.
I noticed one day that ds teeth sticking right out in really odd way at top. I spoke to dh and ds and apparently they were pulled out to make room for couple of teeth to come through and then were to be pushed back in again. I was so relieved!!!

It's very hard to comment without pictures. I do wish however that orthodontist would stop removing teeth in all but the most severe cases. Many now do non extraction orthodontics where the palate is expanded width-ways to accommodate the teeth and create a wide smile rather than pulling some out and narrowing or reducing the smile.

Very similar happened to my DD during her fixed orthodontics. However, this was just a phase and the end result is excellent. By the way I am a dentist also.

Why don't you ask the Orthodontist about this at the next appointment? Send your DC out if you feel inhibited to discuss it in front of them.

My DD had palatial arch expansion simultaneous to upper /lower fixed appliances plus 3 permanent teeth extractions.

Ignore the poster wittering on about extractions being unnecessary in all but the worst cases. Utter rubbish & not mainstream orthodontics.

Ignore the poster wittering on about extractions being unnecessary in all but the worst cases. Utter rubbish & not mainstream orthodontics.

It is considered very old fashioned to extract teeth for orthodontics as the results are far less likely to last.

BOS doesn't think so @MariaNovella.
Mainstream UK orthodontics.

Mainstream U.K. orthodontics is not exactly world class...

Oh dear shatteredandstressed follows antiquated orthodontic practice but tries to poo pop others. Our ortho is a leading consultant orthodontist. She is certainly not radical nor alternative. She is extremely highly qualified and very senior in her field. She has held positions in leading hospitals, lectures globally and been in practice for 30 years. She rarely extracts. She laments the number of old school out dated Orthodontists who still do. It's lazy and gives a far substandard result. Rarely needed other than in the worst crowding situations.

Even BOS regards extractions as necessary only in cases of EXTREME crowding. It is not necessary for the vast majority of patients. Unfortunately many lazy orthodontists or those who have limited knowledge still do it as routine.

Thank you all for your replies! I appreciate you took the time to reply.
Although is doesn't really help to read that non-extraction Orthodontics is better as that was not my question.
I realise I have to talk to the Orthodontist, not sure how and what to say exactly as I do not want to worry dc.

Can you email the practice instead, perhaps? Or speak on the phone without your child present - they may be able to reassure you.

Unfortunately you do get posters who simply use a thread to push their own agenda regardless of whether it actually helps the OP, as in this case!

My DD has quite long looking front teeth. During the last few months of treatment she had quite a few adjustments to get them all looking level, she looks fab now!