Veneers

[Lily]

OK - apart from investigating the composite, it feels like I am veering back towards having the braces. It's just such a pain I need so much doing when all I want is those bloody 2 teeth sorted. I will see if there is anything else my orthodonist might recommend as an alternative, because those are the only things which bother me. I have decided against surgery to re-align my jaw, and I've accepted it how it is. It should not be this complicated to squidge a couple of stupid teeth into line.

It does make me feel better about the invisalign that several of you have had teeth removed.

I know we can't be perfect. But I would like to be a bit - improved.

[Lily]

I really want to say it’s like living as a woman for a year before surgery vs just having it all lopped off in one go Sorry I’m on holiday :wine:

This has made me do a real live LOL.

That sounds dreadfully difficult Shoebles. I would be v interested to hear if you have joy with hypnotherapy.

[Lily]

I have been thinking nonstop about this and spoke to the orthodontist again today. She explained that she hadn't mentioned shaving anything off my teeth because she thinks the teeth which would be veneered are so far back they don't need any "trim", and if I did have it (maybe just 1mm) it would be on the one which has root canal treatment so wouldn't be sensitive anyway.

We both agreed that the invisalign mooted is epic and a very big, complicated piece of work to right something which is comparatively small - just me two front teef - and the veneers are (a) much, much easier and (b) reversible whereas invisalign isn't. I am having moulds taken again next week, and again not committing to anything but I feel much happier about this now. I had talked myself into invisalign again but had fears about shadows on my teeth and how long it would take. The orthodonist had said it would be as hard as invisalign gets, and it is unnecessary if all I want improved is my top jaw!

[Luce]

Sorry if I've misunderstood but how are veneers reversible when they have to shave your teeth down? I'm afraid I'm quite cynical about her saying it 'probably' doesn't need doing.

Do you need to investigate the BDD element before doing something irreversible?

[Lily]

We'll look into this once I've had the moulds. If I do have to have shaving, I will have a rethink although the tooth would be dead anyway so it wouldn't cause prolems that way. She did reassure me I wouldn't wind up looking like the Headless Horseman.

I did have to have a pyschiatric evaluation for when I wanted my jaw reset, because it is so massive a deal (I thought I could get it done while my parents were on holiday ) but not for braces.

[Glint]

Lily, veneers are reversible as they can ping off leaving your tooth exposed and looking worse than before. In my experience, once a veneer has come off, it is less stable and can fall out again with increasing frequency until you get a new veneer or crown or implant.

[Lily]

If I had anything shaved of the tooth then that would worry me, but if I don't have that done then if it pings off it will just look how it looked before - I would have thought?

[Glint]

They're put on with cement (I think) which I’m sure could damage your enamel, so I’d imagine your teeth wouldn’t look exactly the same.

[Edith Bacon]

If one ‘pings off’ then the other will still look improved and the difference between the two would be quite marked. This would probably draw attention to your teeth in a way that doesn’t happen now.

[Gannet]

Don't veneers need replacing periodically? I thought here was a the initial outlay and then you had all the same expense again 10 years down the line

[Duophonic]

I think there's a confusion over veneers and bonding

Veneers - porcelain, irreversible, teeth have to be reduced to fit the veneers on, can ping off, will require maintenance.
Bonding - resin, cheaper, no damage to teeth, not as stain resistant, not as hard wearing, will require maintenance, doesn't respond to tooth whitening well.

[Shoe]

I think I have bonding.

For those who were interested in the results: I had my appointment at the dental hospital. I've to keep doing face exercises, get a new special mouth splint to sleep in, change my anxiety medication and then see them again in 6 months. If nothing changes she said she would refer me to a surgeon to speak to them about botox. No mention of hypnotherapy or acupuncture.

[Lily]

I don't know what to do.

Let us know how your situation goes, Shoe. I've not heard of botox for sleep-grinding! My friend is in a brace because of it, but I'm not convinced by the dentist bloke who advises it.

[Shoe]

I asked if a brace might help and the consultant said no, she said that the position of your teeth is generally not linked to bruxism. You get people with perfect teeth who grind and damage them and you get people with really wonky teeth who have no issues at all. She said she didn't thin a brace would do anything to help me.

I'd read up on botox for grinding before and then discounted it as there were all sorts of warnings about side effects and things that could go wrong. The consultant said there were risks but that if they did it for me the procedure would be done by a surgeon which makes me feel a bit better. It's the last result though as there is no proper evidence that it actually helps, although they have found that people generally report that it does which is why it's still offered.

[Disco]

Thanks Shoe, that's interesting. I literally only read about botox for it a day or so ago; just one individual's experience but it worked for them.

My dentist said to wear my night guard a few times a week and then I'll get out of the habit. I was like, you don't even know me, I've done it ever since I've had teeth, I cannot even go one night without wearing it or I'll wake up with more chipped/ broken teeth. Mine definitely worsens when I'm worrying about something.

[Lily]

My therapist is in a brace to try and sort her grinding - she has Bruxism I think?

I had a session yesterday. I have been thinking what Ken or Luce (or both?!) said about it being BDD. I don't think it is, because my teeth are physically there, and a couple of people have said "yeah I see what you mean" when I've mentioned having them done - but yesterday I had a small, pretty flat mole removed for no reason other than I think it's a blemish. The surgeon said it would scar and I said I'd rather a scar than a blemish, because at least it looks like I've tried to improve myself (I don't know why. I know that's weird). It was entirely benign and I felt a bit weird as I saw her take off a little bit of my body for no good reason beyond that I wanted to try and make myself look better.

Sam (therapist) has suggested holding off on anything massive and permanent and thinking a bit more about stuff.

[Kenickie]

Like I said, I don't know that much about BDD but isn't it not so much that it's always entirely imaginary but more that it's a disproportionate reaction? So someone could say not be entirely skin and bone, and could say point to a roll of fat on their hip which someone might say 'I see what you mean' but it would be about the amount of head space it took up for them/the measures they were prepared to take to do something about it? So it would be about how much it affected their life/time spent worrying about it.

I guess it's like thinking 'I've got pale eyelashes so look better with mascara'and someone being able to agree that's the case, Vs not being able to leave the house without putting on mascara, having a spare tube in case it wears off, checking in the mirror every half hour to make sure it's still on etc.

I think your therapist sounds sensible. Maybe just leave it for six months or a year and don't think about it, and see how you feel then?

[smalex]

I agree, wholeheartedly.

[Luce]

Yep, so do I. I'm wary of veering into a topic I know very little about but I'd have thought we all have things we want to improve about how we look but its whether your reaction to that is extreme or not, such as something unnecessary risky or irreversible or life-changing. I think people without BDD would acknowledge the perceived flaw but without the pressing need to fix it at all costs. Or whether there is a pattern for constantly wanting to fix something but the only common denominator of those things is the need to fix them rather than just one person who has always wanted bigger boobs, for example, then got them and then left it at that.

[baargain]

Like I said, I don't know that much about BDD but isn't it not so much that it's always entirely imaginary but more that it's a disproportionate reaction?

Yep, that's absolutely it. All of the patients I've seen have been fixed on an ordinary "flaw" but see it as disproportionately ugly/deformed/noticeable. Its almost never been about purely imaginary defects/flaws. After all, we are all flawed or a bit wonky in our appearance!

Your therapists advice sounds v sensible.

(also, when you point out small/normal flaws to people, they often say "Oh yeah, I see what you mean". But that's because they've never noticed it before and you have just made them inspect that area of your face in detail. If you stare at yourself/others close enough, for long enough, you will find wonkiness)