Metal Mouth Message Board

I used the ortho head for a while but now I prefer the sensitive head. The power tip that comes with the ortho head is a big help for getting under the wires and between the teeth, so I think the ortho set is good just for it.

This sounds like it's normal - your bite can definitely get worse before it gets better. After one adjustment, one side of my bite also became completely non-functional. My orthodontist closed it with elastics on that side and it's been fine since. I'm sure at your next adjustment your orthodontist ...

They probably meant a powerchain, which is a chain made of elastic ovals linked together. They stretch the powerchain across the fronts of your brackets and it helps to move things around. My orthodontist has used them to rotate some of my lowers and also to close gaps.

I also started treatment with an 8mm overjet. Surgery wasn't an option for me because my insurance won't pay for any part of it. One consult wanted to pull two top pre-molars and one bottom incisor but I really wanted to keep all my teeth. The orthodontist I decided on has greatly reduced my overjet...

I have both an Oral-B Triumph and the Sonicare (got it free with my ortho welcome package). I much prefer the Oral-B.

I just take a pea-size drop on a dry toothbrush and spread it on my teeth over and above the braces and on the inside of my teeth. I spread it, spit, wait for three minutes and spit once again. It pretty much sticks to the teeth - you can still see it there in the morning before I brush. It's defini...

I think having the midline properly aligned top and bottom is primarily an aesthetic issue. My ortho told me from the start that my midline won't line up at the end of treatment and I'm fine with it. My teeth will otherwise be straight and truly I think I'll be the only one to notice.

I've been using MI paste every night since I was braced and I love it. My hygienist recommended it because I had an area of decalcification. She says this stuff really works and my ortho agrees. It's easy enough to use it so I don't mind adding it to my routine. I also find that it keeps my mouth fr...

My ortho has created quite a bit of space in my lower arch with springs. I have one of each side of my incisors - they cross over three and four teeth and they've made a lot of space. My lowers were so crowded and jammed together in the front that I thought there was no way to make room, but the spr...

20 hours is the majority of the day so you're probably fine. I was also told to wear my elastic for 24 hours a day and I'd say I ended up wearing it about 22 hours. I had an adjustment yesterday and my ortho said she could tell I had been very compliant with wearing it. My reward is that I now only ...

I can't really speak to your specific situation, but I cant tell you that many, many people have extractions strictly for orthodontics. It was recommended that I have surgery to correct my bite, but unfortunately my insurance policy will not cover any part of othognathic surgery so I can't afford to...

I had my wisdom teeth extracted, but I don't have brackets on my last molars. I think I've heard this is typical and that generally brackets are placed on those last molars late in treatment when all the other teeth are in the proper place. So I would imagine that your ortho will leave your wisdom t...

Hi Snaggle, ceramic brackets themselves don't stain - it is the elastics (ligatures) that tie the brackets to the archwire that sometimes stain. I have ceramic brackets and clears ligs and I've been really happy with them. People say they can barely tell I'm wearing braces - they are that discreet. ...

If it makes you feel any better, at three consults I went to, I was quoted between $500 and $1,000 more for clear braces instead of metal. The ortho I ended up going with (consult #4) charged a flat fee for either metal or clear - she only puts clear on adult top braces and will put either metal or ...

For what it's worth, I haven't heard good things about 6-month rapid ortho. I went to four ortho consultations before making my choice. When I discussed all four with my dentist, she wasn't a whole lot of help, but the one thing she did say was that she doesn't recommend rapid ortho. I think it has ...