Question about teeth and braces

[CathyA]

DD got braces a long time ago. She wore them over 3 years and then they came off about 8 years ago. She took great care of her teeth during that time, and I always made sure she got to the dentist and orthodontist.
But now that she hasn't lived at home for about 6 years, I just can't be the one to get her to the dentist all the time. Well, she keeps putting off going. I'm sure she takes fairly good care of her teeth now. But the orthodontist left a metal wire inside her lower front teeth, permanently. I guess this is fairly common, for some reason.
Well, DD can't get under that wire and they are stained horribly.
I'm wondering......would it be okay to have that wire removed? It is attached, I think, to her two lower canines. (Is that what they're called??).

At least then she'd be able to keep them clean. I'm just afraid they might decay or lead to some gingivitis. Maybe that's what she needs to motivate her to take care of her own dentist appointments!
Thanks for your input.

[catherine]

My DD had HORRIBLE teeth and had all kinds of braces for years and years. I guess my thoughts are that 1) she can probably have that wire removed with no horrible consequences but 2) she should see a dentist first to make sure her wisdom teeth aren't impacted, or moving, or otherwise doing anything that might throw her straight teeth out of whack. My DD had to have her wisdom teeth out because they were shifting the bottom row of perfectly straight teeth and after all the time and all that money, there was no way we were going to have that happen!

[CathyA]

Thanks Catherine,
Fortunately, DD was born without wisdom teeth! (I guess that explains alot). hahahaha....just kidding.

[razz]

That wire is doing no harm and may prevent problems depending on what her situation was at the outset. Definitely talk to someone in the know first.

[chrisgermany]

When I was 50 I noticed that my teeth in the lower jaw moved slowly into a not-so-nice position. For one year I got them corrected by a system of invisible (plastic) braces.
When the correction was finished the specialist recommended either a permanent metal wire on the inside or a night brace on the lower jaw to prevent the teeth from moving back.
I opted for the night brace (see through plastic) as I was concerned about cleaning and gum problems.
Wearing it since more than one year now I am very satisfied with it.
No problems with cleaning and flossing.
Maybe a night brace is an option for DD, too.

[Acorn]

My daughter has a wire on her lower teeth as well. The orthodontist said it is to prevent shifting in the future. She manages to keep those teeth clean using a proxy brush instead of flossing and it works pretty well along with regular hygienist visits.
About wisdom teeth - does anyone know if it is okay to leave them in? My daughter's wisdom teeth were x-rayed and they showed them to be practically sideways. The dentist said they will probably never come out because they are so squeezed in there. But I am worried they will rot or get impacted in there.

[CathyA]

Thanks everyone. I'll tell her about the night guard.
Acorn.......Nothing was wrong with my wisdom teeth, but the dentist encouraged me to have them removed, since they are so hard to reach to clean and mine were getting pretty dirty.
Even if they are really squeezed in there, they can be cut out, under some anesthesia. DS had crooked ones and they were hurting, so he had them removed.

[pony mom]

I got my braces off way back in 1979 and wish they had that wire back then. My teeth have shifted a bit over the years. After wearing medieval head-gear/night brace, rubber bands, retainers, biplates and old fashioned braces (where they were attached to metal bands that wrapped around each tooth), it's a shame they don't look perfect anymore. It's definitely an improvement though--I had a wicked overbite. Now I'm told my smile is my best feature.

Would a Water Pik help? My orthodontist always commented on how clean my braces were and I only used a regular toothbrush then.

BTW, remember years ago as kids they'd make us chew those red pills to see where we had plaque? Are those still around? I'm curious how good my beloved Sonicare toothbrush really is.