Metal Mouth Message Board

I can't tell you how many times I had to be "talked down" from marching right back into my ortho's office and DEMANDING that he rip these suckers right out of my head during that first week! But then, just as suddenly as it began, I GOT OVER IT. Believe me, I was dead set on having them re...

Oops, left one part out. In medicine, you also have to consider the cost/benefit and risk/benefit ratios. Is the potential outcome worth the potential costs or associated risks? In extreme cases, sometimes more risky measures are called for. For something relatively minor, sometimes a more conservat...

True - one is an anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen), and the other is an analgesic (Tylenol). The affect the body in very different ways, which is why they are often recommended for different types of pains/problems. But as the moderator said, mixing the two SIMULTANEOUSLY (i.e. taking them at the same t...

I second what a lot of folks have already said. When I first got my braces put on, I took Tylenol because I know it's supposed to be gentler on the stomach. However, the help was only so-so. By the third day, I was taking Ibuprofen... and what a noticeable difference! So whenever I've needed pain re...

Dientes - be careful about whitening your teeth with braces on!!! The last thing you want is to have really white teeth - EXCEPT the spot where the brackets were placed. Remember, the whitening agents can't get behind the bonding agent that holds the bracket to your tooth. You might want to wait to ...

While I'm only two weeks into my Adult braces journey, this is the 2nd time around for me, so I remember it well! That said, my advice would be not to "check" everyday, even though it's tempting. You know the old saying... "A watched pot never boils." Try taking photos only after...

Hgaffner, I heard a little anecdote the other day that I just HAD to share with you. I saw a friend of mine for the first time since I've had my braces put on. She was so excited for me, and of course, started to tell me about her own braces journey. She also told me about her father's braces journe...

Woo hoo! Good to know.

Thanks for the input, folks.

Hey, Gracey. I understand you entirely. I ask TONS of questions to every health professional I visit. Partially because I'm a science geek and want to learn more about the procedure, and also because it's my body and I feel I have a right to know what's going on with it! If your ortho is giving you ...

Ok - this topic has me intrigued. I've been braced for just under two weeks, and I don't have any bands on my molars - just a bracket that looks a little different than the others. Is it necessary to have molar bands placed, or can you have braces without them? I was just beginning to wonder...

I don't know if I'm the best person to speak on pain tolerance, because I'm only roughly two weeks in. However, my ortho told me that any time you have a long or poking wire and you can't get in for an appointment, you can always try to bend the wire down with the back of a spoon or a pencil eraser....

Thanks for the input, folks. My jaw is actually aching less, so I'm a little less freaked by the whole ordeal today. However, I'll still bring it all up to my ortho on my next visit. I've seen quite a few people talk about build ups, bumpers or bite turbos, but I'm not entirely sure how they work. W...

Hello, Folks. So, I've been in ceramic self-ligating braces for about a week now - and thankfully feel like the worst is over! I'm actually able to chew again (for the most part, with one caveat below), and I've stopped feeling like all people see when they look at me is my braces. I've even had qui...

Thanks for the input, folks. I was just beginning to wonder if I'd made a grave mistake by combining my love for all things curry with ceramic braces. I'll now eat Indian/Thai/Chinese with impunity! As soon as I get the hang of chewing, that is...

Hello, Gang. I'm a newly-minted brace face, and I have a question for the forum. I have self-ligating ceramics (but don't know the brand offhand - will have to ask the ortho on Tuesday). I've seen quite a few people advise against getting ceramic/clear braces if you love curry (which I do) because t...