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Thanks for the replies. I think my situation is different to Mike's as she has moderate-to-severe crowding and a cross bite that causes pain so she will really benefit from treatment.

Thanks for your detailed post, Sparky. I totally agree about fastbraces. I can only find two practitioners of Damon Braces in our entire city and neither are near to us. I have to say, Damon Braces did not ring the same alarm bells with me as fastbraces (though up until a month or so ago I knew almost nothing about braces). I thought the self-ligating nature of them just meant you had constant pressure rather than having to rely on tightenings so it spend things up a bit. It's irrelevant anyway as they're not an option for us.

We have talked at length about it now and want it done properly, not just cosmetic. Of all the reading I've done it looks like fixed metal is the most reliable, predictable option — and to fix her problems it's worth spending time on it.

I'm not sure if it's the same everywhere but in the UK pretty much every dentist website I've looked at has a huge push on anything that isn't traditional braces and is, in many cases, cosmetic only. I've read so many poor experiences of fastbraces, people who went with Invisalign and regretted it. Conversely, traditional braces seem to always do the job and most people seem fine wearing them after the first month. I think it's a shame we have a culture that is so superficial.

I'm glad I researched it properly first anyway.

Thanks again for the info.

Hallo wieder einmal!
Kurzes Update von heute: Mir ist vorige Woche aufgefallen, dass die Lücke links, wo früher der 4er war, wieder größer geworden ist. Das merkte ich beim Verwenden der Zahnseide. Deswegen hatte ich einen Termin für heute ausgemacht.
Der Doc hat es kurz angeschaut und es für gut befunden, dass ich den Termin ausgemacht habe. Anscheinend ist der Kieferknochen noch nicht ganz so stabil, wie er sein könnte. Deswegen verschiebt sich dort leichter etwas. Aus diesem Grund ist die Verblockung oben wieder weggekommen und ich habe erneut eine Kette von 7 auf 7 bekommen.
Auf die Frage, wie es mit dem Abnahmetermin in ca. 2 Wochen steht, meinte er, dieser bleibt. Die Gummis soll ich weiter verwenden, obwohl ich mir noch nicht sicher bin, ob ich heute nicht aussetze, da ich so schon leichte Schmerzen habe. Ich konnte gerade nicht mal ein dünnes Stück Schoko ohne Schmerzen essen.
Alternativ könnte ich auch einen weicheren Gummi einsetzen. Ich werde das in den nächsten Minuten entscheiden.
Morgen sieht alles sicher wieder ganz anders aus. Also abwarten und Tee trinken...

Alles Liebe und bis bald!

It may just be that, with an adjustment to your existing retainers (assuming they are hawleys), or with a new retainer, a slight adjustment could be made. Yes, I'm guessing you'd need 24/7 wear for a bit, to move the tooth.

As ever, your ortho is the one who can advise you, and I'm sure there is an actual, or implied, warranty, that as long as you wear your retainers as advised, then your teeth shouldn't move.

(What sort of retainers do you have?)

So, I just spent 10 minutes reading about "Fastbraces". They say things like "unlike traditional braces, which first move the crown then move the roots, fastbraces move them both at the same time". There's also a comment that their special square archwire  "reaches down to the roots...".

Here's what https://www.fairfaxvirginiadentist.com/services/fastbraces-orthodontics/fastbraces-vs-regular-braces says:

Consider These Advantages of Fastbraces®

Although Fastbraces® have been around for a few decades, many people aren’t as familiar with them as they are with Invisalign® or traditional wire braces. Fastbraces® have revolutionized the teeth straightening process in recent years. Here are a few of the many advantages offered by Fastbraces®:

Faster Teeth Straightening – As their name implies, Fastbraces® take less time to straighten your teeth on average when compared to other alternatives. The average treatment time is less than a year, with many patients noticing results in as little as three months (about 100 days)!

Less Awkward Than Wire Braces – Because Fastbraces® don’t rely on clunky metal brackets and wires to hold them securely in place, many patients find them more comfortable to wear. They apply less pressure on your teeth and gums without losing any effectiveness in their treatment.

A Patented Design – While regular braces usually use square or rectangular brackets and metal wires, Fastbraces® use a patented triangular (elbow) shape and superelastic wire. In other words, Fastbraces® are usually more flexible and more comfortable than regular braces.
Fewer Visits to the Dentist – Fastbraces® require fewer adjustments than traditional braces, meaning you won’t have to visit your dentist as often (not that we don’t enjoy seeing you!).

Effective Orthodontic Treatment – Fastbraces® are an effective orthodontic treatment for many types of alignment issues. Whether you have an overbite, underbite, crooked teeth, or excessive gaps in-between your teeth, Fastbraces® will help you smile in confidence in no time!

