Metal Mouth Message Board

My ortho told me my Essix should last around 3 years. I don't believe it though.

It's actually easier to floss with just the two teeth at the ends bonded. You only have to slip the floss through once and then floss the rest as normal. Mine's bonded on each tooth, but that's ok. I don't want those suckers going anywhere.

Those are the exact kind I had, except I had two on top, two on bottom. Don't you love how all your food gets wedged behind those lovely little gadgets? Hopefully they will work as well for you as they did for me. Good luck!

I had those same types of wires, and no, it was not fun at all. The loops looked and felt gigantic! I hated them so much. I had to wear them for about 4 months, but they closed all my extraction gaps so it was well worth it. Boy, did it hurt though! My ortho activated them as soon as she put them in...

If you are using a fluoride mouthwash too much you can develop fluoridosis (or fluorosis). This will cause your teeth to turn brown. Fluoridosis results from the rearrangement of the crystalline structure of teeth due to excessive fluoride presence. You can't get fluorosis on fully formed teeth in ...

I'm wondering about the difference with the cleanings people mention scheduling with hygenists versus the dentist cleanings. Is there a difference in the type/level of cleaning? Are the hygenists partners in dental practices who specialise in the same type of cleaning your regular dentist does or i...

I don't think it's very common, but you could always retract your tongue a little to block the entrance of your throat. I doubt it will happen again, though.

Every case and every ortho is different, of course, but mine used closing loops along with powerchains and they worked like a charm. It took a long time for her to start using the closing loops, but once she did, they closed in about 3 months.

I think it took about 9 months for my extraction gaps to completely close. Like some of you have said, she was concentrating on other things first. When she finally put the closing loops on in December, they really starting closing fast. I think it took 3 months for them to completely close after th...

I have Sea Lion 1/4" 6.4 mm. HATE THEM!

I may have missed something, but I don't understand why she needs a mold of your teeth. I understand you are having periodontal therapy, but perio charting depths and whatnot have nothing to do with models of your teeth. And $250? That's nuts! Especially since your ortho already has a model of your ...

I think it may be a novelty to them at first, but it will probably wear off and they won't care or even notice your braces anymore. I definitely think you should do it now. Get the smile you want sooner rather than later so you won't spend future years being self conscious about your teeth. You'll b...

I wore closing loops for 4 months to close my extraction gaps. I had a small gap on my upper right and when my ortho activated the wire, it was closed by the time I got home! Those suckers hurt like heck but I'm happy to be gap-free now. I hope they stay that way when the braces come off! I'm sure i...

That's terrible not being able to do any of that for a week! I wouldn't worry about cavitites forming though. Just limit your sugar intake this week. It actually takes about 18 months for a lesion to turn into a full blown, hole in the tooth cavity. Just step up your oral hygiene after this week and...

My ortho says she usually only puts molar bands on teenagers and kids, but I forgot why. I think it had something to do with teenagers and kids eating the wrong things and knocking the brackets off. I'm just grateful I was spared that whole ordeal so I don't really ask.