Metal Mouth Message Board

I had a bear of a time getting mine out for the first few weeks. Wish I could give you the magic formula for removing them but I never really found one :? . I used my thumbnail to lift it up a bit and then went back and forth from side to side until it popped off. I still have to pry the bottom reta...

I'm not sure how much my first set of Essix retainers cost since I didn't get a cost breakdown. But, I get two free replacements, and if I need others after that they are $75 each arch. Pretty low compaired to what most of you are having to pay.

I knew my Ortho would want to even up my incisors (one is a smidge longer then the other) but I requested that the edges of my teeth be left alone and it was not a problem. I like the slightly imperfect natural look :D So, make sure you speak up if that's what you really want. You can always have th...

Like LC'sTeefs, I could taste "something" for several days after they were first put on. I have a feeling it was from the bonding agent since it was fairly short lived.
There were never any reactions with foods that I noticed.

I have a related question: Because of my screwy bite, I've had receding gums. Will the braces fix that? That is, will the new gum growth result in a non-receded gumline? From everything I've read and been told by my periodontist, the only way to re-grow gum tissue is with grafts. I too had receding...

I've seen plenty of posts from people who want perfection so I don't think you are the only one expecting/wanting it :D My teeth are not 100% perfect, but I don't mind. I didn't even notice that the black triangles I had have gone away until just a week or so ago. So I guess I don't spend much time ...

Just got back from my second retainer check. I was told that I can start wearing them every other night if I like. I'm not sure if I will though. The little black triangles I had at de-bracing have pretty much gone away. There is just the slightest one between the upper central incisors now and the ...

I agree with Jewels.

My ortho offers a 10% discount if you pay in full upfront. He also has a family discount. Full price for the first family member, 5% off for each additional person.
No breaks for students or the uninsured though

I don't remember what my first post-braces meal was, but I do remember that my teeth were sore for a while. I coudn't bite into an apple or carrot without discomfort for at least a month. I don't know if my experience was typical, but all the super crunch, & chewy things were out for a while eve...

Silver or smoke would be best. I had white once on my clear brackets and it sticks out like a sore thumb :lol: I'm not sure if it would be as bad on metal brackets, but I wouldn't risk it on uppers. Maybe test the white out on the bottom brackets first if you really wanted to try it. Bottoms are not...

I started wearing elastics four months into treatment. The first configuration was the Crossbite elastics. I wore those for about 6 weeks and then started with what I believe is called a Short Class ll configuration (from upper lateral incisors to bottom canines and then over to the first molar hook...

rover1234 wrote: could even try using an expander BEFORE starting the Invisalign. I've never heard of an expander that didn't have to be attached to metal braces-- anyone familiar with this?

My daughters both had expanders before braces. They were attatched to molar bands.

My dentist gave me a whitening kit and told me to use my Essix as trays. They were not damaged in any way. As Bekah says, follow the instructions and don't over do it. I started with 20 minutes and by the end of the two weeks had increased the time to 45 minutes. The brand I used actually reduced my...

I don't think they are color coded by size/strength. At least not the brand my Ortho uses. I had the option of multi colored or "clear" in every size I needed. The multi color packs had lime green, hot pink, neon orange and purple elastics. So if you went with one of those lig colors you'd...