FAQ

ArchWired.com has some advertising, but this should not be confused with endorsement. I strive to keep ArchWired.com a non-biased web site. There is only one product that ArchWired.com overtly endorses. That product is DentaKit Braces Survival Kit, which I created six months after getting braces and realizing a need for such a product.

I originally created the web store DentaKit.com to sell the Braces Survival Kit. Over time, DentaKit.com expanded to carry more than 125 helpful products for people with braces and retainers — some not found in any other stores. The products carried on DentaKit.com (such as Retainer Brite) are genuine and acquired directly from the manufacturers (unlike many fake low-priced products sold on Amazon and eBay).

ArchWired.com is owned, designed, maintained, edited, and mostly written by me, Lynn Schneider, a mother of two in Northern California, who had braces for almost three years in my early 40s. I now wear Hawley retainers at night.

ArchWired.com is a non-commercial website. It is owned by a person, not by a company or an organization. There is no hidden agenda. The website accepts advertising to help cover hosting costs, but that is separate from the editorial content. I created this website because I thought there was a need for orthodontic information specifically for adults. I felt so alone in the experience when I first had my braces put on and wanted some support. When I first began my Braces Journal, I had no idea that there were thousands of adults who felt the same way I did! The articles on this website are always reviewed by one or more dentists or orthodontists for clarity and accuracy.

Since the inception of this website in late 2001 (back then it just consisted of my braces journal), I have received dozens of emails stating how helpful this site is, and how it has eased many an anxious mind. That makes me very happy and proud, because I created this site to help people. As time permits, I continue to add articles and information.

I am not a doctor or a dentist, but I do know a lot about braces from my own personal experience, from constantly reading various dental journals, and from the comments and questions of members on ArchWired.com’s Metal Mouth Message Board. I used to be a technical writer and trainer (software manuals and courses), and before that I worked in corporate communications. I have a college degree in communications and journalism. My husband and I have raised two children, who are now young adults. When I’m not working on ArchWired, I manage the day to day operations of ArchWired’s sister website, DentaKit.com. In my free time, I write poetry and songs, travel, study history, and do Tai Chi. I’m also a die-hard Star Trek and sci-fi fan. I do not have a braces fetish (never have, never will).

Input to ArchWired.com from dental professionals — whether they be dentists, hygienists, technicians, assistants, orthodontists, oral surgeons, etc. — is always welcomed. I like to think of ArchWired.com as an open world-wide internet community where we can exchange patient-oriented orthodontic information, and support each other.