More Affordable Than You Think – Many patients are pleasantly surprised to discover Fastbraces® are more affordable than they had anticipated. Fewer dental visits and faster treatment times mean fewer bills to worry about from our dentists! Many dental insurance plans cover Fastbraces® costs at least partially to make them a viable solution for many patients.


Cons of Fastbraces® to Correct Your Crooked Teeth

While Fastbraces® provide a great orthodontic treatment option for many patients, they may not be suitable for everybody. There are a few cons associated with Fastbraces® that you should consider to make a well-informed decision when determining the best teeth straightening option for you:

Mild Discomfort – Due to the speed at which Fastbraces® reposition your teeth, some patients may experience mild discomfort or itchiness in their gums and teeth. However, any discomfort experienced with Fastbraces® is usually minimal and only temporary.

Not Suitable for Everybody – While Fastbraces® are generally considered a universal orthodontic treatment for both adults and children, they may not be suitable for everybody. A consultation is necessary to determine your eligibility.

A Higher Cost Upfront – While you generally will save money with Fastbraces® in the long-term thanks to fewer adjustments and appointments, you may see a higher price tag upfront when compared with traditional braces.


So a triangular (and Patented!) shaped bracket? Big deal! Ah, hold on "Fewer dental visits"... that's gonna reduce the costs (so why are they more expensive?). "they may not be suitable for everybody"... so I suspect they are 'cherry picking', rather like "Smile Driect Club" do (and watch out for SDC, they only guarantee to straighten your front 12 teeth!).

The way I read this , in reality it like being offered "damon braces" because they are better than "traditional braces".... They seem to be just another type of ceramic bracket.

So, you need to be clear about WHY your wife is wanting treatment. Is it just simple cosmetic (just want front teeth to look nicer), more in-depth cosmetic (want more than the front 12 teeth to look good!), or is it functional (to fix bite problems etc).

Compare it to a kitchen makeover: is it "new doors on cabinets, replace the worktop & oven/hob, replace that old tiling too".... or is it a "rip the old kitchen out and start from a bare room!"

There's a reason that XYZ treatment is faster than other treatments: XYZ is clearly NOT doing the same job!

(and I haven't even mentioned "snake oil" once!!!)

There's really little I can add here, but if you want to read a tome:
https://www.bracesforum.net/orthodontic-treatment/wife's-braces-journey/

Pics and video:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeinreallife
https://www.youtube.com/@mikefxb1682

Good luck!

You might contact a guy named MikeB, who, some years ago, happened to convince his wife Carrie to undergo orthodontic treatment. She did not despearatly need them, but was willing to have her treatment done. She did very well and he followed her treatment with some youtube films. She was very brave and now has a perfect result.

Hi, my partner has gone from saying she'd never endure braces to not only accepting that metal braces are the best way to fix her teeth but is actually starting to get excited about it (I never thought we'd get to this point, it took years).

We have the consultation booked. Since it's a lot of money and I want her to have the best outcome, I started researching braces and didn't realise what a minefield orthodontics is now.

I'm in the UK where, as an adult, most healthcare is free at the point of use but, for most people, dentistry is not. I only say this because when you look at dentists' websites, they are very sales-orientated, which you wouldn't get with the NHS. And they seem to heavily push things like Invisalign and “six month smiles” over traditional metal.

The orthodontist we are seeing seems to have a good reputation and is very well qualified. However, her practice, on top of Invisalign and traditional metal/ceramic braces, offers Fastbraces.

I started looking into Fastbraces and could not believe the amount of bad experiences. They claim to be a lot faster but seem to be a quick cosmetic fix and many people either end up wearing them longer or have a worse bite at the end of it. My partner's teeth are crowded and crooked (been told before that it's “moderate to severe”) and the thought of them being shifted into place in a few months doesn't sit right and I would worry about the long term health of her teeth with this option. Her dentist said in passing at a previous checkup that fastbraces could fix things in 6–8 months, surely not!

From what I've read Invisialign can be quite good but relies on patient compliance. But from my research it seems that fixed metal braces are the gold standard and are reliable, predictable and powerful in the hands of the right orthodontist.

I was starting to worry if an orthodontist who offered fastbraces would be any good but every single dentist I have looked at offers some kind of cosmetic option like “six month smiles” (which seems to be a similar approach to fastbraces).

My questions are:

[list type=decimal]
[*]Should I be concerned that an orthodontist is offering fastbraces? Should I expect her to disclose that fastbraces are faster but purely cosmetic whereas traditional metal are far more comprehensive? From looking at websites it looks like dentists generally assume no adult is willing to don train tracks and they do the hard sell on other options. However, maybe that won't be the case in the consultation (I hope!).

