Metal Mouth Message Board

My situation is a little tricky because I have a bilateral tongue thrust that creates a posterior open bite. I currently wear a retainer that has gates to prevent my tongue from interfering with my back teeth (and hopefully train it to behave as well), and my orthodontist indicated he'll probably wa...

Hi everybody, thanks for the replies! When I said "straight" I basically meant "totally finished," or "in the final desired position." Sorry for the confusion. What I'm basically asking is this: once the final positioning (alignment, leveling, bite, roots, everything) h...

hello friends!
just wondering if there's a "typical" length of time to keep the braces on after all the teeth are in their final positions. i forgot to ask this at my last appointment and don't see the ortho again for another month.
thanks for any info!

Saw my orthodontist today. When he instructed his assistant to put a powerchain on my uppers to close the gap, I asked him if it was possible to leave it be, and without hesitation he replied in the affirmative. I then asked if there was any orthodontic downside to this, and he said the only concern...

they are my teeth, it's my money, and I have to be happy with the results. My non-compliance is not a statement of lack of faith in, or respect of, my orthodontist. It's simply me exercising normal control over my life.

Maybe, once you're finished with braces, your ortho can give you a bonded retainer that would keep your new teeth positions stable and would allow you to keep your gap? Thanks for the suggestion, lilblackdress, but if an appliance was the only option for keeping it open, I would just let it close. ...

I love having my straight teeth don't get me wrong, but I also find that straight teeth almost loose their identity and funniness which is something I slightly miss in a strange sort of way. Keeping my gap in my upper front makes me feel that my teeth are individual and part of the wacky side of me...

Thanks for all the replies! Seems like everybody's basically on the same page, strongly recommending closing the gap. I'll see what my ortho says, but I'm sure you're right, he'll want to close it, and I imagine I'll go along with it and be happy when it's done. Regardless, I'll post his response. :...

I have a slight gap between my front teeth, and I like it! Last visit my ortho was talking powerchains, so I have a feeling he's gonna want to close it (and other gaps) on my next visit. Has anyone tried to convince an orthodontist to leave a gap open for aesthetic reasons? Is there a potential down...

I had ceramics as a teenager, and I just got re-braced with metals (I'm 30 now). I'm a performer and sort of a misfit and feel that the metals just fit my personal style a little better.......more flamboyant or "punk rock" or something, for lack of a better word. They also strike me as mor...

lionfish, may i ask how long it took to close your bite? i've had vertical elastics on my molars for a month, and i'm pretty sure i can detect some movement (haven't been back to the ortho yet).

I'm gonna sneak in here for my first post. Hello everyone, and thanks for all the help. I've been lurking for a couple months now. I have a posterior open bite, so rubber bands are a main focus of my treatment, and I don't find them uncomfortable at all. I had braces 15 years ago (I'm 30 now), and j...