Metal Mouth Message Board

Yes, you can have braces and wisdom teeth. I do! It really depends on your situation, whether or not some teeth need to come out. In consulting with three orthos, I learned that it's a myth that wisdom teeth interfere with the correct alignment of other teeth. It sometimes happens but it's not the n...

I think it's OK for you to tell your orthodontist that you are just not ready for the extractions, that you need time to think about it. It will lengthen your treatment time but that is a minor detail, this is your face! Get a consultation with another orthodontist or your regular dentist and see wh...

If you move, you become a 'transfer' patient. Your current ortho would recommend an ortho in your new location. They may work out the financial arrangements between themselves, or you may have to break your current contract and enter a new one with the new ortho. It might cost you a *some* money, bu...

I have 2 archwire tubes and yeah, food gets stuck in them. It's not ideal, but since it's away from your teeth it won't cause decay or anything. No one but you will look closely enough to see if anything is in your tubes. New wire = new tubes, so hang in there.

Yes, you can push a tooth up. I'm having that done with my two front top ones, which are longer than the ones beside.

Of course, the goal is an overall balanced smile, so you may have to make some choices about which is more important.

I think your teeth look fine though.

I think it's possible and OK. You've been in braces for a while, so your teeth have loosened up and therefore are easier to shift. I had a little space open up between a couple of teeth within a few hours of getting a new archwire. I don't know if it was a whole mm but it was visible. Now it has clo...

Hi there, I got my braces off about 2 years ago, after wearing them for about 4 (which I really think was too long) and I feel I really haven't been wearing my retainer as much as I was supposed to. I think it was last year that my insurance ran out for my ortho treatment, and so I haven't been to ...

I'd say about a week after brace-day I was back to normal and mostly pain-free, just some tenderness when I had to really bite down on something.

I find it odd that your permanent retainers break so easily. I would think they come with some sort of warranty, and should be replaced for free within 12 months. What does your ortho say? Is there a heavier wire that can be used? I know you don't want to hear this, but you will need some kind of re...

Yeah, this is a thing. During my initial consultation, my ortho pointed out imperfections in my teeth that I NEVER noticed, not in all my 44 years. And now they are ALL I SEE. Argh! So it's annoying but I'm not going to get into bonding/veneers etc to get perfect-perfect teeth because those look so ...

Hang in there and keep up the good work. Your smile is BEAUTIFUL!

Hmmm... my ortho said I should have a bonded retainer for a least a few years to help really set my teeth, but then I could think about having it removed. Forever is best, obviously, but for some the inconvenience is just too much. Either way, I'll have a removable retainer for life. But for me that...

I've got elastics (the tech called them "donuts") around my back brackets, just as a comfort thing, to keep my cheeks away from poking wires. It could be something like that - not necessary but nice to have.

You can take longer to decide if you want. There's no rush. It's a big commitment of time and money and you should feel that it's right for you. Ultimately, only you can make this choice. Yes, there will be some pain, discomfort, hassle and expense. At the end you should have beautiful teeth. Most p...

Just a general question. I stand 5' 9" tall and before I got braced was weighing 195 pounds. On 5/8/12 I was braced and to date of this post I've lost 30 pounds. I've cut out a lot of snacks and candy and some other "bad" foods. Has anyone else wearing braces experienced this amount ...