Metal Mouth Message Board

Off in two weeks! I'm 24.

I just wanted to share the good news that my deband date has been set for October 31 (Halloween, just in time to enjoy all that candy)!

24 year old female from Indianapolis, Indiana. This is my first time in braces.

Very similar experience as yours. It feels totally awkward and weird at first, but it does get better once your bite adjusts. It only took a few weeks for me.

My canines are bigger than my front four teeth on both the top and bottom. It's not a lot, but it noticeable (by me anyway). I would imagine that it's pretty standard for your teeth to be like that. That's how they are naturally, but only a little bit. Definitely express your concerns to your ortho,...

I am very happy with my ceramic uppers and metal lowers, but it has to be a personal choice.

My ortho charges and extra $300 for clear brackets and allows them on the top only.

Unfortunately, my insurance pays $0 toward my braces.

I continue to use my favorite "whitening" toothpaste, and I haven't been reprimanded. I still get stains on my ligs, though.

What has been the most painful part of your braces experience so far?

All in all, I will be out around $5000, including molds, x-rays, and follow-ups. I paid $300 up-front, and am now paying $100 per month, interest free. I have ceramic uppers and metal lowers.

How long was your treatment?----- 18 months
do u have to extract teeth?? ------- no
how Old are you?? ------------------ 23
what kind of brace??---------------- 3M Clarity on top, traditional metal on bottom

Yeah, I'm going to dress up as a Catholic school girl and my husband is dressing up like a professor.

This has only been my experience, but I have had severe TMJ problems in the past including a complete jaw lock at one point. I stopped using the uncomfortable, headache-causing appliances and treated the symptoms by keeping my stress level down and not chewing gum, etc. Since I've had my braces on, ...

Yep, spacers were the worst for me.

I think one thing that's important to keep in mind is that you don't have to scrub your teeth and gums for them to get clean. With braces and without, it's important to use a soft-bristle brush and go easy. You're teeth won't get any cleaner if you brush harder. If you keep that in mind, I think it'...