Metal Mouth Message Board

Whitney- PLEASE, before you have your teeth shaved, can you see a TMJ specialist (usually an ortho but who would not touch the braces). As I'm sure you know, TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint - TMJ problems can be, but are not necessarily, related to teeth and bite. If there is displacement in...

De gustibus non est disputandum.

To each their own - it's important to know both sides when making a big decision, though.

chelsea Maybe you already know this stuff, but in case, here is a quick lesson on linguals. Linguals are attached to the backside/inside of your teeth, not the front like traditional braces. As such, it is much harder to see them. There are a few drawbacks, though, and these I have read about - not...

Incredible progress!!! Keep up the good work.

This is a direct quote from my email correspondence with Richy Rosado, a recruiter for the U.S. Army (regarding potential soldiers): "If they qualify for enlistment, they can enlist with their braces but must have them removed prior to being sent to basic training." (date April 10, 2006). ...

Well, with those experiences, I can see the parents being hesitant. I don't know if you are familiar with a web site called "Dr oogle". Sounds weird but if you look at it, is a review site for dentists, orthos, perios, etc. by city. I have used it in my city and, despite being skeptical, t...

Help me out here--- Wouldn't your (or any) dentist be the best person to help "convince" your parents you need braces? I would imagine the best argument would come from someone who does not have a financial interest in whether you do or do not get braces, like a general dentist, yet who un...

How awful a situation. It sounds like you need to get to a TMJ specicalist, maybe in Facial Pain at a local university if there are none in your area. If your DDS does not order one, ask for an MRI of the TM joints. My MRI revealed: arthrosis in the TM joints with bone defects anterior and medial di...

In the spirit of fair representation for those of us who love all dairy, but hate pills, a quick PubMed search revealed: "Calcium from milk or calcium-fortified foods does not inhibit nonheme-iron absorption from a whole diet consumed over a 4-d period" American Journal of Clinical Nutriti...

Osteoporosis can occur at young ages, for instance if a woman had a hysterectomy in her early 20s, her bone density could suffer (this happened to one of my friends). Who would think of asking a 25-year-old if she has osteoporosis?! A woman of 25, or younger, could have osteoporosis/osteopoenia if ...

Part 2 - Regarding brackets and long-term effects. Damons are not just a bracket per se, it is a philosophy on how to use wires to move teeth using lighter and passive wires. I won't go down the path to describing it, as the info can be found in Ormco's ortho-based literature, but here is a summary:...

Wait a sec, I am not the only one who has had problems with Damons, but maybe I am one of the few willing to talk about them (which may stop soon). Kiwi said her ortho stopped using them so I am not alone, but we don't know what movitated the ortho to stop; Kiwi alluded to the ortho having "too...

Agreed - beautiful teeth! Braces will hopefully enhance your smile, but I hope you are proud now cuz I'd be. How do extractions change a profile? I have been told I have to have a lower front tooth (don't know technical name) extracted in order to correct spacing on uppers but underbite lower. What ...

Well, it's called a taste of freedom... I'm not getting rebracketed until Ap 26th, because I need separators put in on Ap 17th. So now I get about 3 weeks of orthodontic freedom, then back in it again. I really only dread one thing. That is if my mouth gets torn up again. It wasn't just irrirtated, ...

Hi el and oc- I didn't realize orthos still used positioners. I am in my 40s and had one in my teens, but they sound the same. First and foremost - it WILL get better. They are horrible appliances in my opinion, for many reasons, none the least of which is (assuming yours is like mine was) your enti...