Metal Mouth Message Board

I started with a cross bite (aka, scissor bite) and an edge to edge bite, and during the correction of my edge to edge bite, I ended up with an open bite. The open bite was corrected, and my bite ended up being a perfect class 1 at the end of treatment. Teeth do not always move the way they’re suppo...

I’ve had it done to both my top and bottom incisors and it helped in my situation.

With that said, be aware that IPR does have its limitations.

I was in finishing wires for the last 13 months of my treatment. My orthodontist made small adjustments to align my teeth and worked on my bite during those months.

So here are my questions: 1. How does molar turbos help my teeth move faster? 2. Why did they use a white wire on my bottom braces when I have metal brackets? 3. Why did they not put the wire through my very last molars? 4. Is it normal to not have my top wire changed or taken out and re-adjusted a...

You will know if the permanent retainer is damaged or loose—you will feel it come loose and the tension it provides will not be the same.

I had a lisp at the very beginning of my braces journey. It got “cured” after I went back to work for the first time since getting braces. I work as a nurse...so there was lot of talking involved, and I guess during my first shift back to work, my tongue and lips very quickly learned how to talk wit...

Oh I totally found flaws in my teeth post debracing. My top arch has a slight cant to the left and my midline isn’t in the middle. My top lateral incisors aren’t as rounded into the arch as they could be. But I didn’t really care about any of that. They were minor flaws that probably nobody would no...

I’ve looked at the pictures I took during my treatment, and it looks like the profile of the canine brackets appear to be the same as the rest. I also don’t remember the wire being closer to the surface of the canines when compared to the rest.

I second assertives’ suggestion of using photos to demonstrate to the orthodontist what you do and don’t want. The orthodontist can’t know what you want your smile to look like if you don’t explicitly show her—a “natural” smile is vague and can be interpreted in multiple ways by different people. Th...

I was in braces for 22 months, and 19 of those months were spent in elastics. I had elastics starting from the very beginning too. As for how long you will need elastics, it all just depends on what needs to be done and how well your teeth responds to treatment.

My personal credo is that if you’re going to do something, do it right. With regards to your case, I would do the 36 months, as that seem to be the most comprehensive way to fix your teeth. I know that being in 3 years of braces is daunting at best, and I understand that after your first go around w...

I had self ligating ceramic brackets for the social 6 (top arch, canine to canine), and self ligating metal brackets for the rest. My orthodontist didn’t charge extra for the ceramic brackets, and I figured, why not and went ahead with it. I originally had chosen all metal. Honestly, I personally do...

Hooray! Similar to you I have an edge to edge bite and a canine in crossbite at the start - you give me hope! Amazing what braces can do!! Indeed, amazing what braces can do! It was a lot of inconvenience, frustration, annoyance (and let’s not forget about the pain), but the end result is all worth...

Had braces for 22 months. 19 of those months were spent in elastics in different configurations, whether it be full time or night time wear.

Congratulations! I have been following your journey on your blog and am almost as excited as you for your debracing! Interesting that you are on night-only Essix retainers, but since you have permanent retainers both top and bottom, that makes sense. I find the permanent retainer (I only have one o...