Metal Mouth Message Board

Tomorrow at 10AM, I am FINALLY taking the plunge. I'm getting ceramic uppers and metal lowers. I'm planning to take Advil beforehand. I was considering using white strips tonight. Has anyone else done this before getting braces?

My boyfriend asked if I want him to come for moral support. Do orthodontists mind you having someone with you? Can anyone give me an idea on how long it takes to get the braces on?

I've cancelled my plans for tomorrow night because I'm anticipating a lot of pain and I think I will need to learn how to eat in public with the braces.

Does anyone have recommendations for toothbrushes, mouthwash, toothpaste?

Good luck tomorrow!

Your boyfriend could come, but he'll probably have to stay in the waiting room.

My husband and I don't have a car, so my friend drove me to my banding appointment. My husband didn't come, and I was kind of glad about it. It was nice to have a few minutes to practice talking to my friend, and a moment to compose myself before I saw my husband. But, then again, I wouldn't have really minded seeing him right away, either. He never makes me feel embarrassed

Remember to put on a good layer of a thick lip balm (Burt's Bees is good) before you go in, as your mouth is going to be stretched open for a while.

Good luck!

Congratulations! I just got my braces on Wednesday. I second the lip balm tip. Taking a pain reliever before the appointment is a good idea. I found that the spacers were way more painful than the braces have been. The most annoying thing so far has been waiting for my cheeks to toughen up. It took about 45 minutes to get the braces on. It probably would have taken less time if I didn't require molar bands.

As for equipment, I'm using the Oral B Spinbrush with an orthodontic head. It's been really great. I'm also loving the Waterpik. I'm using regular Colgate anti-cavity toothpaste. You'll probably want to avoid whitening toothpastes until after you get your braces off. I use Oral B Glide floss and a floss threader. I really like the Glide floss because it doesn't shred and leave me picking floss fibers out of my teeth for hours. As for mouthwash, I use Act with fluoride. Instead of dental wax, I've taken the advice I found on this forum and tried Mack's Pillow Soft Silicone Earplugs. You get a lot for your money and it works well. If you use it, just remember to dry the area as best you can so it sticks.

Eating with braces does take some getting used to. I'm sticking to softer foods right now. The braces have forced me to take smaller bites and eat a lot more slowly. Not such a bad thing actually, because I haven't been overeating! I've also cut down on mindless snacking because I've been asking myself if it's really worth having to go through the cleaning routine just to munch on something. I like using DenTek interdental brushes after meals. If you end up having headgear tubes like I do, they fit perfectly inside to clean any food particles that are lurking.

Yay! (I just had a loooong post written up and my computer deleted it )

My husband came with me to my appointment. My ortho has large rooms with seats for Mums/Dads/partners so he got to see the whole process. I was kind of glad to have him there for support.

The whole process took about 45 minutes for me, including the cleaning beforehand and them explaining how to clean my teeth etc afterwards.

Definitely lip balm. I didn't take painkiller beforehand. It took 5 hours before the pain kicked in for me and it would have worn off by then anyway. I think I took some about 4 hours in as soon as I realized they were getting sore.

Most ortho's will give you a starter pack before you leave that has some things in it you might need. If not though I use a regular toothbrush. I find the electric one they gave me hurts my already sore teeth.

Those little interdental (christmas tree looking) toothbrushes (I think they're called Piksters) are great for cleaning out stuck food from brackets.

I use whitening toothpaste. My ortho told me that was fine as it doesn't whiten anyway, they just keep stains away. No bleaching allowed though. I'd be careful bleaching the night before too as it might make your teeth a bit sensitive.

Mouthwash, just pick something alcohol free and you're good to go

Eating takes a little practice (I'm still learning! Plenty of cheek biting going on at times ).

Good luck!

I was in and out within an hour -that included cleaning, bracket and wire placement, and instructions/warnings about brushing r not brushing.

Not everyone has a lot of pain. I've had virtually none, have had 2 adjustments now and have had a lot of movement. I've had some minor rubbing but that is all and wax solved that easily.

Hope it goes well/has gone well for you (not sure of the time difference because it is now 9.37pm on sAt. night here).

Ciara

They're officially on! I really appreciate all of the advice everyone gave me. I did put on Burt's Bees Chapstick before hand and the ortho assistant wiped it off before starting, hahah. I ended up putting a lot on after the appointment because my lips were very dry.

I took Motrin before going in so I didn't feel much pain when the braces were being put on. The only uncomfortable part was when they put this acidic liquid on my teeth that made my tongue burn a little. The whole process took about an hour and a half. The assistant said it took longer because porcelain braces take longer to put on. I thought I was getting ceramic braces but apparently they are porcelain.

The Orthodontist gave me a starter pack with floss, wax, a soft toothbrush, ACT mouthwash, a timer for brushing, a list of food I can't eat anymore (goodbye popcorn), a dental floss threader and a sulcabrush. She said she will give me a better brush than a sulcabrush when I go in for my next appointment in a month.

I will post before and after photos once the board admins allow me to.

Photos

More Photos

Looking good You've already got a lovely smile. It's going to be amazing when they're off!

They look great! The white wire looks awesome. I didn't have that option.

Oooooh. That white wire is sweet!!!!

Good luck with everything!

Congratulations!! I have similar canines and more crowding in the bottom. I'm about 3 months in and I can't believe how much the canines have come in line! It's beyond exciting!! I didn't have any molar bands put on and I wonder if I'm headed that way. I'm excited to see your progress. I am also sentenced to 24 months.

Congratulations! Your teeth are already lovely, they'll just be that more lovely when you're done. Hope you dont have too much pain. I have 2 more days before I get braced up.

I had my top braces placed about a month ago. I had two teeth removed on the bottom two weeks back and my bottom braces placed a few days back. Hope all is working well for you.

Love the white wire! Your teeth are already very nice and will look fantastic when you are finished. Congratulations on starting your journey.