Metal Mouth Message Board

jennielee81 - wow your teeth look AMAZING!!! You must be so so so happy!!! You are a great incentive for those of us just beginning our braces experience!!!!!

[quote="Dawna"
I went to clear ceramics with the white wire and found it just made my teeth look like there was something awfully wrong with them - the shadows or something just looked (for me, maybe not others!) like I had big chips in my teeth or something.

Wow = maybe the photos are extra complimentary so I can't see what you mean by how they look in person BUT - - if my ceramics look half as good as yours look in your pics on your blog - then I will be THRILLED!!! They look GREAT!

James

Glad you got the treatment plan that you were hoping for.

I'm a bit surprised that a number of people here don't have any sympathy for anyone who, for one reason or another, who would rather not wear fixed braces. I'm considering approaching a dentist to see if I can have a removable appliance fitted that will close some gaps between my front teeth. I don't think my bite it that bad but my front teeth are quite spaced, partly due to an intermittant sucking habit (which by the way was largely solved during the time that I used a removable appliance as a teenager).

My reasons for preferring a removable appliance are similar to James'. I work as a consultant in UK and I would still feel bothered about joining a client meeting in fixed braces. I think the UK is changing but only slowly. (I also realise that other people on AW have successfully met this challenge without problem- so that's promising for me.)

To quote Jennie Lee:

Not sure why you came here for answers since you already knew exactly what needed to be done.

I think the reason why James' questions are perfectly valid; it's useful to have a broad flavour of what had worked (and not worked) for people on here. It all helps the decision making process (even if you really just want the comfort or confidence to take the decision that deep down you feel inclined to make.)

The answers on this thread (and others) have helped me form a view on things and this will equip me well to ask plenty questions when I eventually gain confidence to see a dentist about my case.

I also disagree with Meryaten on this occasion because I don't believe James was trying to express an "expert" opinion (her responses normally always seem entirely helpful and supportive to me but I think a little harsh here).

By the way, as someone who comes from, and lives in Bolton (UK), I do wonder what a "Bolton size discrepancy" means! (LOL)

Paul, you are spot on. whether or not you want permanently visible braces is a very personal decision, and could make the world of difference to the way you feel, the way you come across, and hence your career. I rang round 4 local orthos before I found one who said "Why yes, I specialise in them!"
Jennielee, I didn't mean to offend anyone, sometimes I am a bit too "up front"! But yes, I got the ortho I needed and the treatment I thought I needed! 2 years of researching into orthodonics did it to me!!

Nope, just a normal removable brace, there are tonnes of different types! My Ortho says they can do 80% of what fixed ones can do, and I'm around 40% so should be good to go, I hope!

alibaba wrote:hi james, just been reading this thread with interest! do you mind me asking, is it the inman aligners you're getting? or are there other types of removable braces i havent come across? ive been looking into this,i had ceramic braces in the past but due to very poorly fitting retainer, there has been a slight slight relapse in my two front teeth which im very unhappy about and im considering maybe going for something removable myself to address this. would much appreciate your advice. im from the uk also.
thanks

i dont really understand why you don't like invisalign. I can definately relate to wanting the freedom to remove them on special occasion, as I got invisalign so noone would notice. I have never had one person notice I was wearing the invisalign, and they have done a great job for my crowding/ gaps. If you want something you can remove for a special occasion, why not get the invisalign which is removable, and then, when you are wearing them most of the time, they will also look great because no one will notice them.
With the removable braces, they will defiantely be noticed when you are wearing them the majority of the time. This is just my opinion, so please don't get offended, but even with removables, you have to wear them for 22 hours a day. So with taking them out for brushing and eating, you will pretty much HAVE to wear them the entire rest of the day. I don't think you will be able to take them out as much as you think.

Either way, good luck.

Thanks, Jenni - but invisalign just wasn't for me. The "Clearstep" ones seem more invisible, but still noticable - at least to my teeth-conscious eyes!
Ive now had my upper removable fitted (springs and wires everywhere!) and to be honest it's great - I lisped for maybe an hour, but after reading the hallowed "rainbow passage" for about that entire hour, my tongue seems to have learned where to go!
I got metal braces on the bottom, and they are more troublesome - ouch, wax please! But I'm sure I will get used to them.
My upper teeth are moving super-fast, I'm wearing the brace probably 23h a day and to be honest, my teeth look nearly perfect to me already! But of course, there are always bite issues and things, so I'll keep it up as this time around, I am paying, not the NHS!
I'm sorry if I came across as harsh or aggressive to anyone in my previous posts - it's just me! If I said the same words to you face to face, you would understand - they would sound normal. I'm just not too hot at conveying emotions over the internet.

jennicakes wrote:i dont really understand why you don't like invisalign. I can definately relate to wanting the freedom to remove them on special occasion, as I got invisalign so noone would notice. I have never had one person notice I was wearing the invisalign, and they have done a great job for my crowding/ gaps. If you want something you can remove for a special occasion, why not get the invisalign which is removable, and then, when you are wearing them most of the time, they will also look great because no one will notice them.
With the removable braces, they will defiantely be noticed when you are wearing them the majority of the time. This is just my opinion, so please don't get offended, but even with removables, you have to wear them for 22 hours a day. So with taking them out for brushing and eating, you will pretty much HAVE to wear them the entire rest of the day. I don't think you will be able to take them out as much as you think.

Either way, good luck.

James

I've like to see pictures if you don't mind sharing. I'm wondering what they look like. LOL

I'm glad you where able to get the treatment you wanted!

Wow, everything seems to have moved along very quickly! You posted 9 days ago that you'd be getting them within 6 weeks and here you are 9 days in and you not only got your braces, but you're seeing progress.

I'm impressed!

I was sort of insistent! I had spacers on the bottom for a grand total of 3 days. they were sore like you wouldn't believe, but then had the bands put on and everything relaxed. Until I got the actual braces, they shredded my lower lip a bit.
My upper removable is fine, I will post pics as soon as Canon return my Ixus! It's not crazy looking from the outside, - just a retainer wire and two little wire "fingers". But the inside has a bite plate part and a load of little springs and one screw. It's doing it's job, what can I say?