Metal Mouth Message Board

I think that if you are unhappy enough with something that you want to change it and you have the resources to do so, you should definitely do it. While vanity is bit of a taboo thing, the reality is that people do these things for their own psychological well being. If your smile bothers you, its g...

I am wondering if people are seeing what I think is going on in the front. During treatment he did some slight IPR on my top left central insicor (right incisor in the picture). He did the IPR between the central and lateral on both teeth in order to help the gap close a little. He did a little bit ...

Wow~ Can you say AMAZING!!!! Aren't you shocked at what braces can do? I got mine off about 10 days ago (can't figure out how to post photos) but I was shocked at my result. Did you already get your teeth whitened? They gave me some whitening gel when I got them off and I had done a couple applicat...

And they are finally off, after almost three and a half years on an estimated 2-2 1/2 year plan. My initial impressions: they didn't turn out as well as I was hoping. I've realized throughout treatment that the main reason my smile seems a little awkward is because I have a short upper lip, so my sm...

haven't used any mouthwash for my entire treatment, and my gums are always looking good at checkups invest in a waterpik if you want to dodge the mouthwash dilemma I really don't understand why these things aren't pushed more by dentists/orthodontists. They are seriously the silver bullet for gum he...

You just gotta stick it out. As a single guy wearing braces...I know exactly where you are coming from. Only its a bit worse for me...I've had girls say to me or to someone else "...I just can't get over the braces." The problem for me though isn't just the braces but also the fact that I ...

It's pretty common for teeth to look worse before they get better in braces. If you are in so much pain you cannot handle the ordeal of orthodontics, that is a good reason to get them off. If you are getting them off because you don't like the way your teeth are moving after 6 weeks...that is very b...

I notice it because mine is off about the same amount. I'm not missing a canine, I think mine is caused just by skeletal asymmetry. I would be lying if I said it had 0 effect on smile aesthetics. Nobody will notice specifically what is off, but any sort of asymmetry is subconsciously seen. As in, if...

You will probably see the most common complaint from people about their orthos on this board is that their expectations are not being met, and a communication breakdown. A good dr will be able to see eye to eye with their patients on what they expect from treatment, and is capable of assessing what ...

My original estimate was 24-30 months. I'm now at month 40 I think. My bottom brackets were taken off a few months ago and I still have the top brackets on. When the bottom brackets were taken off at the end of March I was told "no more than a couple months." As I'm typing this, my bite st...

Reading these replies makes me nervous...my ortho does nothing. The assistant put the brackets on and changes the wire at each visit. My spouse and I have often wondered what in the world the ortho gets paid for! The ortho gets paid to tell the assistant what to do. It's just like going to a doctor...

At the beginning of treatment there really isn't anything that an assistant "can" screw up, other than not following the treatment plan. It's really just a matter of following the wire change schedule and engaging wire in the brackets and instructing the patient on compliance. The assistan...

The dr's involvement in treatment is usually concentrated towards the end. The first year or so is simply a matter of letting the wires play out. All of the initial movement will be leveling and aligning. The dr's "work" is frontloaded when he places the brackets, and the rest of the time ...

Some people's faces will definitely change depending on how much your teeth are going to move. Correcting overjet will improve your side profile. Correction of overbites will provide length to the face. Widening of the arches will likely give the effect of more pronounced cheekbones (though this is ...

It would look like that may be the best you can do without surgery or extractions. You could maybe ask if IPR is an option on your top teeth. That is where they shave off a little bit between teeth in order to give room to retract further. If you are really unhappy with the appearance it might be wo...