I had braces when I was a teenager but unfortunately my teeth have moved. Although I stopped wearing my retainer my dentist says that my teeth also moved as I now have ‘clicking jaw’ which I did not have before my braces when I was a teenager. He says this was probably as a result of my orthodontic treatment? I was wondering how this could be treated and also I feel that my teeth that sit right next to my two front teeth are too short? Can this be fixed with cosmetic dentistry or would I need orthodontic work?
Hi there,
Firstly, lots of studies have been done looking into the whether or not orthodontics can cause problems with the jaw joints, and they have not shown anything conclusive. Unfortunately, orthodontics is often undertaken at a time where problems in these joints frequently occurs, particularly in teenage girls.
As to the teeth, depending on the position of the teeth either orthodontics or cosmetic work could resolve the problem, but without seeing the teeth this is hard to ascertain.
The best thing to do would be to see some orthodontists and cosmetic dentists and get some opinions about it.
If your jaw joint problems continue you may need to consider a mouthguard for night-time.
I hope this has been of some use.
Saba Qureshi
(Orthodontic Specialist, Sparkle Dental Boutique, London)
Saba Qureshi
311 Boston Road Hanwell London W7 2AT
Web: www.sparkledental.co.uk Tel: 020 8567 4344
