1. #1

    Default Desperate for help but complicated!! Never show my teeth

    Hi guys

    Just found this site, and so happy - I hadn't realised there was anywhere to get advice from actual dentists & people who know what they are talking about!

    OK, I'm thinking the recap of my relevent tooth history would be easier in bullets:
    - I didn't lose any baby teeth until I was 12, and at 26 the only teeth i had lost are the very front 8. I had an x ray done which showed I had another 4 teeth waiting to come through (what I call 'fangs' - incisors maybe?) when I was 22, but by 24 nothing had happened. I had severe pain in my lower left fang, which apparently was due to the nerve becoming trapped between the stubborn baby tooth and the adult tooth trying to grow. I had it taken out, which was a TERRIBLE experience and made me hugely dental phobic - the local anasthesia didn't work on the 1st two trys (later became apparent in hospital for a general anasthetic I appear to be quite resistant to any kind of anasthesia!) Plus he snapped the tooth twice, and had to dig out bits if it from my gum. It hurt, a lot, and left me with a big swollen cheek for a week or so

    - After that didn't go back until 2 years later, at 26, I was having the same painful problem with my upper left fang, and my adult upper right fang had erupted through the gum above my baby tooth. Got a new, recommended dentist (apparently my old one has been struck off!), who referred me to an orthodontist, who reccomended having both teeth pulled, as well as my upper right fang, as although it was't causing any problems the adult tooth was definitely there, and he felt it would come through if I had my baby tooth removed. I had all 3 removed, as well as a partial root an old tooth had left behind, under sedation. SO much easier with sedation! (If very expensive)

    - My lower right adult tooth appeared within 2 days and grew quickly, and is now fully grown, though a bit crooked. My upper left, the erupted tooth, dropped down a bit an grew pretty quickly over 1st couple of weeks then stopped, and has not moved since - this was more than 6 months ago now. My upper right hasn't even broken the gum, so guess it isn't moving at all.

    - So...I have 2 big holes in the front, upper of my mouth, which is hugely depressing - I never, ever show my teeth while smiling or laughing, in fact smile as little as possible because I'm so self conscious. The orthodontist fitted a retainer which included 2 'fake' teeth to hide the gaps a bit, but my gum changed a fair bit after the removals and it no longer fits, and I am loath to order a new one at £400 as it didn't look particularly real anyway.

    - My orthodontist says my only option is into the hospital, general anaesthetic, peel upper right bums back to put anchors on the tooth that's not growing, and connect it to a fixed brace. Also the tooth growing through my gum would be attached. I have several worries about this option - including the cost, but mainly the treatment itself - he says at my age, nearly 27, it could take 3-4 years! I work in as a Marketing Manager, so image is massively important, and actually my teeth are already affecting my job as I am less comfortable with others & so my networking has practically stopped. Also it is just plain unpleasant having 2 great big gaps in your mouth as a 26yr old woman.


    Sooooo..... my question, at last!! Do I have any other options that don't cost the earth? Including retainer I have spent 800 having the above treatment which I had to put on credit, so if I need to spend loads more I want it to be for the absolute best, most suitable treatment with the best outcome. My primary issue is with the 2 holes in my teeth, my secondary issue is that all my teeth are very small and pretty childlike for some reason, and a few are a bit crooked. Finally, I hate the discolouring I have, and would like a whiter look (but not fake!)

    Help people! Picture below of my horrible teeth...... Thanks in advance for any help. I know you can't advise EXACTLY without examining my mouth, but I am hoping this picture at least helps you give me ideas. I can't even google the tooth that won't come out of my gum as I've no idea what its called! I have nevrer had a filling, though I do have a couple of teeth wearing away and have had a bit of resin put on top of them to slow this. Also in the current job market I can't afford to keep taking days off to travel to different cosmetic dentists to find the right one, as our company is looking for excuses to lose people.

    Help!!



    If you can't see the pic above, hit the link below. Not sure what I'm doing wrong
    http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink
    Last edited by steelercaz; 06-23-2009 at 02:31 PM. Reason: picture didn't work

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