The Decision Process - To Brace or Not to Brace

The Decision Process - To Brace or Not to Brace

Filled with resistance and frustration I know I must decide whether to move forward with braces or to seek other options.  So I begin my decision making process by talking to my previous dentist. Dr. Moffett in Mandeville and Dr. Tatum in Hattiesburg. Both agreed that the best route to correcting the issue is braces.  The other options are:

1. continue on the present path of cracking and breaking teeth with the possibility of losing teeth (leaving gaps in the bite)
2. replacing the crowns and attempting to shape my teeth to realign my bite and chewing patterns
3. remove 8 of my back teeth (4 on top and 4 on bottom) replacing them with implants or some other type of denture
4. bracing and realigning my teeth

Once I really considered the expense and possibility of losing teeth permanently - It really didn't take long for me to see that the logical decision is to be proactive and brace my teeth.  Yet on the inside I'm not happy about living with braces for 18 months.  

When I was 9 years old, I had all my back baby molars pulled and as soon as my adult molars came in braces were put on my teeth for almost 3 years.  It was a long process and a difficult one.  I realize that the bracing process has advanced and changed tremendously in the past 40 years and I'm praying that this time around will be much easier.  

After making the decision to begin the process, I called Poppy at Dr. Sherman's office and we set the schedule to begin. 

November 20th - Put in spacers to make room for brackets on the top. the bracket will allow Dr. Sherman to install a stabilizing bar on top to balance the force of the MAPS Attachment which will be used to exert force to move my top back teeth into my gum line. 

December 2nd - Remove spacers to make impressions for the brace design and replace the spacers.

December 8th - Put on the braces and the upper stabilizing bar and begin moving teeth.

Within 6 months - have Dr. Regan, the oral surgeon put in the MAPS Attachments into the right and left side of my upper jaw bone.