Metal Mouth Message Board

So here's my story. I had braces for 4 years in middle school. Got them off in high school and everything was fine until I was 21. My teeth started to shift and it became really noticeable. One trip to the dentist later and I found out that all of my wisdom teeth were coming in sideways, pushing my teeth together. I got them out as soon as I could but the damage had been done.
I got braces again on my bottom teeth and got a permanent retainer after they were removed because I was afraid they would shift again, but I have kept pushing off my top ones because I didn't want to feel self conscious. Eight years later, I finally said enough is enough and I got the Damon clear braces on my top teeth yesterday. My orthodontist is hopeful that it will only take 8-9 months. I will also be getting the permanent retainer removed and replace it with one I can wear at night.
Hopefully these next 8 months will go by quickly!

Good luck and good speed on your journey!

Why are you getting the permanent retainer removed?

Good luck with treatment. I'm 26 and will be getting braces in less than a week for the 2nd time. I wore mine for 3years the first time and wI'll be wearing them again for 2more years. Your lucky to only have them for 8-9 months, hopefully it goes fast for you! :)

I just started my second round in braces. I had them for three years in middle school and am now sentenced to another 2 years due to a tongue thrust that went unnoticed and really screwed everything up. Good to know I'm not alone.

Good luck! I'm 29 and just got metal braces for the first time (made 1 week today). Any comments on what you could have done to maintain your straight teeth the first time?

I thought I was the only one! I too had braces for 3 years in middle school. My teeth all started to shift in my 20's due to my wisdom teeth. I had gone back to the orthodontist when I was 23 because my bottom permanent retainer had broken and I ended getting braces back on my lower teeth to restraigten them out. 10 years later I end up at an Ortho again after my dentist made me a referral due to my open bite. So in January of this year I got ceramic uppers and lowers for 12-18 months with front vertical elastics to hopefully close my open bite and also fix my cross bite. The only concern that I have is that my tongue thrust is the whole reason things got jacked up to begin with, and my current ortho is hoping the vertical elastics would hold my mouth closed enough that it wouldn't let my tongue through. At my appointment on Friday I had mentioned that I knew my mouth hangs open when I sleep and my tongue goes through my front teeth and rests over my bottom teeth. My ortho said that was not a good answer, so I don't know what he wants to do to stop this. He didn't mention anything but I am not sure he will want to go the appliance route to retrain my tongue. I just don't want my tongue to mess all this up again. I can't pay for braces again, this is it!
Good luck! I would love to hear more about your progress!

I'm 35 and have been in my Damons for a little over 8 months now. It's the second time around for me as well, so it looks like there are quite a few of us in the same boat.

I will say... It has gone really quickly for me! My original sentence was 16-18 months and my ortho is saying that he thinks I'll be out of them by Christmas (15 months), possibly Thanksgiving. They're not exactly fun, but things have gone pretty well.

I hope your treatment goes quickly and smoothly!

I'm on my second round too, it looks like there's quite a few of us! I had my first round as an adult, wore them for about 18mths. All was fine & I was happy with the results. I wore my retainers faithfully & my teeth stayed pretty much put. Unfortunately 'put' looked great but wasn't such a great position functionally. So here I am back in braces for hopefully the last time ever. My sentence this time is 3 years 'active treatment' in braces, following an initial splinting period which lasted about 4 months, then 7 months with a fixed expander. It also includes fortnight rotations of lower spacers (two weeks on, 2 weeks off) which I have to say I hate! Here's hoping everyone's treatment time goes quickly & smoothly!

Good luck and I hope you get the results you want. Many of us here are on our second round, myself included, and some are on their third round!