Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi everyone , I have found this site really good . Just a little bit about me ,I have a crossbite , not very attractive teeth ,tilted jaw...think it is called a cant . ...typical british teeth actually ! There was no money or thought for orthodontics earlier, but it is a mystery to me why I didnt sort this out sooner ... so here I am now about to embark on this journey .I was refered to the hospital by my dentist who felt surgery was the answer but on my consultation and looking at my xrays i was not accepted for treatment on the nhs so I have found a lovely ortho and have signed up to have ceramic braces. My first appt yesterday involved having the spacers put in and impressions taken, have to be honest here and say I was not really expecting this much pain and tension already (I am a mum and thought I had a high pain threshold!)My main concern is how will I cope ? I also am very concerned about this rme or torture device as some people refer to it , I am aware it is a contentious issue with lots of people feeling it is not suitable for adults ? Other than that I am so excited and happy to be able to hopefully improve the appearance of my smile. Any tips on getting through the early weeks would be very much appreciated .

I will add some pictures as soon as I can

Hi Wanda,

I am a 43 year old Brit with a (receding!!!!!) cross-bite (I'm very excited as just in the last couple of weeks I have seen a real improvement in my cross-bite). If you're anything like me, early days you will be very self-conscious, and be able to think of nothing but your teeth, but that soon passes. You might get some sore spots, and need wax, but I have been fairly fortunate in not suffering too much. On the up side, I expect you will see exciting movement very early on, and that is a real boost! Good luck with your journey, and I look forward to following your progress.

Hi sandpiper , nice to find someone same age and with crossbite! Many thanks for all your advice , I am obsessed with teeth at the moment !! I will look forward to getting some exciting movement with my teeth , and its reassuring to hear you have not suffered too much , I am in agony with the spacers ,surely the braces cant be worse than this !

This is my xray pic to state the obvious !!!

pictures as promised they really do say more than a thousand words !!

crossbite on left

Hi Wanda,

Thanks for posting the photos - your teeth look better than mine did at the beginning (in terms of strightness), but our crossbites are very similar, and on the same side. Mine is being treated by a mixture of braces, quad helix and elastics. I am probably just over half way through my treatment, and I have been very pleased to see my crossbite diminish over that time. For the first time, my top left-hand teeth are marginally outside the lower teeth, so I can ALMOST say I don;t have a crossbite!! However, there is still a way to go.

I feel for you re the spacers - I do remember them being particularly painful! Good luck with getting your braces on, and I look forward to hearing how you get on.

Hi I've recently done some research to find some good insurance schemes. I am from Texas. Let me know your location. I might suggest you some. Actually, I own a website about braces and all that stuff. I'll try to give you the link once I am settled here. I love ceramic braces but due to some reasons, now I am going to get iBraces (which are placed on the backside).

Sandpiper , how spooky that our crossbites are on same side ! The picture posted is a good one and I think my teeth look far worse from certain angles. It is day 4 of the spacers and no pain killers taken today so think the worst is over with the horrid blue rings !
Sounds as if you have made very good progress if you are almost out of crossbite , I wonder if I will have the same expander as you as my ortho mentioned turning a key ?

Bracesking , I am in the uk .

Did your crossbite give you headaches or any other problems or are you doing it mainly for cosmetic purposes?

Are you getting an expander as well? Keep us updated!

Hi Catia ,(I WILL HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR POSTS ) yes I am getting an expander and will post pics when I have it . I have had lots of symptoms on and off over the years, such as headache, tmj pain, neck pain ,sinus problems, allergies etc , I really dont know if any or all are related to my crossbite but it has got worse over the years and having a night mouthguard helped my symptoms a lot so I suspect I will get less symptoms if my teeth are alligned properly. I also grind my teeth at night which is damaging them ,and they are shorter on the crossbite side , dont know how that will affect the finished look ? (MUST ASK SANDPIPER IF THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH HER CROSSBITE .).My health issues are what led me to have consultations for braces ,but the cosmetic improvement was a major factor in deciding to go ahead. I do feel very guilty spending this much money on myself , and I hope the pain will be worth it .

Hi Wanda,

I haven't had a teeth grinding problem, but I have in recent years been getting progressively worse pain in my jaw and up round my ear on the side of the crossbite. The good news is that that has reduced as treatment has progressed. But I am also doing it for cosmetic reasons. I have actually recently worn lipstick for the first time in my life, as finally my mouth doesn't look lopsided!! Exciting!

Sandpiper , new lipstick will be on my shopping list very soon ...only wear clear gloss for the very reason you describe.

A little update I have had the impressions done for the rpe appliance and sizing of the molar bands.. that was all ok except for realising that I am getting the clear braces so they are less noticible, but I will have 2 big silver molar bands visible on the crossbite side at the front to hold the rpe appliance in the roof of my mouth ! Am still very excited to be getting braced and only 10 days to go now !