Metal Mouth Message Board

Stock up on wax and use big clumps if you have to, your cheeks will thank you, and they'll still toughen up after awhile just from having something there to irritate them a little (wax bumps as opposed to sharp pointy metal

Can you try rinsing with warm salt water? I also use peroxyl when things feel a bit sore and it seems to help heal sore spots. Here and there something might bother me but it usually stops within a few days after rinsing. Good luck

Thanks, Meryaten, Unfortunately, I do need them. I have a crossbite and she is going to use some of them for elastic attachments going from inside on one arch to the outside on the other. Which sides, I don't know. Plus she tells me that there are always unknowns, so those can get used for a multitude of other attachments most of which I am afraid to find out!!!

Wishing I was cleatless in Seattle. Heck....wishing I was braceless in Seattle!!!!

Hey Notbob1:

I've got some good news for you! When I asked my ortho about those cleats, she said that they aren't as irritating once the bands are attached to them. I guess that means the same for me with those elastic hooks on the side of my molar bands too.

Well, that would be nice!!!

Only I -think- there is an attachment that goes on them for the elastics. Possibly the elastics attach to them, but I sure don't see how. Plus I doubt that I'll need all eight for elastics, atleast, I hope not.....

So how is your experience going today??

Today is pretty much the same as the others. I had oatmeal this morning as ususal, but I don't try chewing it. I just swish it around my mouth a little and then swallow. Each day I've done this and have still managed to bite my cheek somehow. Very, very frustrating!

Hi, Genxsis.
Try Orabase on the inside of your cheeks. It feels peculiar but it works well. Wax is good on the outside of the bands but your ortho should be able to put ligatures on, even if there is no archwire there. That will smooth out the sharp edges. The cleats on the inside can also have ligs put on them to smooth them out, or you may be able to have your ortho grind them off, if they are not going to be needed. Someone also posted about having blobs of bracket cement put on to round them off.
If you can follow all this, or even if you can't, good luck.
Huon

Huon:

As far as the cleats, they bent them down when they put them on at the ortho's office. I asked about grinding them off, and she told me they don't ever do that. I will ask about putting a lig on the brackets, although my appt. for braces installation is on the 31st. I may be able to just wait until then.