Metal Mouth Message Board

I was wearing elastics on both sides, bottom back to top front for almost 3 months straight in the same positions. I developed a callus kind of thing, a lumpy spot where my cheek rubbed against the elastic on my right side. It hurt too. But I don't have to wear the elastics in that shape anymore, si...

Last night was probably in my top 3 most painful nights in braces ever. The powerchains made my top and bottom teeth ache to start with, then the triangle shape of the elastics pulled on the already sore teeth from the freshly torqued wire and powerchains, which made me clench my teeth all night. I ...

Finally did up my 18 months photo set.

Well that was painful. Again. Back from the ortho. Powerchains back on the top and bottom. The added little wire hooks to the brackets on the top teeth on either side of my front teeth. So instead of elastics 24/7 it's now a triangle shape from the top 2 to the bottom 1 only at night. The elastics a...

Back at the start of my treatment when the wires were quite bendy, when I would drink something cold I could feel and hear the wires sort of click and contract then release as the warmth of my mouth softened them again. Took me a while to figure it out but that could be another cause of your noises!

Been there, done that. I've been in elastics for about a year now and I totally remember feeling EXACTLY how you do right now! My ortho told me that your bottom front teeth are supposed to touch the inside of your top teeth. This is what keeps both sets of teeth from extruding from the gums. They ho...

Ortho appointment # meh. I think my butt was in the chair all of 45 seconds. He moved my jaw around, said he loved what he saw and that he'd might tweak my bottom wire again next time I'm in. Then I left with another bag of elastics which I still have to wear 24/7. I guess it's a good thing because ...

The move the jaw. I've been in elastics for nearly a year, with a 4 week break and a 6 week break from them during that time. My ortho explained they will pull my jaw forward to correct my bite. He's overcorrecting things so when I'm out of everything for good, my jaw will settle into the permanent ...

It was recommended to me to come in the extra times for cleaning. I mean, they're are professionals doing the cleaning, they're not going to take off what doesn't need taking off. I just find that I get more staining with the braces on than I ever did without them. I can totally see a difference in ...

I go for a cleaning every 3 months since my braces went on. So 4 times a year. 2 of those times is a checkup with the dentist. They don't remove anything, they just work around everything. You'll be AMAZED at the results. The hygienist said that no matter how well you think you clean with braces, yo...

Visit #17 today and it was a painful one. I was teasing (though I was serious) that my hands were sweating by the end of it. Top teeth are still good. My bottom teeth are "stubborn" so he torqued the heck out of the wire to help rotate and even off my front teeth. So much torque that he had to call ...

It's the night before my next ortho appointment. My elastics "make" me clench my teeth so just about every tooth feels loose and achey. It's not like the elastics are really tight, it's the mental thing of sub consciously knowing they're there so I clench without knowing it. My bottom 4 teeth at the...

Once day, before bed. My hygienist laughed when I asked how often should I floss and said more that once just takes up way too much time! Once is fine. Even skipping a night once in a while won't kill your teeth. If you've flossed before you got braces, then just keep with the once a day and you won...

Those Listerine pocket packs are a life saver. http://www.listerine.com/products/product-pocket-paks Mints are a little scary since they're hard and gum is usually a no-go for some people. I used to think I needed to carry around everything with me every day. I've now whittled it down to some wax, a...

And yet another ortho appointment done. Took out the thinner wire on my bottoms and put BACK IN the thicker square wire that I used to have in. Apparently they kept it at the last visit when they replaced it. Interesting. Two bumpers on my two bottom front teeth. Back into elastics, 24-7 for 4 weeks...