Metal Mouth Message Board

When I had braces I had these a couple of times. In fact, in my final month, I was being prepared for my bonded upper retainer. My upper left lateral incisor was still rotated a bit, so my ortho used some thread to actually move the tooth (right then and there) to the proper position before adding t...

Also, implants in no way predispose one to infection and absolutely in no way infer that your orthodontist is inexperienced and/or uncomfortable. Are you saying that having little metal things stuck into your gums and/or bone does not increase the risk of infection? Sure, after I awhile I'm sure th...

You have what most people do not: anchors. With anchors there are increased risk of infection and other issues. This is also, if I understand correctly, a fairly new method of treatment, so the doctor is probably not as experienced as he or she would like to be.

Porcelain veneers will not stain and would probably last longer, but would be more expensive than most alternatives.

Ceramic braces do not stain, either.

I had only one extraction. My midline was off pre-treatment and I also had some mild crowdy on top.

I got my braces off on Wednesday and my midline is perfect.

Don't worry about it.

Yes, you can get permanent retainers on the top and bottom. However, your occlusion may not allow that. While you can always request permanent retainers, that's not guarantee that you will receive them. Your orthodontist will tell you what retainer is best for your situation. For me, I have permanen...

I have no idea if that is true, but my very novice theory for that may be that people who breath through their mouth usually have their teeth apart during the time that they breath, thus preventing teeth being in an occlusional state and allowing the teeth to move more freely. Of course, this may be...

Thanks for the response.

Hi Dr. J and Randall, I have a couple of questions. I am scheduled to have my braces removed on November 19th. After removal, of course, I'm going to be interested in whitening my teeth, as I have some decalicifcation on many of my teeth, due to my lack of oral hygiene when I was younger. I already ...

It's just a loop (or several) in the wire.

Everyone's teeth will move at different speeds. One way to know is when you get an x-ray to ensure proper root position. If they are in the proper position, or close, your orthodontist will start finalizing your treatment. This is a good indicator that you are close. If they're currently moving the ...

Talk to your orthodontist. In most cases, the orthodontist IS the boss and owns the practice. Tell him/her how you were treated and how unacceptable it is. If he insists that his employees were in the right, ask if he can refer you to another orthodontist. You are not there for them; they are there ...

It's likely a Transpalatal arch.

Does it look similar to this? http://www.fine.com.au/images/transpalatal.jpg

Joanne, It may be much easier for you to just use the end (eraser) of a new pencil to bend the wire to a more comfortable position until you are able to see your ortho (assistant) to cut the wire. I've tried to cut my own, bothersome wires before and it's an almost possible task to do on yourself! l...