Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi lucyloop, I don't know if this would be true in your case, but I know in mine I have had a bit more flaring as the natural consequence of levelling my arches before my open bite is closed. It appears some of that is just part of the normal moving process and it will get straightened out (no pun i...

Hi all, I'm 26 years old now and had my first orthodontic consult at age 13. The ortho said he would need to pull teeth and I didn't want to, so never went through with it. I was so relieved when my current ortho said he felt extractions were unnecessary; in fact, he was quite opposed to them in my ...

Hmm, I tried to post this message earlier but I guess it never got through. Dena, it's comforting to know about the flouride. NotBob1, that is horrifying, but thank you so much for telling me about Oral Breeze! It sounds like once you've used it, you can't imagine what it's like NOT to use it. Like ...

Great idea, afredrick...thanks.

Hi missing_tooth, After the general aches you usually get after just getting braces, I experienced isolated tenderness on single teeth throughout my first month. It wasn't that bad, but every once in a while one tooth would start aching for apparently no reason. It sometimes lasted a couple of days ...

Hi pokergirl,

The same thing happened to me my first few weeks, but on the bottom. I just used a lot of wax on those bottom braces.

I just had my first adjustment and for whatever reason, my lips are no longer getting stuck on those brackets. So, it's probably just a temporary thing!

Hi there, Is anyone else paranoid about keeping the teeth surrounded by those molar bands clean? Are those molars really covered in the bands for the whole duration of the treatment? It seems strange that the tooth surface could actually stay clean when it's covered in the metal. Couldn't food could...

I agree that partly it's the "chronic nature" of the braces. I've never had to think this much about my teeth in my life (brushing, rinsing, flossing all the time). My eating has also been majorly restricted, so that takes its toll.

Hi there, Ryleigh, I have a tongue thrust too and I just got braces a month ago. I have been consciously trying to keep my tongue at the roof of my mouth and finally, after a few weeks, I am beginning to rest it there more naturally without having to think about it. Before, when I swallowed, my tong...

Hi vikingfan, You've heard a lot of great advice already, but I just want to put in another plug for having ceramics on the top 6 teeth. I know ceramic brackets are technically bigger, but I've got metal everywhere else, but I just can't tell a big difference in bracket size at all. Honestly, I've b...

Hi folks, I don't know if this helps shed some light for your situations, but my ortho replied to my query as follows: Initially, the wire is supposed to be flexible and sit in the hole passively after initial placement of the brackets. Once we place the brackets on the first molars together with th...

Hi folks, I don't know if this helps shed some light for your situations, but my ortho replied to my query as follows: Initially, the wire is supposed to be flexible and sit in the hole passively after initial placement of the brackets. Once we place the brackets on the first molars together with th...

After reading about people having "the dream" about their braces, I was wondering when mine was going to come along. Well, last night I dreamt that first one, then two of my teeth became loose. Amazingly, all the other teeth in my mouth had moved over to make room for this one stubborn fro...

Thanks KK, it sounds like my setup is the same as yours and that there's no real cause for concern...

A wire came loose from my lower left back molar when I was chewing soft ravioli at lunch. My husband fixed the wire with a set of pliers (we couldn't find the tweezers)!! He just slid it inside that little hole that is attached to the side of the bracket (the 'cleat', perhaps?) It fit perfectly and ...