Metal Mouth Message Board

I also have been very much frustrated on the slow progress of closing a 3mm gap despite using rubberbands, ligual buttons, powerchains for at least a year. However, at my adjustment yesterday, my Ortho personally worked on my teeth(lucky me!) and he used what I think may be called a "closing sp...

I do have a favorite ortho assistant. She's the most informative, caring, proactive and competent one I know in my ortho's office. If I happen to be really unlucky, I end up with the lady who showers with a really strong, offensive perfume, is really rough and insensitive about people's pain toleran...

I hate my bloody braces! My powerchains keep getting torn, my teeth ache, I have what I think would be permanent scars on the inside of my cheeks. What I don't understand is why it takes forever to close a 3mm gap. Can't he try something radical, geez. And I am sick and tired of asking my Ortho ever...

Tell me about it! I've had my lower braces for 1.5 years and uppers for a year. My minor underbite was corrected a year ago but a gap on my uppers that is 2.5mm is taking forever to close. I have been wearing elastics and powerchains from the very beginning and it's not making it go any faster. Toda...

This actually happened to me this morning but luckily I was at the ortho's office. The assistant noticed that it was loose as she was trying to pry the hook out. A loose band is bad because it can cause cavities and tooth decay, that's what the assistant said. Now I'm paranoid that the other band mi...

I also cheat all the time. I think after a few months in braces you figure out what you can or can't handle to eat. However, I have noticed that whenever I eat anything really chewy, I tend to break one of the loops on my powerchain. Have done that twice already! Just another excuse to see my ortho ...

Thanks DMB and john_doe for your sensible advise. I think I already know what my ortho will say-- that I have to be more patient. I guess I'm just having one of those days.

If I ordered the appropriate powerchain and "pliers" from an ortho suppy store, could I change my own powerchain? I wanted it changed weekly instead of every 4-5 weeks. Is there any danger in changing your own powerchains?