slimey slime =D

[the_pharmacist]

hey

just got my braces off today finally! after 3 years !! i was starting to get angry and doubt my ortho because everyone i knew had their braces for 2-2.5 years only.

the process was ok i guess, i felt lots of plaque or the bracket glue in my mouth when the ortho removed the braces, digusting lol!, followed by some sort of cleaning machine that he did on each of my front tooth, however i still feel a bit of roughness on the back of each on my 2nd pre molar which had a metal casing going around the whole tooth during my treatment, im guessing its the plaque buildup that i had before i got my braces.

my teeth feel all slimey like everyone says haha and yeah i guess im happy with the results but not happy with how long it took =/

after the removal of the braces, i had to do some clay moulding, and that wasn't fun as i kept choking on the big plastic thing they put in my mouth =(

i asked for the clear plastic retainers cause they look more neater than the metal ones i see people have, was that a good choice?

just when i thought that i would have no more metal in my mouth, my ortho put a metal line at the back of my teeth on the bottom going from one canine to the other, i found it quite unorthodox and they said i will have to live with that for a while =/ i dont understand the reason why they need to put that as i will be getting those retainers anyway?

finally i asked my ortho to make me a mouthguard as well but he said it would cost me, i said it should be a complementary gift as i've been a loyal customer lol! then just when we finished i asked him again and he said i'll have to speak to my dentist, i asked him 'don't you guys make those?' and he replied 'we're not the technicians', now is he lying to me cause i want it free or do orthos dont make mouth guards >=(

[jessi]

Hello pharmacist~

First, congrats on getting your braces off; it's an amazing feeling isn't it?

I too had some roughness on some of my teeth after removal and I can't say for sure in your case, but it wasn't placque in my case. In fact, I still have a bit of roughness on some of them. It's not glue or anything, I think it's just from the tools and methods they use to take the braces off. It's not at all bothersome to me and I felt the same way you did after removal...very slimy and hard to brush too-lol! I was so used to brushing a bit harder than normal with the brackets and everything that once they came off, the toothbrush just glided over my teeth so quickly, I was concerned I wasn't getting them clean! I don't know about you, but I felt like the removal process is the worst part of treatment...it took a long time and was a bit painful.

As far as retainers go, it really depends on what your ortho feels is best for your particular situation. I have a permanent lingual retainer on my bottom teeth just like you and while I wasn't happy with it at the beginning, I have gotten used to it and don't even notice it anymore. I have a clear retainer for the top teeth which is great, but now my ortho wants to put a permanent retainer on the top too to stabilize one front tooth and it's root. You will get used to the permanent retainer but make sure your ortho explains why he chose it for you so that you understand...it makes it a lot easier to comply and understand their recommendations for you. I can't answer about the mouthguard questions, except to tell you that my ortho absolutely does make them and offers them for free. His concept is that he'd rather protect his patients' mouths, especially the young ones in sports, etc, than have them come to him with injuries.

Hope this helps...

Jessi

[coconut]

Congratulations on completing your treatment.

I suggest you check your contract to see if provision of a mouthguard is included in the price you've paid. If so, then you're entitled to one. If it's not included, then your ortho is entitled to charge for providing one.

[Sunny]

fantastic your treatment is over!

Fixed retainers are generally very good at keeping teeth in line, as they're there all the time, just like braces were. Another plus is that they can't be seen ... as even he clear retainers are slightly visible to anyone who knows what they're looking for. Just keep a close watch on your fixed retainer, to make sure it remains fixed, as hard foods can knock it off. Also flossing will need to be done with a little more care!

Mouthguards are generally not provided by orthodontist's, as this is not a piece of orthodontic equipment. A dentist is the person who usually does this work.

Good luck with adjusting to your life time of retainer wear!

[wlq88]

Well, technically your ortho is not lying to you when he said "we're not the technicians" because orthos and dentists don't make these things, dental lab technicians do =) dental lab technicians are the ones responsible for the making of retainers, any restorations, etc..the "behind-the-scenes" stuff ^^

[the_pharmacist]

thanks guys for such warmth and empathy =D

just a quick update lol,

i went to my ortho to get my retainers ^^, was quite excited about getting them until i realised how tight they feel =/, the upper teeth retainers feel so tight and i have trouble taking them off whilst feeling a bit of pain. the bottom teeth arn't so bad, don't hurt much and is easier to take off. im not use to them being in my mouth, makes me feel like choking and affects my speech ><

however the top retainers dont seem to go all the way in, i can still see a bit of gap between my front incisors and the retainers probably about 1-2 mm in length. so would they fit all the way in and will it be easier to take them out without feeling the tightness and pain?

[Sunny]

Hopefully once your teeth settle into your retainers, you'll find the retainers easy to put in and out. This does show how quickly teeth move without retainers ... a reminder of how important life time retainer wear is!

Give your ortho a call about the top retainer ... as that's the person to tell you how it should fit.

Good luck!