Some you lose

Its not often that I have a 'failure' to report, but one has happened this week.

A lady in her 60's asked me to improve her crooked lower teeth. Together we decided the best option would be to remove one lower front tooth to create space and fit a ceramic fixed brace to straighten the teeth and close the space. As with everyone I treat we discussed the possible problems she could face especially discomfort during treatment. Everyone will experience some level of discomfort, from either achy teeth or the braces rubbing on the inside of the lips, but this is usually temporary. For most people it takes 1-2 weeks to get used to wearing braces, but it does vary a lot.

Mrs H came to see me several times with areas of rubbing or soreness and in most cases I could help by suggesting orthodontic products or trimming sharp ends. However this week she has decided it is all too much and asked to have the braces removed. We discussed a few options but finishing treatment now was the final decision so she is now very relieved to be free of her braces, even though she does now have a small gap at the front.

Of course, I'm disappointed that it hasn't worked out for her, but this is only the second time in 6 years as an orthodontist that I have had to end treatment for these reasons. I think this shows that for most people the discomfort is temporary and can be tolerated for the end result. My mission is to make people happy, and if wearing braces is having the opposite effect then I'm not being very effective in my mission! I will always try and work with my patients for the best outcome, and this means taking every case separately and listening to their needs.