Metal Mouth Message Board

I have Hawleys and my ortho's instructions were to either brush with toothpaste or clean with antibacterial hand soap. Soak for a half hour in one part water and one part Listerine twice a week to keep it fresh. And always use cold water because hot water can warp the plastic. I do the brushing beca...

My ortho charged extra for both uppers and lowers to put on ceramics, but I got them anyway, mostly for vanity. I found out that my lowers hardly show, so I don't think it would have mattered if I got metal. Ortho told me that the extra charge is because ceramics are a little bit harder to work with...

When eating rice, I found that adding hot water and letting it soak for a bit tends to soften it up and make it easier to eat. And right after an adjustment, I'm usually eating foods that involve alot of tofu or stews where the ingredients have been softened from long cooking.

Hi to all! 32, female, New York, NY. Got braced om May 27, 2006.

I also found a dark on one of my canines after my lower teeth started moving. I could actually feel it with my tongue since it felt like it was on top of the tooth surface. It turned out it was some kind of plaque buildup (never found out what it was actually called) but it came off when I went in f...

My insurance doesn't cover my braces, so I'm paying entirely out of pocket. I have ceramic uppers and lowers, which are costing me $6200, but, for me, it's worth it.

When I decided to get braces, I only told my boyfriend and one close friend. They thought I didn't need them, but were supportive when I finally did get them. Everyone else's reactions were more because they were curious. They wanted to know when I got them, how long will I have them, do they hurt, ...

I've had four teeth extracted and I'm starting to notice my face has gotten a little longer as well. :shock: I don't know if it's trying to keep my lips over my braces, but I've also noticed that when I look in the mirror, my expression makes me look like I'm constantly annoyed. Has anyone else noti...

I got mine 4 at my fourth adjustment and I'm due for another new wire at my next adjustment, which would be my 8th one.

It's been seven months and mine have only closed about a third of the way. Hopefully, your's close quickly!

I got my elastics at four months to speed up the closing of some gaps. At my fifth adjustment, my ortho decided on no elastics so that my teeth could "rest" and plan to have me back on elastics for my sixth adjustment.

Hi Skylark! As other members have already mentioned, I agree it's best to go with the actual braces if you have to correct your bite. In regards to ceramics, I have them on my uppers and lowers and I've been told they're not noticeable from far away. Friends noticed the wires, but only if they were ...

Calling your ortho and letting them know is definitely a good idea! Something similar happened to me where I was flossing and pulled out the archwire it got caught under the last bracket instead of going through it. When I called my ortho, she said as long as it wasn't causing discomfort, it shouldn...

Hi Toneten10! I've had four teeth extracted as well, 2 upper bicuspids, one lower bicuspid and one lower molar (I was lucky enough to have an extra molar on that side). To prepare, I took two aspirin and got an injection of novocaine. The actual extractions themselves was pretty painless and the onl...

Hi momofbrock! Having teeth pulled after you get your brace on won't be a problem. During my consultation, my ortho decided to put the braces on first and then have four teeth taken out. All she did was not put brackets on the teeth to be pulled (two molars and two bicuspids) and the archwire was at...