Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey everyone. Ive been reading this forum for months trying to make up my mind! I've been batting the idea of Linguals, Metal, Ceramics and Clear braces around and think i'm finally coming to a conclusion.

My teeth are all relatively straight, just some slight crowding at the front and they are a bit uneven, but they all line up and no gaps! I went for a consultation this past week and this was their thoughts....
-pull two teeth on top to create room, the ones behind the "fangs" lol im sorry, i dont know the proper names of the teeth...
-put in a palate expander
-clear braces on top, metal on bottom
-treatment time of 12-18 months

Now for my concerns. I am terrified of the palate expander! I hear you have to learn how to eat,speak and drink again!! I do not want to do that being 22 years old. Is a palate expander absolutely necessary? especially with teeth being pulled? it's the ONLY thing holding me back right now.
I'd really appreciate anyones help on this. I know everyones mouth is different, but i was under the impression that pulling me teeth would create the room, thus making the palate expander unnecessary?

I have an expander, it's not that bad. I'm pretty used to it now. It's done wonders for my smile. Before i had a narrow smile, with some crooked teeth, now i have a wide smile with straight teeth. Some people dont need it to get expansion, but my orthodontist thought i did-and i trust him. I dont regret it at all. Eating was a challenge, and talking was pretty funny, but it's not so bad you cant deal with it.


Maryaten got great expansion just from her archwire, though-it's amazing. I guess it just depends on your case, but if you trust your ortho, i'm sure he wouldnt suggest something not necessary or that wouldnt complement the treatment plan he has planned.

Hi Jesse James (someone sure has a sense of humor),

The only thing I would suggest is getting several opinions. I realize tooth extraction isn't uncommon, but I wouldn't do it without several people telling me that is what I need to do. Once they are out, you cannot put them back. And there is a lot more to our teeth than appearance. If the information you got is correct, this is not something I consider light orthodontics. It may not be uncommon or dangerous, but it should be done with caution.

Good Luck!