Metal Mouth Message Board

[img]Hello all-

First I would like to say how thankful I am I found this site! It's so great to hear stories from other adults about their experiences with braces. My friends are helpful, but they all had their orthodontic work in high school- not quite the same!

After years of toying with the idea, I finally got up the nerve to take the plunge and commit to braces. My top teeth look decent as is, but over the years they have started to shift. My bottom teeth are crowded and several have rotated. As a result, my dental cleanings have been horrendous, as it is difficult to keep the plaque out of my crowded, tight teeth. After my last painful, bloody cleaning, I decided once and for all it was time, and scheduled an appointment with an orthodontist.

After I had my consultation, I thought about it overnight (large money commitment obviously) and decided to go for it. I struggle with spending THAT much money on something cosmetic for myself (seems vain to me?), but my friends and family encouraged me to do it.

My damon brackets (clear on top 6, metal on the rest) were put on Sept. 10. I was disappointed b/c my ortho did not put brackets on my lower four (and most unattractive) teeth, b/c she said I would bite them off due to my overbite. Therefore I have no archwire on the bottom yet. First appointment is in 9 weeks, so hopefully by then my overbite will have improved enough to put the bottom wire on. Currently these braces feel awful- I just want to tear them off b/c it feels so strange in my mouth! Plus, my cheeks are starting to bleed from the friction and the teeth themselves are soooo sensitive. I am obsessing over cleaning and flossing, and eating is just not enjoyable. Braces are like an insta-diet! I can't wait for the day when this feels "normal" and I don't think about them 24/7. T-18 months until they come off. [/img]

Before your b-day ...
* warm salt water rinses once a day – a pinch of salt in a small amount of warm water
* setup your travel dental cleaning kit, or buy a dentakit from this site
* stock up on consumables ... wax, mouthwash, interdental brushes, stiff ended floss etc
* never forget why you're doing this
* keep a positive attitude

On your b-day ...
* go to the toilet
* cover your lips with balm
* keep positive

After your b-day ...
* continue the daily salt rinses
* wax to prevent sores
* keep your body well hydrated
* chew to increase blood flow in your gums
* make sure your oral hygiene is A1
* be confident with your decision
* remember ... braces do not prevent us from doing anything, only we can do that!
* stay positive!

Here's to your journey being a great one!

Thanks for the tips, much appreciated!! I will definitely try the salt water immediately.

Hang in there. It does get better. It really does. I also had the compulsive urge to want to rip them out of my mouth. My teeth hated all the new pressure. I just wasn't used to the sensation. I seriously thought about calling up the orthos office and kindly ask them to remove them the day after I got them. I didn't. I thought about all the money I had just spent on a dowpayment to get them installed and was like no way kid you gotta stick this out.. It took me two weeks to get used to wearing them. Now I barely notice them.

I'm five days in now and it IS getting a little better. The urge to tear them off has died down a bit, lol. I think as soon as I start to see some movement I will really become enthusiastic...it's just these first days when nothing is happening that are tough.

Before




First Day with Braces
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Congrats again, I could be wrong but does it look like the upper braces are sitting a bit high?

hypocrite opportunist, interesting screen name you have! What is the story behind that?

SDFD TSchott- they look high to me too...? But I have to presume my orthodontist knows what she is doing- she's got a good reputation and teaches post-doctoral orthodontic classes at UC San Francisco! haha I know she is correcting my overbite before the bottom braces go on, so maybe she plans to move my uppers higher? I'm not exactly sure. First appt. is in November so perhaps I will inquire.

footpounds- the screen name is taken from a song by the band Radiohead. It always made me laugh when I heard it.

SDFD TSchott- I decided to call my ortho's office and ask about the high placement of the brackets. The ortho assistant told me that they get that question all the time, and her response was that my oththo has found that with the Damon brackets (she's been using them for 2 years now) that in certain cases, such as mine, the higher placement of the bracket allows her to better torque the braces to get the teeth where ahe wants them. They also told me that in time they may remove some of those brackets and place them lower, depending upon how treatment is going. Apparently their office all just took a class on the matter, and learned the "new" way of bracket placement, and well as the "old" way in which the brackets in in the middle to lower of the tooth.

As a side note to everyone, I highly recommend calling your ortho's office if you ever have technical questions, so useful!

Welcome!

I'm 30 (will be 31 next month) and I've got the same kind of braces. I've had them for 3 weeks now. I definitely understand why your ortho did not put brackets on your bottom front teeth - I've had to go back twice already to have bumper material added to my molars to "prop" my mouth open when I bite so I don't knock the brackets off or chip my front teeth. I'm quite a mess right now!

Like you, my bottom teeth are my major concern with the crowding and alignment. Welcome to the club. I hope you find that most people you deal with IRL are supportive and interested in your braces journey like I have found.

Hi there,

I'm 29 too and started my braces in February this year. I will turn 30 shortly however, but I'm glad to say that my teeth are soo much better now that I'm 7 months in. It's good to know that we are all on the right way.

Best of luck with the braces, I'm sure you'll love the results.

Well, my top teeth have begun to move, but are now looking worse than before. I know I have to trust everything will work out in the end, but seeing my teeth get worse is not a reassuring feeling! I need to stop looking at them everyday, but I've become almost neurotic about trying to find changes! I need to relax.

Spoke with my ortho's office today- called about a financial issue, but once she asked about my braces I of course took the opportunity to ramble! I told her I was a little nervous b/c I haven't really seen any progress in a month (and I probably wouldn't have thought much about it if it were not for this site and the photos people post of their one month progress)! She explained that I have the lightest archwire in at the moment, and that during the first month all it will do is start loosening my teeth and preparing them for movement, as well as widening my arch- so it was normal for me not to notice any discernible differences from day one. That made me feel a lot more relaxed.

Going on vacation tomorrow. Thankfully I have zero pain in my mouth, so eating out should be fun.