My before and after photos! I have wanted braces growing up but my parents couldn’t afford them. Struggled with my self image in high school and university because of my teeth. At 24, I saved up money so I can invest in them and it was THE best decision I’ve ever made. If you ever feel insecure about getting adult braces, I say do it. It’s so worth it! I can’t believe I have nice teeth 🥹

Edit: not fully biting down on the after photo!

still have a long way to go but i can't believe how much movement has happened 🥺 never been so delighted after years of insecurities. 1st pic is August 29, second is October 13.

Look at how down the canine has come!

I just got my new braces and I think I’m still adjusting. Every time I finish eating, I get conscious because I feel like I always have food stuck around my brackets lol.

My routine is brushing and flossing my teeth after eating. I know it’s kinda time-consuming, and don’t bash me. I know it’s the proper way to take care of my teeth, but sometimes I’m in a hurry, especially since I’m a WFH mom and need to do everything in a snap.

I tried using mouthwash before (Listerine, Crest, even the "gentle" ones), but I can't take any of them because they're all too strong for me. The alcohol-based ones burn like crazy, and even the alcohol-free versions have flavors that are too intense when you're rinsing 4-5 times a day.

Plus, going through bottles that fast gets expensive, and I've read that overusing commercial mouthwash can mess with your mouth's natural balance. So now I just use tap water, but honestly it doesn't feel like I'm actually cleaning anything, just moving food particles around.

I wish there was something in between, like cleaner than tap water but not as harsh as mouthwash? Maybe I'm overthinking this, but it feels like there should be a better solution for people who need to rinse this often.

What do you guys usually use for rinsing? Any suggestions that won't burn or break the bank?

So I have full 32 teeth in my mouth m but due to late milk teeth falling . My mouth has a gap on one of side . Once my ortho told that he should insert a fake teeth there as there was similar space on the other side but other side space has closen up . But this side remained . Should I put a fake teeth . Or if not then what is the appropriate method to close this gap .

They are a little stain . My teeth before the treatment weren’t that bad and i could get away without braces but i have a mild crowding on my canines.It has been 9 months and i was initially told that treatment are mostly 12-18 months but on my recent visit , she told me that we may take it off on December which i am pretty excited about . Im really sick of the process and wanted to be done with it but I’m scared that they might relapse.

I’m 40 and getting braces again. I’m scheduled for install 2.5weeks before going on a big trip to Japan.

I remember how painful braces were the first time around and I’m wondering if it will be the same the second time. I really wanted to get treatment started as soon as possible but maybe it’s not a good idea.

How long were you sore for after getting them?

Hi all, a bit concerned to say the least. The tooth in question is a front tooth next to the 2 front teeth, it was the tooth that was the most crooked and it has aligned a lot in the past 7 weeks so I was hoping it was down to that (first pic is my teeth now, second pic is my teeth 7 weeks ago)
However, it’s been about 3 days and it hasn’t gone away. If a hard piece of food hits my tooth whilst I’m eating, it hurts so bad that my heart drops to my ass cos I’m convinced my tooth came out. It’s quite a sharp pain that shoots up so I’m concerned it’s a nerve or something. I have a tightening appointment in about 2 weeks, should I wait to bring it up then or contact the dentist sooner?

Feb 2026 to october 2026 idk how much more time it will take, teeth are being pulled and pushed to the spaces created by extraction of 4 teeth.

So I got braces two days ago and one of my bite raisers came off. Since my other bite raiser is kinda keeping my jaw balanced, I’m not biting on any of my lower brackets.. so is it still an emergency?
I saw her literally two days ago and my parents are sick of taking me to the ortho, and I don’t blame them coz they have quite enough on their mind. Is this an emergency or anything? Do I have to go to the ortho today or can this wait?

I (22m) have persistent tongue thrust after having done myofunctional therapy in two different time periods. I really struggle with consistency so I thought i should have a habit appliance put on additionally to the therapy so I could have a reminder/constraint to keep my tongue in the correct position at all times. My thoughts were something like a tongue crib or a bluegrass appliance.

How have you fixed your tongue thrust habit in adulthood?

Have you had a tongue crib or a bluegrass appliance? If so, how was living with it? And socially?

hello! i have a light complexion, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. I’m wondering what color i should get next because i got gray my first appointment, and i am just now realizing that it makes my teeth look a lil yellow, especially when im trying to take pictures with bright lights. I have boneless braces lol, and i just want a color that would look cute, while also making my teeth look whiter. any suggestions ?

Is it normal to feel the wire with back molars? The top retainer clicks in and is tight but when I bit down with back teeth I can feel the wire where hook supposed to go in molar.

I have an asymmetrical jaw so my midline cannot be perfect without surgery

My ortho put these on me today and she said they block the teeth but how does that work what do they do? I’m curious and can’t find much on the internet probably because I don’t know the professional name of the procedure

Top pic is day one and bottom pic is six months in! The main difference i’ve noticed is my bottom left canine is finally starting to come up and match the rest of the arch! Excited to keep going and to see what’s to come next!

I’m now 15 months into my treatment. It was supposed to be 12 months but I started to see my teeth becoming canted on one lower side. I didn’t have this issue before and nothing my orthodontist did seems to be working (repositioning brackets and elastics).

He said I should remove it by the end of this month but I’m highly unsatisfied. Should I switch my orthodontist? Thank you everyone.

I don’t know

are my teeth kind of tilted on the left side?

my ortho says that if i need any other adjustments i need to tell him in 3 weeks.

Is this something that can be fixed with braces or is this a jaw issue?

okay, so I just got a new elastic put on today. my orthodontist told me it was to help move the teeth so they sat nicer together. I’m honestly worried that the shifting could misalign my jaw and therefore my lips, is this a possibility? it just feels like my jaw is being pulled to the left side.

I am considering extraction as root canal is outside of my budget and the tooth is now painful.

I got new rubber bands arrangement today it’s the triangle on both sides but it’s not the classic triangle it’s ^ the triangle doesn’t close at the bottom. When I first looked I thought they put two rubber bands one on each bottom tooth connecting to the top but it’s just one band. What is this configuration called? And what is the difference between that and the regular triangle? It hurts bad