Dr. Hall,
I wore braces for most of my teenage life. I had a huge gap between my front teeth since I was a child. However, my orthodontist failed to tell me that I would need a surgical procedure done to remove the mass of tissue between my front teeth (the probable cause of the gap). After my braces were taken off, constant wear of the retainer caused it to break and my teeth shifted VERY quickly (within hours). Now I rely on the Teeth Effects bands (teeth-gap.com) your site wrote negatively about to keep my teeth together. Since my teeth shift very quickly, I wore the bands constantly. Lately, however, I’ve noticed my two front teeth are fairly loose and my gums are receding. However, if I do not wear the bands, my teeth shift so much that it causes discomfort to my other teeth. I wish I had read your article sooner – I really don’t want my teeth to fall out. 🙁 Any advice will do.
Thanks so much!
Katy from Pennsylvania
Dear Katy,
I hope that we are catching you in time, and that your front teeth aren’t so loose that they will fall out! This is a very real possibility, so I would recommend immediately discontinuing the use of the Teeth Effects bands. The damage to the support of your teeth will be much greater than it appears to be on the outside, and if your teeth are loose, you have probably already lost most of their bone support. As I explain in the web page I just linked here, the Teeth Effects bands are a high risk treatment and making your teeth become loose is an all-to-frequent side effect.
You have two options. One is to have another removable retainer made. It really isn’t very expensive, and almost any dentist should be able to do this for you. They just take an impression of your teeth and send it to the lab. It’s quick and easy.
But the preferred option would be to have a permanent retainer. Again, almost any dentist should be able to do this, or you could go to an orthodontist. And again, this shouldn’t be very expensive. The dentist would bond a short wire on the backs of your two front teeth to hold them together.
If money is a big issue for you, then tell the dental office that and ask them before you schedule the appointment how much either of these services would cost, and shop for a dentist who can do this for you at a fee you can afford.
Good luck,
Dr. Hall
Related links:
Read more about braces.
Read about the various options for treating a tooth gap.
We thank our advertisers who help fund this site. |
|
About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
coleen winton says
No more worries in showing your brightest smile. Teeth Effect Bands offers you the safest and most efficient treatment to close teeth gaps permanently. This alternative solution will be on your rescue without the expensive costs of having braces. Now show some teeth and keep smiling.
Comment by Dr. Hall:
We just received this comment in response to this post from several years ago. I’m not kidding. I think the Teeth Effects person must have been cruising the Internet for mentions of Teeth Effects, and posted this comment, which included a link to their website. I don’t think they read the post because their comment just draws attention to this negative publicity.
Fortunately, blog comments have to be approved by me before they go live, so I was able to delete the link and add this warning comment. I absolutely don’t recommend Teeth Effects bands, for the reasons stated in my original post.