Metal Mouth Message Board

Just thought I would share that after 3 years and 15 days I finally got my braces off!!!! I am an older patient (50+) so everything moved a little slower, I guess. I read this board a lot the first few months and gleaned a lot of information and moral support during this adventure with braces. I hav...

I, too, wanted to know a debanding date and unfortunately the last little adjustments in bite etc can take a lot longer than anyone can guess. I was originally told about 2 and1/2 years and yesterday I finally got them off after 3 years and 15 days. Yippee. At one point I thought I might die of old ...

Feel free to whine to friends! My first weeks in braces were the same as yours. My molars didn't meet and chewing was almost impossible. I thought I had made a big mistake but with four teeth removed, there was no going back! In a few weeks chewing will get easier. After 7 and 1/2 months I am not co...

Thanks for the replies! Fortunately my one sore cheek from the new bracket has settlled down. Boy those salt water rinses did help. Thanks KK for always telling newbies about them!
Glad to also hear I'm not the only one this happened to.

On my last appointment they put brackets or bands on my last molars--spacers the week before. Up until this time they were naked but all of the rest of my teeth were bracketed and archwired together. The rub is they didn't bother attaching anything to them. Has anyone had this happen? I certainly di...

It has been most encouraging to me to know that as an over 40 person I am not alone. Its pretty bad when your kids are all through with braces and you are just starting. But I always thought the kids teeth came first. It has been frustrating at first having 4 teeth pulled and getting the braces but ...

Just to add my two cents. I did talk funny at first then things improved somewhat and now I don't speak as well again. It has been almost five months since I got braces and I think things will probably change some more as time goes on! When this is all done I hope I can talk as well as when I was Ms...

The lisping I have noticed seems to come, get better and get worse again. I imagine it is because my teeth have been moving and bite changing. Right now it is in one of those bad times and it is so annoying. This has been quite a journey and I have a looong way to go. I just hope I reach a point whe...

I, too, have been experiencing the "changing bite" and it has been quite annoying. The positive side is that teeth are loosening and moving. Just today my bite seemed a little more like it used to be--at least my molars met better for chewing. I was pretty excited. As I have much more move...

Welcome to the 40's club. Just got my second adjustment today. Things are moving slowly--the bottom wire changed today. I swear my bite changes constantly. My closed mouth position is still not comfortable. I do wake up at night trying to find a way to close my teeth, if that makes any sense. Still ...

I can certainly relate to all of these stories. At first because I could hardly chew I had a hard time with anything other than soups and ground up food. Gradually I have been eating other things and I find that I can swallow food that probably isn't chewed up that way it is supposed to be. I, too ,...

After my first adjustment, I made sure the ends of my arch wire weren't poking me in the cheek. I was so happy not to have to use wax. Now about ten days later one side is "poking" into my cheek especially when I eat. Is it possible that the wire has moved back or is this all in my mind!

I had my first adjustment today. Went well--they just changed the wire on the top. :( I thought they would change both. We did take pictures( at home) on day one and just today and after comparingthe two sets there has been a very little bit of movement! Patience is not one of my virtues! The best p...

If you are having pain in only one area and it is about three days after extraction go have it checked out! I have had 2 dry sockets--one many years ago after 4 wisdom teeth removed. The first time I didn't know what was wrong. I finally called the oral surgeon and it was determined that I had a dry...

As someone who works in a large high school I was wondering what students would say. I haven't had too many comments and it's mostly--Oh, you have braces. I did have one student say, "Don't you feel like a kid.?" I answered in my most nonchalant tone, "NO, a lot of adults have braces ...