Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey all

New to the forum and new to braces (got them yesterday!)
I am still very foreign to all this braces business and hence very sore and very paranoid about everything. Hopefully you lovely people here and help me out with some queries I've got and reassure me (to save me randomly ringing up the ortho every time I panic about something minor)

My sister got braces at the same time as me and we've been comparing a few things. Obviously everyone has a different treatment system, but I couldn't help noticing how close my brackets have been placed to my gum line for all my molars both in the top and bottom.

The main problem with my teeth is that they are slightly crowded (which makes things slightly harder to clean) and I have a slight overbite. Hence my ortho said that she is trying to correct my bite. Does placing the brackets right on the gum line help to open my bite and create a wider smile?

The second concern I have with the brackets in this position is that it makes it hard to brush. I've been told that I need to brush at a 45 degree angle above and below the brackets, and to focus on the gum line, but if the brackets are right there, it makes it really hard to clean, or else is just slightly painful when I keep brushing ON the gumline because the brackets are in the way. I'm not sure if that makes sense but I'm just concerned the area there won't be as clean because food could still get stuck under the brackets and I can't get my toothbrush under there.

I think also, having them so close to the gums is irritating my mouth more than usual, but this could be the case with all braces. I just can't seem to pinpoint which one is causing me pain, in order to put wax on it, so I've covered a few with wax but it still seems to be a bit problematic.

I've been following my lengthy brushing ritual but flossing also seems excessively difficult. I've thread the floss under the wire, but then can't seem to get the floss between my front teeth... I think (hope) it might just be because my teeth are moving. Brushing is also sore because everything is moving and fresh and very tender, but my mouth just doesnt seem to feel as clean even though I spend a long time brushing!

Sorry for so many questions, haha, I'm just a little new to the experience and wonder about everything. Naturally, I still can't chew anything and hence can't really eat anything, so I'm hungry/sleepy often and will be sad to miss out on this year's festivities. The forum's been great though - I've been reading for a day or two and it's all really helpful

First of all welcome along to the forum and well done for getting this far!!

I don't know anything technical about the location of the brackets so I can't help you on that one (other than it is perfectly normal to feel paranoid about everything when braces first go on!). One of my brackets that was quite near my gumline was repositioned part way through my treatment (I'd like to think it was because my tooth had moved rather than it being in the wrong place in the first instance, lol!).

With regards to cleaning all I would say is keep at it as best as you can and things will start to feel easier. You're still very early into your treatment so things are going to feel awkward and tender but it will get better. Flossing is an absolute nightmare to start with but, again, it does get easier. You will soon settle into a comfortable cleaning regime - and you will get very slick at it before long!

Quite a few people on here swear by using a Waterpik as part of their cleaning routine. I've never used one myself but it might be worth searching through some threads to see if that might help to regain that "clean feeling".

The ability to eat properly will return soon enough as well ... and just think about the fabulous teeth you will have for future festivities!!!

Good luck

but yourself a waterpic

I also cannot comment on why the brackets are placed where they are. It could simply be a matter of ortho preference combined with the movement needed.

Everything in your mouth is going to be really tender at first (no matter where your brackets are placed), so the irritation you are feeling is pretty normal and should subside with time. I've found that using a toothbrush that has "feathery" bristles really helps get above and below the brackets. I use a GUM Summit toothbrush and love it.

As for flossing---there is definitely a learning curve. You may want to invest in a Waterpik as others have suggested and although I personally have never used one, lots of people here rave about them.

I remember that my mouth had that not-so-fresh feeling at first too--like every bit of whatever I ate was stuck everywhere and that I'd never get it all out. Believe it or not, that's a completely normal feeling and you are probably doing a fine job of brushing. In a month or so you will be used to all the hardware in your mouth and you won't have that feeling anymore.

I can't tell you specifics such as what different bracket positions actually DO, but bracket position absolutely factors into how the teeth are moved. I've been braced since May, and I've had 2 appointments where we've moved brackets. In my last appointment, we moved the brackets on all of my lowers. It is very common to do this in the course of treatment.

When you first get braces, often the orthodontist is "hand cuffed" into how to place the brackets. This is due to crowding or other situations that you simply have to work around at first. As things move into line, the orthodontist can position your brackets to get the movement you need.

I'm a believer that you absolutely must floss. It SUCKS at first as it takes a lot of time to get used to. Even today, it still take me 5 minutes to floss with the Crest Glide Flossers, but it took over 10 minutes the first few weeks.