Metal Mouth Message Board

You may want to ask about using TADs in lieu of headgear. Provides anchorage and you have them in constantly.

My understanding, partially based on hanging things in drywall, is that the screws were screwed into the casings that were tapped in to my bone. That said, it's difficult to figure out if that's actually the case since I couldn't really see what was going on. :) Apparently my ortho was trying a new ...

I was given a topical and then the standard injected anesthetic. I felt some pressure, but had no other discomfort during insertion. They were kind of a pain afterward, but I do love me some dental wax. I've read that some orthos/oral surgeons only use topical because they're concerned that if they'...

You may want to mention it, but the green is caused by the (cheap) metal in your earrings oxidizing and turning green. Braces, wires, and other items made of metal for medical purposes are surgical grade and have fewer impurities or low-quality metal. Part of the reason why an orthodontist may charg...

I would recommend wearing them at night. If you don't sleep for twelve hours (who does...), try to wear them for a few hours before bed or after you get up. If you take them out to brush your teeth and eat breakfast in the morning, just put a new set in afterward. The point is to have continual forc...

I like to think this is a lot like what kids or puppies go through when they have new teeth growing in and like to bite on things. I usually refer to it as being "bitey" and have done so often enough that my husband knows what it means. I bought a bunch of bite wafers. When I get really bi...

Not to my knowledge, but I'm sure having/doing both at once is certainly possible.

I do know that I grind, especially when I have tooth-related dreams and also when my teeth are sore or on the move.

Perhaps you are clenching or grinding your teeth at night? I know I tend to when I'm under stress and it certainly seems like this tooth stuff is causing you a fair amount of stress.

Bonding the bracket to porcelain should be no problem. My bracket has been firmly affixed to the crown for over a year. Bonding to a porcelain crown is basically the same process as bonding a real tooth to a porcelain/ceramic bracket. The bracket on my gold crown, however, popped off two or three ti...

I had some pretty loose teeth when mine first started moving around and it can be kind of scary, especially when you're putting so much money into fixing them. If you don't feel any pain in the gums (which can be hard to tell since your teeth probably hurt) and don't seem to have any recession beyon...

I've heard about potential nerve damage from surgeries and extractions, but not braces. In any case, when one does have damage, I've also read that it can take several months or a year for the damage to repair, but that it often does repair itself to some degree. Sorry I can't be more help. :/

I liked bite wafers for the same reason, plus I didn't have to worry about actually biting through anything. Plus there are times where you will just want to chew on something. I liken it to teething. Also, I had pretty messed up bottom teeth with tops that were only sort of crowded -- feel free to ...

I went with self-ligating under the impression that I would also have fewer appointments. As it turns out, nearly all of my appointments have been four to five weeks apart for the past year. The only two month gap I had was when the first wire was put on. The only pro is that I don't have to worry a...

In order to do bridges on all four gaps, you would need to have enamel/tooth surface removed from the eight teeth that sit next to the gaps (two for each gap). As it happens, I read this article about implants vs. bridges. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/health/17brod.html?_r=1&ref=health Give...

A few people have asked about this in the past week or so -- can teeth be tilted in a bit instead of being physically moved back. I felt like it wasn't possible because of the bend of the arch, but couldn't think of a good example to demonstrate why I thought that. Finally -- I thought of a flower (...