Was my dentist negligent?

Question

between the age of 10 an 15 I had different kind of brackets and the result were perfectly straight teeth..however somewhere in my twenties my teeth became crooked again and a friend of mine told me that her dentist put a "metal thread" BEHIND the teeth (so you can´t see it) to prevent the teeth from becoming crooked again) which stays int he mouth the rest of your life..Should my dentist have done the same??? I feel framed

Answer 1

That is the first time I've heard of a metal thread being placed behind the teeth and I've known lots of people who have had braces (including my husband). I have heard of them giving you a retainer to wear at night to keep them from shifting, but not the metal thread.

So no, I don't think your dentist was negligent. It's probably an optional practice that not all dentists do. Plus, it might not have even been around 5-10 years ago.

I hope this asnwers your question. Sorry that you teeth shifted again. My husband's are starting to as well.

Answer 2

Um, well first of all - if you had braces you should have seen an orthodontist, not a dentist.  Second of all, once the braces were taken off you should of had retainers for both the top and bottom teeth that you should have worn consistently for 6 months after your braces were taken off and every night for approximately 2 years after that.  

What your friend is talking about is called a "permanent retainer".  I had one because I had a muscle between my two front teeth that was continuously separating them.  It atrophied the muscle and eventually fell out about 3 years after it was put in.  

If you did not wear your retainers or your orthodontist did not give them to you (which I don't understand, orthodontists always do - at least the good ones) then of course your teeth would go back to their original place.  

You'll have to go see an orthodontist again about your orthodontia if you are looking to straighten your teeth again.  There are new ways (Invisaline is one) to straighten teeth with out the pain and annoyance of brackets.  

Good luck!  

Answer 3

You have to continue wearing your retainer or your teeth WILL shift. The othodontist gave you a retainer and told you to wear it so it's not his fault if you didn't wear it. They probably weren't able to put a permanent retainer on at that time because you were young and still growing. You should have gone back at some point to either get a new one or explore other options.