Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi guys,
I would like to announce that my orthodontist is the bomb!!!
I see Dr Igor Lavrin in Melbourne CBD. I haven't actually got my braces on yet (I'm getting lingual upper and ceramic lower in March), but so far he has been awesome. Primarily because of this: I had SAME surgery and got my RPE in mid December last year, and I absolutely hated it. Even after 5 weeks, I still couldn't talk properly! It was *okay*, but far, far from perfect. I was really miserable. I know everyone says people don't notice it as much as you think they do, etc etc, but I was just so mortified that I didn't want to speak at all! And I didn't enjoy socialising at all.
Anyway, after I had finished expanding, Dr Lavrin replaced my expander with this device called a transpalatal arch ("TPA") - and now I will love him forever!!!! If anyone hates the expander, ask your orthodontist about the transpalatal arch - I literally cannot even notice it!! I am back to speaking and eating totally normally, like 100%! NEVER have I been so grateful to be able to have a conversation! I honestly don't know if I could have put up with the expander for 6-9 months, and even if I did, I reckon I would have been a socially recluse by the end of it!
Anyway, I just wanted to share this because I am SO. HAPPY. with my orthodontist!

Great news about the TPA! Yay!

It seems like a lot of people get the lingual upper and ceramic lower, like you. The ortho I consulted with that does lingual refuses to do ceramic lower due to apparent damage they can do to your uppers. How do all these other dentists get around the "lower ceramics cause trauma" thing? I like the idea of lingual uppers and ceramic lowers and don't really get how it seems to be possible for everyone else but not an option here. Any ideas?