Metal Mouth Message Board

I remember that feeling! I got my braces and two hours later had four premolars pulled. On the ride home, I could only say, "What the h*ll was I thinking?!?!" Well, my mother-in-law and I had a long laugh at that! For the first three months or so, I was uncomfortable though not in pain. Af...

I had ipr on my uppers and lowers. on the lowers, it helped my crooked teeth slide into place a bit more easily. And on my uppers, greatly reduced a big black triangle between my front teeth. I wasn't asked if I wanted it but I was hoping I would have I thought it would greatly improve the appearanc...

oh goodness, I meant to type 43! I guess that was wishful thinking!

Female, 34, gringa living in Santiago, Chile.
Braced in September 2006.

Dear iBorg, Firstly, I don't think that your teeth look 'sunken-in' at all but that's just my opinion! You've had some great progress with your braces and I think you'll be very happy with the results. Regarding your question about implants, I'm concerned that you state that you have an overbite. if...

My advice would be to tell your Mom before you get braces and follow that up with something along the lines of: "Mom, you may not like my decision but I want to believe that we can talk and I can tell you my decision even if you don't agree with me because you are a big part of my life." T...

Congratulations! I'm 43, with a similar background (needed braces since i had my adult teeth) and have had my braces for 5 months now. I was self-conscious and a bit uncomfortable for the first few months but the improvement of my teeth has been nothing short of amazing. Now, I don't even remember t...

Vaseline can't hurt but it might be a bit...greasy. You might try one of the products (gel or rinse) for dry mouth relief like Biotene dry mouth gel. I pur it on the front of my teeth right before bed. Good luck!

I understand your anxieties but I would wait a few weeks before changing brackets only because it seems you are having some generalized anxiety about the braces in general. This is thoroughly understandable! The only thing I could think and say immediately after getting braces was, "What the he...

I would recommend trying Biotene dry mouth gel before bed at night. I sleep with my mouth open because of sinus problems and it has only been worse with the braces. And...ugh!...sleeping with the mouth open also promotes bad breath. I thickly spread the gel on the front of my teeth before bed and it...

Dear Sally, LOL...like Kitty, I heard the same arguments from my mother over 20 years ago! Don't worry about it or get involved in debates with your family. As long as you are dealing with the financial aspects responsibly, which you are, go for it! And as others said, think of it as a financial inv...

I'm another OTT person! Morning after breakfast: brush with biotene toothpaste/manual brush After lunch: waterpik, electric oral b with Prevident 5000 plus, proxy brush around wires/bands, floss. [if not working from home, use manual brush] After dinner: waterpik, electric oral b with biotene , prox...

Dear Gracie,
That's an excellent sign that your teeth on on the move!
Congratulations!!

I have all ceramic. They are comfortable and I do like them.
But, as others have said, I would ask your ortho. There might be issues where they might recommend one over the other. Good luck!

Hello,
I have dry mouth and I use all of the biotene products--toothpaste, mouthwash and gel (before bed). They really help!