Metal Mouth Message Board

After 23 months, I am finally debraced! I am so happy I went through with braces. It was totally worth it.

Is it possible that you're face has changed simply due to growing older? Many people see their face thin out in their 20s from loss of baby fat. Or maybe your face has changed from excessive dieting?

Now that I'm an old pro and about to be debraced (!), I'd like to share some advice: 1) no one cares that you have braces but you (and your brace buddies!). The best defense is a good offense. I showed off my braces immediately to everyone I knew to avoid those awkward stares. 2) lots of people will...

I'm getting debanded next week (!) and will find out then which retainer I will get. I have an essix for the top now which I only wear at night (I only have braces on the bottom teeth), and it's fine. You have to take the essix out to eat and drink anything other than water, but I suppose you have t...

First of all, go with the ortho you have the most confidence in. The first ortho I went to would have been partially covered by my dental insurance but he wanted to pull a front bottom tooth which I did not want to do. the second ortho was much more expensive but she straightened my teeth without ex...

my bottom canine took almost 2 years to rotate, and it rotated so slowly that the only way I could tell it was moving was to compare it to the "before" photo. My other teeth moved much quicker - one of my front bottom teeth that was behind two other teeth moved into place overnight. Appare...

I'm having a bonded retainer put on my bottom teeth a few days before the braces come off (I have metal braces on the bottom teeth and an essix retainer on top teeth). The morning that my braces come off the ortho will do impressions for the retainers and I have an appointment to come back later tha...

Hi, Chuck - congrats on getting your braces! You're probably second-guessing your decision right now - the first few days are the worst, esp. the sores on your cheeks. Use lots of wax, rinse often and your cheeks will toughen up and you'll hardly notice your braces. But when you start to see your te...

Vas - I'm getting the bonded retainer on the bottom teeth this coming Friday and getting debraced the following Wednesday. So yes, I'll have both for a few days, which makes sense to me, I don't want to give my teeth any opportunity to move again. This was my second AND LAST time in braces!!! Bookfa...

My ortho estimated 2 years give or take 6 months - so she really gave herself a wide margin. My debanding date is 23 months from when I got the braces on.

Good luck with the braces! It will go so much faster than you can imagine - and you'll be so happy that you went through with it when you start seeing how great your teeth can look!

Braces come off in less than 2 weeks!!! I remember when I first got my braces, almost 2 years ago, and found this website and read the posts from those who were finishing up and thought my day would never come. But it went by so much faster than I thought. To all the newbies and potential newbies: D...

I was told 4 weeks ago that I was "close." When I came in today, my ortho said my braces were ready to come off!!! :jump: She debands only once a month, and the next debanding date is April 13 so I will have mine off in less than 2 weeks!!! Next week I will have a bonded retainer put on th...

I love my braces, too. And I am the most pessamistic person alive, but in the year + with my braces I have yet to complain. I don't mind the pain, because it means my teeth are moving. In fact, I'm disappointed when my teeth don't hurt because I think they're not moving. I am SOOOO happy with my dec...

I always choose silver ligs to blend in with my metal brackets. Today the tech didn't have silver so I opted for light gray. I like this color much better, it makes the brackets look smaller.