Metal Mouth Message Board

I had my braces off last Wednesday, and they gave me an Essix like retainer for just one week, till my Hawley was ready. I got the Hawley today. Boy am I glad. Other than getting used to speaking again, I at least don't have the feeling that I'm drowning!! With the Essix, the saliva just kept buildi...

After 29 months, and at almost age 56, my teeth are straight for the first time. Went into this because of misaligned teeth starting to cause problems with wear. Worse thing about them, food getting caught and hard to clean. Plus the hooks on the molar bands. Getting them off wasn't a problem at all...

55 year old female from Washington state Braces 1st time. 29 months in braces, coming off in 3 weeks !!!!!

I know what you mean...at 55 I also got those looks from the kids! Something like, "Am I still going to be in braces when I'm that old!?" :shock: And their parents look at me and think, "Boy she has more guts than me!". :o After 27 months, I'm almost at the end of my journey with...

I should clarify my response. My teeth were tilted in \ . The expander pushed them out. | Then they have used elastics to bring them down over the bottom teeth, and are now leveling them out with the use of "kinks" in the arch wire. It's amazing what can be done.

They move your teeth out like this \ or / but not the bone of course which is permanent. Using some kind of expander. I had a W-arch expander. Which moved the teeth out on both sides. I had it in for 15 months. You lisp at first, but you get used to it. They hook it to bands on your molars and it si...

I had one similar called a W-arch expander. It didn't have the added metal at the curves you have though. The metal went along the inside of my teeth like yours, and pushed the teeth out to align with the bottom teeth. I had it on for 15 months, took a while to not lisp with it. But I got used to it...

I thought a electric toothbrush would hurt the brackets, but actually it's the other way around. You will probably have to change your brushes every 3-4 months, because they get worn out hitting the brackets. (You probably should change them anyway.) The brushes can be expensive, but you might check...

I have cleanings every 3 months. I get my wires/ powerchains taken off before. I'm lucky that my regular dentist, periodontist, and orthodontist are all in a 3 mile radius. I alternate between the reg dentist and the periodontist for cleanings. They both really appreciate getting the wires off first...

I had a W-arch for 15 months. It was attached to two molars. They opened the molar bands and took them and the arch off. Sanded off the glue, then put new molar bands on. Not bad at all. It felt good to get it off, even though I had gotten pretty used to it.

I got X-rays one year after the start of my treatment. It's just to see if the roots are straightening up, etc. Was amazing to see the difference in the "pan" x-ray. The upper and lower teeth meeting correctly, etc. Sorry but it doesn't necessarily indicate the end of treatment.

15 months ago, they put in upper and lower braces and an W-arch expander all in one visit. Today the expander came out. :D I had forgotten how good it feels to have nothing there pushing against your tongue. It successfully straigtened/ pushed my teeth out ( \ to l ) So now they are working on align...

hi, I'm 54, and have had braces just over a year. I had one tooth (biscuspid, I think) that was behind the lower one. Other than that, what they are fixing, isn't visible. My top and bottom teeth weren't meeting correctly, and this was causing wear on them, and also I had crowding and tipped molars ...

I have a root that is being exposed. I've had gum recession before, and have had 2 grafts done. This particular one, I believe is due to the braces. Have to let you know I'm 54 years old and this may have something to do with it also. They periodontist takes a small piece of tissue from your pallet ...

Hang in there....you will have different teeth hurting, not meeting etc all through the experience. I've had braces now 1 year, and the last adjustment has messed my bite up all together. They are using elastics to pull down one side of my upper arch to level it off, and things are hurting and I can...