Fourteen months ago I wrote my blog on adult orthodontics entitled “Teeth.” I’m at the point where my bottom teeth are almost straight. I might need one or two more adjustments until the process is complete, but I consider it all done now.
It didn’t really take a whole year. I was driving back from a Dentist appointment on January 24, 2013 when I was T-boned in the intersection of Alcosta Blvd. and Bollinger Canyon Road. At that point, straightening my bottom teeth was not a priority.
It took about three months to recover from my accident. I could have returned to Dr. Eberle for my adjustments in April, but because the accident was associated with going to the Dentist, I wasn’t quite ready to go back until August.
So I skipped the straightening process for 8 months and it almost had to be restarted. Dr. Eberle readjusted the adjustable retainer, and I continued to go back for adjustments every week or two until now.
I wasn’t so concerned with how my teeth looked, but I kept biting my lip or my cheek and one particularly angled tooth kept cutting or rubbing the inside of my lip.
I’m writing about this again because many people over 50 have crooked bottom teeth. Maybe younger people do too, but it is very noticeable in baby boomers and up. As we age our bottom teeth become more crooked. I see a lot of older people on TV with very crooked bottom teeth. These people may not know how easy it is to use an adjustable retainer to straighten their crooked teeth.
If any of my readers have slightly crooked or migrating teeth I highly recommend contacting your Dentist about straightening them. If you need an orthodontist, your Dentist will tell you, but if you can use the adjustable retainer it will be easier and much less expensive. My original orthodontics cost four times what the adjustable retainer cost.
With my teeth almost completely straight now, I don’t have any problems with biting my lip or cheek. The adjustment process is easy and not terribly expensive. If anyone out there is bothered by crooked teeth, call your Dentist and see if an adjustable retainer would work for you.
I had that problem, but another thing some body can do is just have most of there bad teeth pulled. I did that and now my wife is always reminding me that I have more tattoos then I have teeth. Still though I don’t have that nasty crookedness.
Local,
That seems a bit drastic, but I understand why you did it. When I first got braces 15 years ago they were very uncomfortable. I needed them for almost a year, but my company’s dental policy covered over 50% of the cost. For someone without the money or the time to spend on straightening his/her teeth, pulling the crooked ones might be the only other solution.
Roz
If you don’t have the money can you do it yourself? I’ve only got these three left on the bottom, but I have the time to straiten them because there crooked. It probably takes a lot of time though. Thoughts?
Sometimes I get angry because corn ears and beef jerkey are my favorite foods of all time. Now the wivey makes me eat mush.
Local,
I’m not a dentist so I shouldn’t be giving advice on what to do. Ask your Dentist if he or she can put in a bridge between your teeth or implants. My mother had implants done a few years ago and she has a bridge for her front teeth which she lost as a teenager. She’s 98 now and has most of her teeth. Keep ’em if you can.
Roz
Thanks for your advise Roz. I try to avoid dentists when I can, because it bothers me having anyone so close to my mouth. Other then my wivey. Last one I went to had strong kimchee breath and I’ll never go back. I don’t know how they can eat that stuff,
Ith dithicult to thpeak wiff no teef, but Rosssssth, I thhhhhink you are being played.
Orin,
I don’t know if Local is pulling his teeth or pulling my leg, but many older people had their teeth pulled years ago because of poor care or bad dentists. I’m over 70 and have almost all of my original teeth.
I asked my dentist why people don’t lose their teeth in their 40s and 50s like they used to when I was growing up. He said most people lose their teeth because of gum disease and regular cleaning prevents this now. So I guess if you want to keep your teeth, see your dentist twice a year.
Roz