Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi guys I'm so glad I found this board! My name is Samantha and I'm 25 years old. I currently go back to the orthodontist in 10 days (yay!) to get my spacers put in. I was fitted a few weeks ago for a rapid palate expander so 6 days after I get my spacers I will have my appliance put in (Nov 26). The girl thought I was crazy for not waiting until after Thanksgiving but I don't care - I am WAY TOO EXCITED!

I was blessed (not really) with a VERY small mouth so the first plan of action is the rapid palate expander which if it works I will be wearing for 4 months then braces at the end of March. If the RPE does not work then I will be getting a different removable type of expander (don't know the name but it looks like a retainer) to try to at least move the front part of my mouth. And then if that doesn't work - just braces and will have to live with a possibly weird bite. For me I was offered the RPE or surgery but I simply cannot afford the jaw surgery! I have dental insurance but I'm sure we all know how much that helps out .

I've always hated my teeth but once I got engaged last year I knew I had to finally do something - who doesn't want to smile on their wedding day? I've avoided cameras my whole life --- you won't even find a picture of me in my high school yearbook!! I started going to the dentist in March of this year and I hadn't been to the dentist since I was 14!! I've always had issues being terrified of the dentist. I had 6 fillings, 2 teeth pulled, 1 wisdom tooth pulled, and 1 root canal- all recent getting my teeth healthy for braces. I take VERY good care of my teeth now!!

Anyways it's too early for me (7:15am) and I feel like this may be a bit jumbled but I read I must post so they don't think I'm a robot - so here I am!

Nice to meet you all!

Oh and how come I can't see any of the pics people post? It always says I don't have permission to??

Hello!

Welcome to this forum! I wish you very good luck with your treatment! I am also having a crossbite fixed without surgery (I refused surgery), so we are in the same boat. I am looking forward to hearing about your progress!

You can't see or post pics because you are a new member. You need to make 7 posts first, and then you can see everything!

Good luck with your braces journey!! I've been braced since 11 Oct 2011 & hopefully get them off mid December (YaY!)!!!

Goodluck with them!

Welcome...and good luck with your journey. This is a great place for suggestions..advice and awesome for support!!

We're actually in really similar situations. I think you commented on something I posted too. I've had my new removable palate expander for about a week now and so far it's much better than my last one that was digging into the roof of my mouth and causing crazy pain and abrasions. I've only done 3 turns so far. Those added with the 6 turns I already had on the last one have definitely made a difference in my mouth. Everyday my bite feels just a little different. And flossing between my two front teeth,there is no resistance and I fear a gap is coming which is great and bad all at the same time. I really need the space in my mouth but my teeth are already so crowded/bad it will stink to have them look even worse. Especially since I can't hide a gap as much as I hide the crowded/crooked teeth I have. Grr. I hope this flies by! And I hope yours do. More importantly, I hope the expanders work for both of us!

PS, it's awesome that you're doing this before your wedding! I hate all of my close mouthed wedding photos. My dream was always to have straight teeth at my wedding. Oh well. Maybe my new dream should be straight teeth before a child (which isn't happening anytime soon! Haha).

Hello, and welcome!
I currently have a palatal expander in right now. The first few days/first week might be really rough, but stick with it. You are really brave to get one on before Thanksgiving! lol. I know I couldn't have done that. Good luck with your journey! I really hope yours works exactly how it should!

I'm in the same boat!

Sooo I haven't posted in awhile but today I am getting my palate expander taken out and I am finally getting my braces on! I getting ceramic self ligating. I've been so excited up until 2 days who when I started thinking "oh my god what if I hate them!", "what if they look so bad!" "I can't just take them out of my mouth!". I'm sure I'm not the only one going through that.. I am SO nervous! appts is at 11am. Wish me luck!!!!

Good luck with your braces, Beckley! I am sure you will be fine. It will take some time to adjust, but in the end I am sure you will be happy with them if you see all the great changes.

By the way, did the RPE work on you? Is your crossbite fixed now or do you need braces for this also? (crossbite elastics can work like magic, so don't worry about this!).

I did get SOME expansion but not what we were hoping for. One side moved faster than the other and started tipping too far so we had to stop turning. Unfortunately they did not take it out today and I'm not really sure why. They did tell me that due to the expander not working as much we we'd like and me declining surgery... I will never have a textbook perfect bite. Which I'm ok with. Because I don't think its that bad and I'll still have straight teeth not all of my brackets are tied in yet and I already had a back bracket fall off! I called and they said its fine especially as the wire did not go to it yet anyways. I love them!

I guessing that they probably didn't take the expander out today because from what I understand expanders have to stay on for a while after turning so that the bone can grow in the space that you did end up getting. I know I have to wait four months with mine. That's really a bummer that it didn't work as much as they hoped. :/ But on positive side, that's great that you aren't forced to get surgery and that you finally got your braces on today. I'm sure your teeth will end up looking so amazing when you're through with your treatment!

Hello Beckley,,

I am sorry for you that the expander didn't work as much as you had hoped for... But it is great that you don't need to have surgery and that you are happy with things the way they are. Your teeth may not get textbook perfect, but I am sure they will look beautiful when you are done! And they don't look bad at all to start with, I think....
I am in the same boat. My upper jaw is also too narrow and will always be without surgery (which I declined, too scared), but my ortho did correct my crossbite already. I am sure the braces can do great things with your teeth as well, including some nice widening/ crossbite correction. Good luck with your braces!

Thank you all!!