Metal Mouth Message Board

I am almost 30 and just got braced about 7 mths ago! A few teeth have really moved, ones that were like overlapping eachother! Now that they have moved they are almost stained and I can't brush them clean! Does this go away and when the braces come off and my teeth are whitened, will this go away! I have one spot on the top and one on the bottom! Thanks

Rosann

Sorry, I can't answer your question, but I think I know what you mean - I've had a couple of teeth where edges overlap move where they don't overlap and I've got new rough edges. Edges where I didn't have them, gaps gone, things change so much. I don't have that much staining on the newly exposed parts, and I hope yours will whiten for you.

Trust me, big grin here, but if you're calling yourself 'older crowd', what does that make those of us that half again as old as you? Yep, 45 (shoot, almost 46!!) in braces!

Hi Rosann,

I'm sure the next time you get your teeth cleaned at your general dentists' office, your dental hygienist should be able to either lighten or completely remove the stain. Do you usually have your wire removed before you get your teeth cleaned? If not, you may want to get it removed the next time, so that s/he can have an easier time cleaning and be able to reach areas that she can't usually get to due to the archwire. Not sure of the ditance you have to travel to go to your ortho/general dentist but if you get the wire removed it's an extra couple trips to the ortho's office to get the wire removed then to get it put back in - doesn't take long and sometimes since you're there, the ortho will make an adjustment if your due one soon.

Good luck.

ssfw

rangerchic wrote:I am almost 30 and just got braced about 7 mths ago! A few teeth have really moved, ones that were like overlapping eachother! Now that they have moved they are almost stained and I can't brush them clean! Does this go away and when the braces come off and my teeth are whitened, will this go away! I have one spot on the top and one on the bottom! Thanks

Rosann

Hi KK,

I hope you're doing well! I didn't see your name around the holiday season so I assumed you were away. I hope you had a great holiday season and having a good start to the New Year. You are so kind to all of us - you are always so positive and I wish there were more people like you in the world.

You may want to ask your ortho how often you should get your teeth cleaned during ortho treatment. My ortho indicated it's best to go more often during ortho treatment. I usually go twice/year and will increase it to 3. He also told me to get my teeth cleaned prior to the placement of the expander and prior to getting my braces placed. This may end up more than 3 times this year but it is best to be sure they are clean before the appliances are cemented to your teeth for awhile.

When you do get your teeth cleaned, if it does work for you (depending on the distance you would have to travel to see your orthodontist), get the wire removed, it makes it so much easier for the dental hygienist.

Take Care,

ssfw

KK wrote:Hope you're right ssfw as I've not been to a hygienists since getting my braces put on, and like Rosann I've got some major staining (infact gross looking stains) where teeth have rotated!

I'm wondering if the older crowd is 30 ... that makes us over 40's dinasaurs! Kinda cute ... being a lover of all things Dragon ... I have no problem with that!

I've found dentists here to be quite hesitant to touch my teeth since getting braces on. I went to have a regular check-up and cleaning about 1yr ago and got told other than checking for cavities etc there was nothing else that could be done and to come bak once the braces were removed.
I think it's something to do with the dentist not wanting to go anywhere near the orthodontists work in case he/she messes it up, but i'm not sure.

Yeah I guess these days they are liable for all sorts of things.
Plus they all have referral systems and if an ortho were to see that the dentist stuffed up some of their work then they wouldn't be too keen to refer anyone to them in the future.
I'm not sure if this is the real reason - just my theory!

This is very interesting - maybe it depends on where you live. As I indicated, my ortho encourages the patients to get their teeth cleaned at least 3 times/year while wearing braces, to prevent future dental problems due to all of the appliances sitting on the teeth for so long.

ssfw

kirst1583 wrote:I've found dentists here to be quite hesitant to touch my teeth since getting braces on. I went to have a regular check-up and cleaning about 1yr ago and got told other than checking for cavities etc there was nothing else that could be done and to come bak once the braces were removed.
I think it's something to do with the dentist not wanting to go anywhere near the orthodontists work in case he/she messes it up, but i'm not sure.

I would have assumed the same. That's why I thought i'd have a check-up and clean at the same time.
My ortho hasn't mentioned cleaning at all... and the dentists don't want to touch anything. I figure i'm nearing the end of treatment anyway so i'll just wait and get them cleaned, whitened and my front tooth (which has discoloured cos I fainted on concrete and knocked most of it out) fixed when I'm done.

Hi KK,

I'm not sure about cutting the wire, but if this happens to you again, someone told me that wax helps or try pressing it down with the back of a spoon - not sure if it really works but wanted to tell you what I heard. Then, of course, call your ortho's office the next day to ask them to do what needs to be done. If my idea does work at least it would make you a bit more comfortable through the night and save you a trip and maybe some money and avoid having to see a dentist that you don't know. If you try out this idea, let me know if it works.

ssfw

KK wrote:Interesting one Krist!

I had a wire poking me a few weeks back and couldn't get to the city to my ortho due to working. I phoned the local dentists and was told they couldn't cut the wire ... something I thought would be very simple for someone with the right equipment. I was really annoyed ... but maybe the reason for not doing it is what you've written ...

I think it's something to do with the dentist not wanting to go anywhere near the orthodontists work in case he/she messes it up, but i'm not sure.

I'm glad he at least did the check-up. I was concerned about what I thought were cavities (but are actually just stains around the glue) so at least he put my mind at ease.
I would have liked my teeth cleaned also. Maybe it depends on each individual dentist then.. hmm

Why was this addressed "to the older crowd"? Is there something specific to old people - and how old do you have to be? I'm in the over 50 group, so you're actually in the younger group to me!

Bottom line is, this is not a particularly useful subject line!

Wow, I can't believe a dentist would tell a patient in braces not to come back until treatment was completed. My dentist and hygienist are extra diligent now that I have braces because they know the potential for problems has gone UP with the braces.

KK, I'm on my first wire and it IS poking in various spots. They told me that the ortho wanted it to curl around and bend back because it's a thin wire and that will help it stay in place. But as teeth move, the wire has moved, and pressing it down with a toothbrush doesn't work.

So, perhaps like an idiot, I have simply put up with it. Lots of wax. Which comes off while eating so that the wires still dig into my cheeks. Maybe I should have just called the ortho. I work a 5-min walk away.

When I go in next Tuesday, I will discuss it in detail with them. Find out under what circumstances they will clip it for me. Because it is NOT fun!

Thanks, Meryaten! I'm going to do that next time. Two years of that might drive me spare.

Just had a cleaning last week. The hygenist had no problem doing an excellent job. Like a few of you I have stains where my teeth have rotated. Where she couldn't reach with her "scraper " she used a high intensity water jet. A bit messy , but boy do my teeth feel good. She was most pleased with my cleaning, said she'd never seen such a clean "braces mouth " Yippee, the OTT cleaning schedule really works!