Metal Mouth Message Board

Don't feel bad that you didn't get the braces as a kid, you know what ... I did have braces then and here I am again! Believe me when I tell you that orthodontics has really changed over the years and it was no picnic AT ALL having braces 20-30 years ago. It is a lot better now, and frankly IMO a lo...

Well my approach is this... with any issue, not just braces, that I am uncomfortable with/don't want to discuss in detail/don't want to be made into a big deal: don't wait for the other person to ask about it, and therefore let them control the situation. If you bring it up first, you control the in...

It's also fun when you try putting one back on surrepticiously after a meal and end up launching it across the room! The good thing about the bands is that they seem to hold your cheeks away from your brace wires, so the inside of your mouth doesn't get as bothered by the archwire etc. (at least th...

I agree not to get too used to using wax alot. I used it on brackets that were really irritating certain areas to avoid developing a canker sore, but over time you will get used to the brackets. I have had super results using Colgate Peroxyl rinse to help heal up irritations and keep things under co...

I don't have the exact problem as you, but I do have quite a bit of irritation on the right side of my mouth from wearing elastics. For some reason the left side isn't too bad. The only suggestion that I can offer is perhaps to avoid using a mouthwash containing alcohol since that can dry out your m...

Congratulations Marta, your smile looks great!

How fustrating that must be for you, Attagirl. Hopefully changing to different brackets will solve the problem and you won't have to go through that anymore!

Hi geekgirl, I have the SmartClips too, I think that Tin Man and I are the only ones here so far that do. Sorry I don't have any pictures to share, I hate having my picture taken! (And don't have a digital camera...) I can tell you this-- the brackets are not any bigger than conventional metal brack...

I had a panoramic x-ray done at my last appointment, which was just shy of the one-year point of wearing braces. (I still have a long way to go, especially since I am having complications due to my messed up crown problems).

I agree with Karen. I think that a lot of kids and teens don't question what the ortho does, and many parents/guardians maybe don't know what questions to ask or don't quite understand the process since they aren't going through it themselves. I would ask questions if you have them.... if it makes y...

I know how you feel too. I've never had gaps, but due to wearing elastics I had one appear between my top front tooth and the one next to it. What they did was put a powerchain on to close it up. It was kind of interesting to see it close completely within six hours. I also had two rotated bottom te...

SW, you might want to try crushing up the pills and adding them to applesauce or icecream. Just make sure to use a small amount so that you'll be able to eat it all and get the entire dose of medication. Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately I have never had much luck trying that approach wi...

That's interesting beanstix, my bottle doesn't mention anything about staining. Maybe that's something new on the label. Colgate Peroxyl isn't really a mouthwash. It's an antiseptic oral cleanser (their fancy description is an oral debriding agent/oral wound cleanser) and apparently the foaming acti...

I almost said the aspirin question is easy...then I reread it. You should never crush or chew coated medications. They are designed to be swallowed whole so they are absorbed later in the GI tract rather than in the stomach. You're right, unfortunately though I am one of those people who can't swal...

I have always wondered about the inactive ingredients in medication and their relation to side effects, etc. I have found that for some reason, if I take the kid's liquid Tylenol it bothers me more than taking the same stuff marketed by Target. Why? I don't know... I also have found that the chewabl...