Metal Mouth Message Board

Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear of all those problems you are having, MLK. I wish I had an answer. The only thing that I do believe to be true, is that if you have any kind of degenerative jaw disease that you should not get traditional brackets, but go with Invasalign when/if you get braced. The only re...

UPDATE! First adjustment Monday - I'm amazed at the progress. :D Wish I'd taken better first photos for comparison. The bottom row, especially - the molars used to bend in toward each other like >< and the front row was all mish mashed together like an accordian. And my jaws stopped hurting! PLEASE ...

Well I haven't been here in awhile, I guess the braces haven't even been on my mind much! Although I can definitely feel my teeth moving. Our mouths and tongue are so sensitive, it makes us aware of just how much progress is going on each day. My front teeth are getting more and more aligned and mov...

Time is marching on ... slowly but deliberately. Last week I had to go in and get a wire clipped. It was gouging my cheek so bad and no amount of wax could stop it. I swallowed more balls of wax that week than I want to ever swallow again! I wondered if I was going to poop out a dang candle! :yuck: ...

I'm not losing - in fact I've gone up a few pounds. Eating more softer, starchier foods and less raw fruits and veggies which were my mainstay pre-braces. I don't have a problem with tortilla chips, unfortunately. After the first two weeks of hellish pain I shovel them in just fine and dandy though ...

Thank you Klobird! I really gummed it up with wax - he's going to have to give me more for sure.

I guess the exciting part is that my teeth are moving!

This is my fourth week in the braces - until a couple days ago, I had no problems with the wires, just the brackets. Now my inside cheeks are pretty toughened up and I'm used to the brackets - but a wire on one side seems to have gotten longer and it's literally grabbing my inner cheek and shredding...

Oh my! We certainly do have our own challenges on the path to a beautiful smile. And I'm only two weeks in! 102 weeks left to go ....

Wow, thanks for the updates on special mouthwashes, everyone. I certainly don't want placque and cavities in addition to these things! So then it is normal for the gums to look weird? While flossing last night I noticed that my gums weren't gripping my teeth as usual and that they looked kind of whi...

Congratulations! Enjoy your new smile!

Well, last week was certainly a challenge. I've been studying to get some certifications relating to my job, and had to fly out west to take the tests last week. It was my first time: (a) studying in braces; (b) flying in braces; (c) attending a conference, meeting new people and eating in front of ...

Thanks everyone! I'll definitely pick up some Breathsavers, especially seeing as I can't grab a quick fresh-up with gum for awhile.

Ever since I got braced one week ago, my mouth just feels so dry. I keep drinking water and swishing water around my teeth. Is this normal?

Happy belated birthday! I love your brackets.

Thanks, Nettie! Well it's officially been a week! I did a little research - before this website, I always thought "braces were braces" but I'm reading about so many different types. I thought I had Insignia braces, but it turns out Insignia is the software my ortho used to plot my future s...