Metal Mouth Message Board

I'm 36, in treatment since Feb 07. My face has clearly changed. Cheekbones more prominent. I think my RPE expander caused most change, and then add the braces effect. I think (hope) that when the braces are removed, the cheeks will fill in a bit. No teeth extracted, no weight loss, still people said...

Sounds like you have something stuck close to the gums, creating bacteria. This can lead to Gingivitis. Just happened to me. The cure is TO CLEAN BETTER (not to avoid cleaning the sensitive/bleeding area). You should use floss around your molar bands. Use a floss threader to get behind the wires. Cl...

I'm with DireWire on this one - I would be VERY, VERY cautious in removing healthy/natural teeth. I'm subjetive in my opinion, I had a premolar (i.e. tooth after eye tooth) in my upper jaw removed at the age of 12 to "create more space". The result was asymmetry, which in my opinion has ca...

I feel cleaner than ever with my braces dental hygiene. Here's what I do: I brush 3 times a day I begin with a Waterpick: Upper inside, chewing area, upper outside at 45 degree angle aiming upwards to clean the bottom side of the upper braces, and inbetween teeth/braces. Then upper outside at 45 deg...

I would also go down the conservative route - no extractions until absolutely necessary, and confirmed by a second (and third) opinion. Extracting teeth, especially 1 tooth as opposed to 2, could alter the symmetry of the teeth/mouth. Be very careful about extracting perfectly healthy teeth. I would...

It’s been a while - time for an update. Ten months have now passed since I was braced. At first only the 4 front uppers were braced, so in reality it’s only been 8 months with full uppers. The lowers came on in September, so they’ve been on for about 7 months. I had a low point around Xmas tim...

Pearls, your canines will be aligned along the arch with braces. Any imperfections in shape, chips etc. can be fixed with veneers, so I wouldn't worry about those. I am a Class II, Div 2, deep bite. You can look at my profile if you want some point of reference. You will see how my teeth, which are ...

Looking very good Monika. Both your uppers and lowers and coming along really well.

Lola, sorry, I couldn't resist a silent smile when I read your story. :lol: Most European and Asian countries use 220V while many American nations are on 110V. No wonder why the whole kitchen also reacted :lol: Make sure you get one that is suitable for the US market, i.e. 110V. And yes, I do swear ...

I am 35 and had an RPE (fixed) for a total of 5 months. My results are clear: at least 7mm expansion and permanent. I know so because my face has become wider, I can see how my cheekbones are wider, more defined than before. However, I doubt the effectiveness of a removable appliance, and "taki...

Spanner

Three words:

THE DOG WHISPERER

Another point that I want to make about the "bone vs. dental-only" changes in adults having undergone RPE expansion, is that, to me, it doesn't matter. I have facial changes, period. For the lower jaw, things are probably different as there is no palatal "crack", so I would guess...

I had an upper RPE, with expansion during 30 days. My face has changed; become wider across the "sideburn" area and more pronounced cheek bones. I am 35. No expansion done on the lower jaw. My recommendation is first to get good explanations of the proposed treatment plans from the OD. In ...

my lower 2nd molars will be tubad/bracketed to help level the lower arch, i.e. raise the first molar and bicuspids to help open the bite

In short, yes. In my case I didn't really notice anything until viewing pictures of my palate before/after the treatment. Some people see a gap between their front teeth, some don't. I didn't. What I can certainly say is that my face has gotten wider. My cheekbones are more pronounced. But that didn...