Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi everyone

Some of you may remember me - I got braced up February 2005, so a year on my ortho tells me we are looking at another 6 months. I got my power chains on 5 weeks ago and am due to go back on Monday where I am DESPERATE for him to say I don't have to wait another 6 months - I am getting so fed up having all this metal in my mouth.

It seems to me the gaps on the top are all but closed - I have a small gap on the bottom right and also need to 'move my centre line across a few mm' on the bottom

So my qn is - anyone else who has been at this stage - how much longer did you have to wait to get your braces off? Might i be able to get my top one off before my bottom?

I know 'are we nearly there yet' qns can be a bit repetitive and boring but please help guys -i'm losing all motivation!!

Thanks, freya x

Dont give up now.. your so far into it. Hang in there! 6 months of having metal in your mouth isnt that long compared to the nice teeth you'll have for the rest of your life. goodluck, i wish i was that far into it

Yes, I agree, hang in there! There may be some kind of waiting period once everything stops moving just to stabilize, so your teeth behave once the braces are off. Maybe it is an old wives tale for orthodontics, but I think I heard it somewhere. You can always ask the ortho. I know when I get close to the end I am going to get really impatient (as if I'm not now). I don't think I need to have every tooth perfect as long as my bite is fab. This is why I got braces in the first place. I will definitely not be nit-picking at the end that's for sure! Fix my bite and let's get'm off!

i know i am lucky really as some people have to have them on for years!

Well i have been to my ortho this morning and Karen i took your advice and asked specifically what needs to happen - he says i have a 3mm space on the bottom that needs to be closed, which should take 3 months or so, then it's just a case of uprighting an impacted wisdom tooth - which he bracketed this morning so hopefully shouldnt take too long.

The top ones are nearly there but he won't take them off at different times as they are needed to provide a counter force for the bottom ones sometimes??

Oh and speaking of which - I have had elastics on! I am not too sure what they do or what they're for but boy am i lisping!!!

Hang in there. I'm pretty much at that stage too. I've had my final wires and power chains for a couple of months now and my last gap has all but closed. My ortho moved my upper arch wired a tiny bit as he wanted to move one of my top teeth a little bit so it was more central. And he reckons I've got two months left.

The time just can't go by quick enough, they all look so fab, for the life of me I can't figure out what's left to do, but it sounds as though I'll get the bottom braces off before the top ones, which I'm a little disappointed at as I've had the uppers on longer.

By the way why is it normal to take the bottom braces off first? Anyone know?

If he needs to do any elasticking, he'll need the top ones on, so that could be why. Better to keep them on then have to put them on again later.

That must be exciting to know you're almost done!!!!

Straightening your teeth is only the first part of treatment. The second part is making sure they stay there. If you quit too soon, your teeth will begin to migrate, and you don't want that. Be patient.