Re: Overbite + missing 2nd premolars + jaw too far back problems... help?
without the xrays it is not possible to determine what the result of the ortho on the lowers is. but for certain, you are developing an exagerated overbite, class 2. this can be skeletal, or it can be due to the teeth arrangement alone, or it could be due to both. only the general dentist or orthod. could tell by taking some measurements and a couple more tracing xrays.
from everything you've included, removing the top 3rd molars is likely to be helpful. it stops the further migration forward of the of the uppers. it also allows you to better care for the 2nd molars. you are obviously young, and it is easiest to pull 3rds before age 25 or so becuase the bone gets more brittle with age and it's a more straightforward procedure if the bone has "give". if the 3rds already have decay, it would behoove you to have them removed for that reaon too, as they are very difficult to keep clean. (yes, it is technically possible to drag teeth both directions, but may not be practical or desireable. in your case, i have never seen uppers dragged back because that would affect your profile -- in realtion to your nose -- have a look and you'll see what i mean in the mirror.)
the xrays of the lowers would reveal if the molars have truly been moved forward or if they've been tipped forward instead (and likely to relapse and open that space back up, esp w/o a retainer). i see the canine has an unusual amt of wear and that could be from all this shifting as it's taking a harder beating than normal. (the canine is designed to take the hardest loads in the mouth for certain types of movement).
you might find after 3rds extraction that that is a sufficient treatment endpoint! i'd do that, if it were me, and see where the dust settles. you might want to have before, during, and after profile shots and casts taken so you can track the progress -- you just never know if you're going to move or change dentists in the future for any reason, etc. hope that helps!
|