<p>Hey all.</p>
<p>argh, here goes. So, I'm an incoming freshman this year. I've had braces on for two years,
and my orthodontist was planning on getting me a retainer pretty soon and I would take them off in another month or so.</p>
<p>Here's the problem. My mom wasn't really satisfied with what my teeth look like now (my mouth sticks out A LOT), and she told the orthodontist that she doesn't see much progress.
Orthodontist gets offended (he didn't say or anything like that, but it was pretty obvious), and calls my stepdad who then gets mad at me because apparently I've been so indecisive and whatever, when actually everytime he asked me how I liked my teeth were looking, I said that I didn't see any progress...</p>
<p>But anyways, I really don't know if I want to keep my braces on for another year, at least. I was really self-conscious during my high school year because I was basically the only senior with braces at my school. I had to wear my braces to prom and graduation. hated it.
I was really looking for starting college without the braces, and it looks like I'll have to pull out my teeth and wear them at least until I'm a sophomore.
My stepdad told me to decide whichever I wanted, but when I told him I was kind of leaning towards keeping them on because I do think that my teeth should be pulled back more, he looked ****ed.</p>
<p>I really don't know what to do. If I keep my braces on, my parents would have to spend more money and I'll probably most likely be self-conscious about my braces, but to take them off I'm too unhappy with it. It seems like everyone's mad at me when I had no say in this. What should I do?</p>
<p>I say keep your braces on. I had braces from like middle 7th grade to summer before 9th grade. luckily mine were only on for about a year and a half. But I mean if you take them off now, it’ll basically mean you went to prom and graduation with braces on for no reason. Like why half finish a job. Just see it out to completion. And be sure to wear your retainer your teeth will shift if you don’t. That happened to me but they didn’t shift to much and I just got a slightly different retainer to wear. I still don’t wear mine but its been years since I stopped wearing it and my teeth haven’t moved at all so I guess there in place now lol. But just get it over with, and remember to wear your retainer.</p>
<p>Can’t you get a different opinion? If your orthodontist is really being unhelpful/unclear about whether there has been any tangible improvement, you could always ask another one to take a look at it and see what he says. I mean, it’s always better to make an informed decision before you do something that you might regret ten years down the road.</p>
<p>I know, I agree. But apparently there were some huuuuge miscommunication between my parents and the orthodontist.
My parents wanted the treatment to change the profile of my face and they were expecting for me to do some pulling, but at the time the orthodontist said I don’t need to pull out my teeth, just some teeth shaving would do.
But now the orthodontist is like ‘oh no, that’s a whole another treatment, what we’re doing is what we (he and my stepdad) agreed upon two years ago’.
So I guess from his point of view, my teeth look perfect now. Psh. Ohmygod.</p>
<p>Regardless of any disagreement about treatment, another orthodontist can give an objectiv opinion as to whether this is te best outcome. Get your file from this orthodontist and get 1 or 2 second opinions. You can use the excuse of continuing treatment closer to your college. </p>
<p>BTW if there is a dental school at or near your college, that could be a good place to get good expert opinions at a discount. The orthodontists in training get to learn from your case and you get the teaching orthodontist’s expertise on the cheap.</p>
<p>Braces are not as bad as people make them seem.
Although I never had braces, they are extremely common place in teenage years (keep in mind you’re still a teenager) and I never even think about them. I know a small number of people on campus that have them and I never even realize or think about it until they mention them.</p>
<p>So don’t let that worry you too much…it’s not too big of a deal, just be confident.</p>
<p>As for the orthodontist situation, I would get another opinion like others have mentioned but I would definitely keep them in. Those things are like 5k and it is not worth it to take them out if they haven’t helped. Keep them in so they can adjust them if they need to and only take them out when your teeth have improved. GL!</p>