Metal Mouth Message Board

My ortho's office took photos before and after but never showed them to me! I didn't even think to ask I was so excited about getting my braces off. And I moved out of the country two days after getting de-braced so never had a followup appointment in which to ask to see the photos. :cry: :cry: :cry:

I had a lisp the entire time I wore braces and also have one with my retainers in. It really bothered me, and I worried that the lisp would continue after my braces were removed. However, it did not. I am wearing my retainers at night only now, but during the day, retainer-free, I do not lisp. I hop...

I had my bottom braces removed first. My bottoms were aligned and tops were close but needed a couple more weeks of alignment. So I got my tops off a few weeks after my bottoms.

I guess all orthodontists are different on that!

Did you try going to an orthodontist who does Smile Arc Protection? If I am reading you right, it sounds like that is what you want:

https://theartofbraces.com/Smile-Arc-Protection

I would have happily done without the permanent retainer! My ortho seems to use them behind the bottom incisors as a matter of course, but they are a pain to floss around/under, and as long as you wear your Essix as directed, I really don't see the point. I haven't gotten a dental cleaning since I g...

Thank you! I will have to agree that permanent retainers are a big annoyance, and that keeping them clean definitely can be challenging at times. I find the Essix retainers bulky and I can’t seem to able to talk right with them in, but hopefully that will resolve itself with more wear time. No sali...

Congratulations! I have been following your journey on your blog and am almost as excited as you for your debracing! Interesting that you are on night-only Essix retainers, but since you have permanent retainers both top and bottom, that makes sense. I find the permanent retainer (I only have one on...

Personally, I would go with ortho #1 and option 3. I watched the promotional video for the carriere distalizer, and if I had to do it over again, I would be very interested in this. My ortho didn't even suggest it. I had a pretty significant overjet due to jaw fracture on both condyles (bike acciden...

From what I read, amalgam fillings expand ever so slightly over time, and this expansion can cause cracks in the teeth, resulting in sensitivity. I had several old, large amalgam fillings from when I was 12 years old do this when I was in my 20s and 30s. As a result, I eventually had to have every t...

That's the attitude, twedledee!

I was not able to wear lipstick or even colored gloss while in braces, because my uppers were ceramic, and the color would come off onto them. I pretty much stuck with clear lipgloss for the entire time. It's nice to be able to wear a bit of color now, post-braces!

Aww, thanks my friends in orthodontia!

Really appreciate your kind words.

I have social anxiety, but strangely, braces didn't make it any worse. I mentioned them from time to time, but I didn't feel the need to "announce" them in advance to anyone. Hardly anyone asked or even appeared to notice. If they did, they were kind enough not to say anything. I had a pos...

Yeah, I'd recommend floss threaders by Oral B. They will go through really tight spaces. I also have a permanent bottom retainer, and these threaders work the best.

But what about those of us who have no extraction gaps to close? In my case, I had (according to my ortho) minor crowding in my upper arch and moderate in my lower, so no gaps to speak of. But my lower jaw was pushed back relative to my upper in a bike accident in which I hit my chin on the pavement...

Your teeth are very pretty (I'm envious!), but if your bite isn't quite right, you might definitely benefit from braces. Most orthodontists offer free consultations, so definitely go to at least a couple to see what they say. If you suspect something isn't quite right, you are probably correct. Good...