Metal Mouth Message Board

I had braces for two years, and wore elastics for a year and a half of that time specifically to correct issues with my midline. The midline on the top was off slightly to one side, while the midline for the bottom was off by an entire tooth to the other side. It didn't take too long to get things m...

I finished my braces treatment in 2005. Nothing but positive changes, here. My ortho took a series of pictures before and after treatment. Here are a couple of the ones where you can best see the changes in my face: http://mostlyinedible.com/images/photos/Compare1.jpg http://mostlyinedible.com/image...

Hey all! I used to be a regular around these parts, but not so much recently. I got my braces off two years ago. I wore my hawley retainers religiously for about a year afterwards, but fell into some bad habits after that. Just this past week I had all 3 of my wisdom teeth out. They were fully erupt...

Thanks guys! I got out my retainer and while the bottom still fits great, the top is a bit snug and almost doesn't quite fit. I've already noticed a lot of shift on the top; trying to floss between my front teeth there was no resistance (normally these teeth are a little snug). I'm going to wear the...

Hi all, I have been out of braces for a couple years now. Just this week I had all of my wisdom teeth extracted, and I'm a little concerned about my teeth shifting and ruining all the hard work I went through previously! I'm considering going back to my orthodontist to see if they can adjust my hawl...

If you haven't started taking pictures to track your progress, you might want to start. You're likely to see a great deal of movement in the first few weeks! I started taking pictures of my braces progress pretty much every month starting at month two. I wish I'd started taking weekly pictures earli...

I would bring this up with his ortho. I have hawley retainers, with a spring to keep one of my back molars in place. I was instructed to wear them 24/7 for the first six months, and then as often as I could after that. Nine months after debanding, I got the ok to wear them only at night. Even now th...

I use denture cleaning tablets on mine, and it works great. You can usually buy them in the grocery store, or at your drugstore. Also, make sure that you're cleaning the case you keep your retainer in (if you aren't wearing it 24/7).

I've tried whitening gels in the past that made my teeth very sensitive. I recently got the whitestrips to try out. I have been using Arm & Hammer Enamel Care toothpaste, and I'm not noticing any sensitivity from the whitestrips. I don't know if the toothpaste is helping or not, but it's suppose...

Good news! Yes, with hawleys you can continue to correct some problems. I have a spring in my retainers that is to keep one of my molars pushed out. A week and then some shouldn't see that much movement; I'd imagine your ortho will account for any small movement with the retainer.

Good luck!

I had my braces on for two years. I remember well sitting around thinking, "When will I ever be able to enjoy normal food again?!" Looking back though, the time really just flew by. There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about how worth it the whole experience was. I'd do it al...

Hey Chris! Thanks! Most of the two years I spent in braces was to finish correcting the midline. My crooked teeth shifted into place fairly quickly but those darned midlines are subborn! I think I started wearing elastics around month 5, and wore them all the way up until a few months before I got m...

Congratulations, Mary! It's been a long journey! I hope you are thrilled by your gorgeous new smile!

This past june I got my braces off after two very long years. I just had my follow-up appointment for my retainers and I remembered to ask for copies of my records photos. I've put together some comparison shots to show the difference two years of braces has made in not only my smile but my profile ...

Congratulations! I know exactly how you feel! Just got mine off a couple weeks ago and I'm still in awe every time I look in the mirror! Just a word of warning, the hawleys will be a little hard to get used to at first but not nearly as bad as you think. Just hang in there, and within a week you won...