Metal Mouth Message Board

Happy New Year everyone. I got my braces off in July and have a permanent retainer bonded behind my top front 4 teeth and bottom 6 teeth. I was also given a removable Essix for the bottom and a Hawley for the top. The funny thing is I was fully expecting to be told to wear my retainers 24/7 for the ...

So I'm now 4 months without braces. A few days ago, a colleague and I were in a heated discussion when all of a sudden he stops what he's saying mid-sentence and asks me when I got my braces off. When I told him "July", he admits he never noticed. Amazing!

Sorry, first line - contentious should be conscientious.

Honestly, when I had my braces, I wasn't nearly as contentious as everyone else (only brushed twice a day for 4 minutes, flossed every other day), but used the Water Pic religiously whenever I could. I even travelled with a portable one (I travel for work a lot). If I was out for a meal, I'd use the...

I got my braces off in mid-July, and I understand that teeth are supposed to settle. However, I'm a little concerned as my midline was perfectly even when the braces came off and now it is off by about a quarter of a tooth. Is this one of those things that just happens and I'm going to have to live ...

I've had my braces off for just over 8 weeks now. In all that time, only one person has noticed (without my bringing it up) that I got my braces off. I usually wait at least 30 minutes or so before I say anything just to see if they will first. But, sadly, they just don't realize it. It really is am...

Yup. All completely typical. Took me about two months before they really stopped annoying me 100% of the time. After that it seemed I was only annoyed 50-75% of the time. It really took about 6 months before they were only annoying sporadically.

We've all been there, myself included. I also got my braces when I was 40 (after putting it off from my teen years as well) and I was also all worked up about it the night before. Don't worry...it really isn't that bad.

Oh, and I was in the UK and France and both countries you will have no issues with public washroom availability. Only that sometimes you have to pay for it.

I traveled to Europe last summer with braces and the only thing I can say that I had trouble with was making my electric toothbrush charge and my travel Waterpik work. Neither would work unless I was staying in a Marriott, which conveniently had both European and North American power outlets. Everyw...

I just went through 12 months with braces, and the only thing I didn't eat was popcorn and corn on the cob. That's it. I was just paranoid about the slivers of corn getting caught in my brackets (popcorn) and the mess that it makes (on the cob). But, chips, nuts, chocolate...no big deal. I ate them ...

Oh, I just noticed the gap. Yup, they are trying to pull your teeth together.

Yup, I had those. They aren't wire ties, but some sort of additional tension. I know this because I had them at the same time as I had wire ties. I think they are just using all forces available to keep your teeth together. I even had that below a power chain and with wire ties. That was fun!

Well, the saga continues... For those that have been following my story, after Wilckodontics surgery and a Rapid Palate Expander, I was supposed to get my braces off yesterday which would be exactly one year less 5 days from the day they went on. However, at my last adjustment in late June, it was d...

Your teeth look fantastic. Congrats! I am so jealous because tomorrow is supposed to be my debond date, however I think the last problem with my 2nd molars they are trying to fix isn't fixed yet. I can tell they've moved, but I'm pretty sure not enough. Anyways, I'll be joining you in "naked te...