Hi all. I'm new here and stumbled across this forum while doing a Googling the term "open bite". I'm male, 42 and have had an open bite for
all my life. It's a rather large open bite to be honest. When I was younger, way, way back, I did attempt corrective action. My father took me to an
orthodontist, recommended by my dentist, and he installed a wire appliance on two upper teeth that looped around to the front and had a sharp, razor like blade
that was positioned in the area of the open bite. I remember vividly how I got it installed around mid-week and was unable to eat anything for the rest of the
week and weekend. On Monday we went back to the ortho and got it removed. I'm telling you this was pure torture. An absolute insidious device that gave me
nothing but severe pain for the 5 days I had it on. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't talk, my tongue was bleeding, it was hell!! I
understand about "retraining" a tongue, but I also understand there are limits. This was the limit. I've not done attempted any corrective action
since. I think that experience really soured me on having anything done.
Anyways, I get by. There are certainly many more things to have that are worse than an open bite. I really don't have a smile to speak of, but I smile on the inside. And I really don't know if my open bite is genetic or was developed through an adverse habit when I was a child. I do know that I sucked on a bottle until 5 or 6 years old. I don't know why. I'm sure my mother tried weening me off of it at a much younger age, but I remember I used to throw terrible fits as a child, and I'm sure I did in this case, too. And she probably just caved figuring I would give it up on my own.
At 42, I really don't have plans to do anything about it now this late in life. I just lost my job, again, which has been the norm for the past 7 years, as I have been working in the automotive industry. I haven't had any dental insurance since 2001. I do get my teeth cleaned regularly, though. I can eat ok. I speak ok. I just don't think that life's circumstances are going to provide me an opportunity to address this problem. And from what I have been through as a child, I'm not sure I would pursue them anyway. There is always the possibility that things could end up worse after a surgery or other action.
Oh, and btw, I saw the poll about TMJ and autoimmune disorders, and I do have hypothyroidism. But, I must say, I am skeptical about any connection. My sister has hypothyroidism and she got it when she was just 16. I got it when I was 38. She doesn't have any TMJ disorders. She is my half sister on my father's side which would indicate that it is much more likely genetic with possibly some kind of an environmental trigger. That's my take on it. Actually, I'm leaning more towards the fluoridated water as the source of the problems, as the fluorine atom so closely resembles the iodine atom, which the thyroid gland uses to secrete the thyroid hormones and which the body sees as a foreign invader once the fluorine enters the thyroid gland. This leads the body's immune system to attack the invading fluorine in the thyroid.
Anyway, just wanted to say hi to all. And if anyone wants to ask me anything, please feel free.
Anyways, I get by. There are certainly many more things to have that are worse than an open bite. I really don't have a smile to speak of, but I smile on the inside. And I really don't know if my open bite is genetic or was developed through an adverse habit when I was a child. I do know that I sucked on a bottle until 5 or 6 years old. I don't know why. I'm sure my mother tried weening me off of it at a much younger age, but I remember I used to throw terrible fits as a child, and I'm sure I did in this case, too. And she probably just caved figuring I would give it up on my own.
At 42, I really don't have plans to do anything about it now this late in life. I just lost my job, again, which has been the norm for the past 7 years, as I have been working in the automotive industry. I haven't had any dental insurance since 2001. I do get my teeth cleaned regularly, though. I can eat ok. I speak ok. I just don't think that life's circumstances are going to provide me an opportunity to address this problem. And from what I have been through as a child, I'm not sure I would pursue them anyway. There is always the possibility that things could end up worse after a surgery or other action.
Oh, and btw, I saw the poll about TMJ and autoimmune disorders, and I do have hypothyroidism. But, I must say, I am skeptical about any connection. My sister has hypothyroidism and she got it when she was just 16. I got it when I was 38. She doesn't have any TMJ disorders. She is my half sister on my father's side which would indicate that it is much more likely genetic with possibly some kind of an environmental trigger. That's my take on it. Actually, I'm leaning more towards the fluoridated water as the source of the problems, as the fluorine atom so closely resembles the iodine atom, which the thyroid gland uses to secrete the thyroid hormones and which the body sees as a foreign invader once the fluorine enters the thyroid gland. This leads the body's immune system to attack the invading fluorine in the thyroid.
Anyway, just wanted to say hi to all. And if anyone wants to ask me anything, please feel free.
