Metal Mouth Message Board

Another fan of Mack's silicone earplugs here! I think the stuff is amazing -- cheap, won't melt off when I drink coffee, adheres and stays in place much better than I could ever get wax to do. I noticed that CVS even has a generic store-brand version of it, too, but I don't use enough to consider th...

My daughter (middle school aged) is in braces, so when I decided to get braces I chose to stay with the same practice for convenience and because I like and trust her orthodontist. I had read a lot online about Damon braces and asked my ortho if he offered them. He said he was not a fan of Damon, an...

Wow, looks fantastic! Congratulations ... you must be so thrilled!

After a few days of reflections I'm okay with it. Be warned, though! You might be ocean now because top braces are a breeze but annoyance awaits! It's harder to clean after you eat, your cheeks are going to have to get used to them again, and you might speak a bit less clearly for a couple days. Li...

Ouch! Sorry to hear you're so uncomfortable. I'm still in top braces only, so I'm a little worried and dreading when my lowers go on in a month or two.

If I recall correctly, Gladyover, you had been loving your braces, right? Are you now ready to be done with them?

Trying to make this a little bit of a positive thing ... I wonder if it would be OK for you to pull your wire out and do a really thorough job of flossing right before you leave for your appointment? Just a thought to get some advantage from the mistake.

I'm not a teacher, nor does my job involve much face-to-face time with other people (I work from home as a graphic designer). That said, I have noticed that I need to drink water more than ever before when I'm in situations where I do a lot of talking -- I find that my mouth gets dry pretty quickly ...

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words! It's funny, now that I've had this new wire on for two days, it seems to be making my bite all wacky. The top lateral incisor that has moved so dramatically is now crashing in to my bottom lateral incisor! Before when it was so much higher, the two never made c...

I had my first wire change today. I think it's pretty amazing how much movement has happened in just the first month -- there's a big difference in the wire! I can also tell that the top molars have flared out quite a bit because of how my molars align on my closed bite now. I won't be ready for the...

18 to 24 months. Bottoms aren't even on yet, and I'm so done with them already.

Peppermint chewing gum!

So how much money must US orthodontists make running their practices on the lines described above? I think if I were in the US, I would encourage my son or daughter to train to be an orthodontist. Jem LOL, I was thinking the same thing! Ortho's do seem like they can make some good money. In my area...

I had a hard time getting wax to stay on when my braces first went on and my mouth was getting torn up. I found a great alternative (at the suggestion of this board and other forums on the web) -- Mack's Pillow Soft Silicone earplugs. They're readily available at CVS, Walgreens, etc., and they stay ...

To be honest, I was never good about flossing before I got my braces on. I've been lucky to have had no gum problems and only two cavities. However, I got scared about plaque buildup and staining once the braces went on, so I have been very diligent about flossing every day. My ortho said it's only ...

I am almost two weeks into my braces. For now just the tops are on; bottoms will go on in a month or two (my top front teeth need to make room for the bottom braces so they don't crash). My bottom molar bands are on, though, and though I chew very carefully and slowly, inevitably my cheek somehow ge...