Metal Mouth Message Board

I don't understand why an orthodontist would tell someone to wear their retainer full time for only "such and such" weeks... You've worn braces for years...a retainer is meant to be worn for life to retain teeth in their proper place. It sounds to me that maybe it is the inconsistent wear?...

I also don't think there is a right or wrong way but I:

waterpik
floss
brush
waterpik again
mouthwash

Hello, I had my braces for almost 4 years and I had no white marks at removal. I had self-litigating ceramic on top and metal on the bottom. I use a electronic toothbrush. My routine was to floss, waterpik, brush, waterpik again and then mouthwash. I flossed/brushed after most meals and always drank...

It sounds to me like you should be wearing the retainer all day except when eating...did you ask your ortho if you can do that? You are very early in the retainer phase so it shouldn't be a problem getting it back into correct position. One more thing...it really bugs me when an ortho doesn't have a...

Retainers are meant to retain your teeth...as long as you wear them. I am always baffled when I read orthos telling people to wear them less than 24 hours. :? I wore my retainers full time except for eating for the first 2 years then the uppers broke and I switched over to my positioner, (home use o...

I have used denture tabs, dentasoak, toothpaste...I haven't had any issues with discoloration.

I think you may be talking about the fact that your teeth are tender/sore or hurt so it is hard to chew. From my experience, the more you chew when your teeth are sore, they quicker it goes away. My ortho also said it helps with the overall process to keep chewing. It keeps the blood flowing. It may...

Espressodoll~ Can you wear them as much as possible, instead of just at night, for a while and see how things go? It sounds like it could be the wear isn't consistent so when you do put it on, it fits...then when you take it out, turns out to be for too long, than things get out of place. Sounds lik...

Let's see...most guys I know, don't pay attention to anything....so I say, get them on and wait to see how long it takes him to notice. :lol: If it really bothers you or you feel the need to tell him, just say something similiar to...I'm thinking about getting braces, have you had them? Or you can j...

I don't believe it is normal to have a one arch retainer. In order to retain all teeth in their proper place, you'll need both arches covered.
I would ask, or I would demand, that you get a full retainer.

Good luck!

I can't see the photo.

You can say "I have a personal appointment after school so I have to leave 10 minutes early." or "You can say, 'I'm getting my braces off today so I need to leave 10 minutes early to get to my appointment on time." It depends on how much info you want to share.

I haven't worn braces for years but I just used the unwaxed floss and it was terrible.
Waxed floss is a lot easier to use. The other kind rips easily.

The most important thing when it comes to flossing, is to just floss!

It could also be because they weren't bonded on long enough. I wore braces for almost 4 years; I only had one bracket come loose and that was at the 3 month mark.
Next time, they'll probably hold the bond for a while longer.

Your teeth will be fine for the 10 days. The teeth will settle over time so don't expect them to stay exactly as they were as soon as the braces came off. They were being held with wires and other objects. As soon as those things are removed, they will loosen and come into their natural place. The m...