[*]I'm curious about others' experiences when having a consultation. If we go in asking for fixed metal braces from the outset will she try pushing other options (that may be faster for them and more lucrative)? I know no one can answer that as it depends on the orthodontist but interested to hear opinions all the same. My wife has agreed fixed metal is best and I have made list of reasons why we want them and why we don't want Invisalign, ceramics or fastbraces in case they do in case it comes up.
[/list]

Maybe I'm worrying about nothing but after years and years I am so close to getting her in metal braces I want to make sure it happens!

I would say more likely than not that you'd have to pay again. If your orthodontist really believes that you've been wearing your retainer as much as you have been instructed, then maybe they'd charge less or include it in your previous treatment. That really depends on your orthodontist's specific policies.

@thelog Wow, those look awesome! Do you have a pic with them on?

The powerchains worked out well - I stretched them for 3 weeks or so. They were really stretched and easy to work with, though I found as I handled and manipulated them, they tightened up

https://imgur.com/a/4gL7eNj

Hello again,
diesmal kommt mein Bericht leider etwas verspätet, aber hier ist er.
Am letzten Mittwoch hatte ich einen Kontrolltermin.
Diesmal lief es sehr unspektakulär ab. Da unten rechts das Häkchen locker geworden ist, hab ich das der Assistentin gesagt. Diese hat auch wie jedes Mal überprüft, ob noch alle Brackets fest sind. Dann kam der Doc, mit ihm hab ich auch über den etwas längeren 1er rechts oben gesprochen. Er meinte, dass der linke 1er etwas mehr "abgeknabbert" sei als der rechte und dass beim Polieren dann alles perfekt werde. Nach der Reparatur des Häkchens gab es noch eine Besprechung im Besprechungsraum.
Dort hat mir dann der Doc angekündigt, dass wir einen Termin ausmachen müssten, um mich von der Spange zu befreien. Dies wird am 15.11. stattfinden. Weiters besprach er mit mir die Phase der Retention. Unten bekomme ich einen innenliegenden Draht, wofür ein kleiner Innenabdruck gemacht wurde. Für oben wird es eine Schiene sein, die ich 1 Jahr lang nachts tragen muss. Während dieser Zeit wird es weitere Kontrolltermine geben, um das Ergebnis zu kontrollieren, bis die Zähne wieder fest im Kiefer verankert sind.
Es geht somit in die letzte Runde, beim nächsten Mal schreibe ich wohl ohne Spange.
Bis dahin alles Liebe!

PS: Falls Ihr Fragen habt, einfach mal einen Kommentar hinterlassen.

I had braces for nearly a year and had them taken off 4 months ago. I have been wearing my retainers every night but one tooth has moved slightly. I really want to have braces again. Will I have to pay for another round of treatment or will my orthodontist include it in my previous treatment?

Hallo,

@BracesCD: Ich habe mir genau dasselbe bestellt und seit ein paar Tagen sind meine Abdrücke nun eingesendet, ich bin schon ganz gespannt und werde gerne berichten, wenn ich meine Apparatur habe.

@Alle: Danke für die Tips bzgl. Kleber, denn ich möchte dann auch gerne möglichst echte Erfahrungen sammeln, nachdem ich in der Jugend nie eine Zahnspange bekommen habe.

etwa einen halben tag... hab aber auch immer weiter experimentiert... ein brötchen war zu viel

Wie lange hast deine selbst geklebten Brackets denn dann getragen, bevor sie abgingen?

also über die sinnhafitigkeit sollte man bei diesem hobby wohl nicht philosophieren ... spaß bei seite... ich hatte mir die brackets damit direkt aufgeklebt also ohne fakes dahinter. das hat weiches essen ausgehalten

Hält der Kleber denn dann auch etwas? Sodass man wenigstens weiche Sachen damit kauen kann, oder ist das komplett sinnlos?

der zahnschmuck kleber ist super harmlos. er verhällt sich ausgehärtertet änlich wie heißgleber und kann leicht von den Brackes und den Zähnen gepullt werden.

Kleber für Zahnschmuck oder Haftcreme hatte ich auch mal gelesen, aber ruiniert man sich damit nicht seine schönen Fakes? Jemand Erfahrung?  ???

Hallo Du!
Soviel ich wei, werden diese Apparaturen im Modellguss-Verfahren hergestellt.
Bänder wären ohne vorheriger Separation sicher kaum einsetzbar und müssten individuell angepasst werden, was am Modell sicher nur schwer möglich ist.
Die Brackets hängen „nur“ am Draht und werden garnicht befestigt. Daher kann man mit den Dingern leider auch nicht wirklich essen. Hab aber mal wo gelesen, dass jemand den Kleber von azahnschmuck verwendet hat… Aber ob’s das ist?
Bin selbst grad mit einem nervenden Uahn in Behandlung und möchte dann auch gerne so ein Teil anfertigen lassen. Muss mir aber noch überlegen, ob mit Brackets oder ohne…

Bis dahin mal viel Spaß beim Überlegen ????