Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi there Pippy, You have not told us when your extractions took place (7 months ago?) or which teeth were extracted. But I can give you some food for thought based on my gap-closure saga. Two years ago I had 4 bicuspids extracted (2 on the top and 2 on the bottom). The "first" set of gaps ...

Barring any unpleasant surprises, it will be August 7, 2009. That will make it one week shy of 29 months in braces. What's ironic is that I have by now lost count of the number of times my extraction gaps have been closed -and then reopened. It took about a year for ortho to realize that he could no...

I certainly think you should go for a consult, maybe with more than one orthondontist. I agree with others who have said that based on reading this board, it is generally never too late to be helped by othodontic treatment. Having said that, I will also say that yes, there may be limits to what can ...

My comment may be totally off-base, but ... I also am a mom in braces, and I've noticed that my own mother cannot feign even the slightest interest in my braces. In her case, the reason why seemed obvious to me right away: she totally blew it when I was a kid by not getting braces for me (long story...

Thanks to everyone for weighing in. So I saw the ortho yesterday, and got the bite turbos placed. They're pretty unpleasant, but I'll survive. I talked to him about my frustrations, and asked for a roadmap. He said I should progress much faster with the bite turbos, and he plans to have me of braces...

Hi everyone, I commented last week about needing bite turbos, and my orthodontist's frustration with my slow progress (I have been braced 21 months). I mentioned this stuff to my sister (a physician), with whom I have always had a close and supportive relationship. From the start, my family of origi...

Thanks for that input Lisa. About the screws, the ortho says he has not done this yet with any patients, he only practiced it in continuing ed. (Apparently it's very cutting-edge.) He is reserving that treatment as a last-ditch effort if the turbos don't work. (Then again, the turbos were supposed t...

After 21 months in braces (projected treatment time: 24 months) the ortho has expressed much frustration with the slow pace of my progress, and wants to place bite turbos on my upper front teeth starting next week. He assured me that wearing these will be a dreadful experience, and from what I have ...

So I've been in braces a year and a half now. The original projection was for 2 years (meaning I'd get them off next March), but with one thing or another I will consider myself lucky it I am out of this in a year from now. So what have I got to show for it? I had an underbite, lots of of crowding, ...

For about one month now I have been wearing elastics going from my upper canines to lower molars. Ortho said to wear then **especially** when eating. He said that was the only time they are really doing anything for me, when my mouth was moving. Fine...but the problem is that he has brought my bite ...

Hello everyone, Some of you may know that I have been waiting a long time for a closing loop wire to eliminate very large frontal gaps (between incisors and canines). I got a CLW (ortho pronounces it "claw") on the lower arch a month ago, which was great -but my lower gaps are not that not...

Finally, some good news. Yesterday while my kids saw the ortho for a routine visit, I asked him if he could do anything to stop a new and heavier lower archwire from tearing up the inside of my mouth (waxing and rinsing aren't helping). He took a look, pronounced the huge gashes "unacceptable&q...

Hello all. In mid-March I will have my one-year anniversary in braces. (I am posting now because I will out of the country at that time.) I want to take the opportunity to belatedly thank Lynn for creating and maintaining this site, and to thank everyone who reads my postings and offers support. I h...

I have had 2 upper and 2 lower bicuspids extracted over the last 4.5 months. I had no pain after the upper teeth were removed (after the anasthetic wore off, that is). After the bottom teeth were removed I did need to take some Motrin for a few days. The dental surgeon said this was because the lowe...

Yes. I had powerchains put on less than 24 hours after losing 2 upper bicuspids last June. And on October 9 I will have the 2 lower bicuspids extracted at 11AM, and braces and powerchains put on at 2:30 PM that same day. I am very happy that the "closing hardware" is being put on so soon a...