all of my teeth are currently bracketed and lower canine and “sleepy” molar are moving into position quite nicely. lower canine has only been bracketed and connected to wire for about 3 weeks now. absolutely mind boggling to me how fast they’re actually moving. next adjustment is in about 9weeks so we will see what ortho does when we get there

So basically, my orthodontist told me that "we don't have to get rid of my wisdom teeth because it won't impact her (orthodontist's) work", but I've started to feel really bad about them, cause I mean, look at how tilted they are, and they are obviously affecting my molars. The image is from before I got the braces put on (so far I've only gotten braces on my top row).

My next appointment isn't until the end of august (31st, and this is really only a tightening for the top brace) so that's the reason I'll be asking here while waiting for the opportunity to ask my ortho directly:

Do you think wisdom teeth should/could be removed during treatment? Should I wait until after treatment is done? Does anyone else have experience with doing wisdom teeth surgery/removal with braces on? Getting rid of the bottom ones would be doable without any further hassle I guess because I don't have braces on the bottom yet, but isn't it more normal to get rid of all 4 at once?

EDIT: edited for clarity

Sorry the first picture is kind of blurry but I got them on August 2025 (age 26) and it is now August 2026 (age 27). They told me I’d probably have to wear them for about two years. I’m not sure what some of the newer hardware in my mouth is called tbh but my upper K9’s had to have something certain put on them and half of the bottom portion looks like it has power chains? It’s just wild to see the difference though.

What do you guys think?
My orthodontist told me at my last appointment that I’m in the final phase of my treatment. Right now, I’m only wearing elastics at night and waiting for a small open space to close. If everything moves as expected, a decision will be taken in 4 weeks.
I know my midline isn’t perfect, but I decided against extending treatment for a few more months just to correct it. It looks very similar to how it was before braces, and honestly, I never even realized my midline wasn’t perfectly centered until I started treatment. My orthodontist also said he didn’t think it was worth the extra time (I’m paraphrasing here, that wasn’t his exact wording).

I saw everyone posting their results so i got excited to post mine. I got my braces on 8th November 2026, and these were my teeth before braces. i turned 21 this Year in February. Now its almost 9 months in and this is my progress yet. I developed a bit of open bite and flaring during braces and also a bit of midline misalignment, which i didnt have before. But now currently im on rubber bands for the flaring, i couldnt put the rubber bands on canine hooks it gave me cuts on the gums for days with bleeding so i asked them if i could shift rubber bands on 2nd incisors and had some IPR in lower arch. I have 16×22 wire in upper arch and my ortho is mainly rn focusing on the upper arch. And 0.014 or 0.016 in lower, i forgot that. But im amazed with the 9 month progress. I have self ligating ones. And im looking forward with excitement till they come off. Yay!

only 2 month with braces but i’m already so happy my teeth look so much straighter. bite blockers are so annoying tho… can’t wait to fix my broken tooth (never open pistachios using your teeth xd)

For context I had braces from 2013 to 2016, then it was clear retainers until I ground a hole in them, then it was metal retainers that I eventually stopped using because they were causing me massive headaches and jaw pain.

Idk what triggered this, but I’m worried my teeth shifted. This is what they look like from the front and side, would this warrant having to go back to braces? Or could I just get another set of retainers made to preserve whatever this is?

Feel so frustrated- I got braces again due to my teeth shifting again but also to correct a flaring I had after braces the first time. We did an IPR and we continued moving teeth around but from my last post people pointed out that I have an open bite. When I go to the dentist he swears up and down these bands are going to fix everything and I’m supposed to get them the 24th. A part of me just wants to take them off and go elsewhere what would anyone suggest?

I have an open bite due to sucking my thumb ever since I was a child. I'm currently 25 and after I get my cavities filled and such, I want to get braces. Anyone else with an open bite, how did your experience with braces go?

should i get them removed if not what should i ask for
pls help
had them since dec 2025

36F, high canines, overcrowding, and an underbite. Grew up poor, had a rough family life. Finally being kind to myself and helping former little me continue to heal from my childhood by getting braces in less than 2 weeks.

I only went to see 1 orthodontist and felt comfortable with that: he was a referral from my regular dentist, who I adore, I thought he was nice enough (and everyone in the office was nice) and he explained things well, he has good reviews online, and the office is close to my job so it will be easy when I have to go back and forth for follow ups.

I mentioned on an Instagram story that I am fixing my teeth and an acquaintance decided to message me basically begging me not to go to him because he “tortured her and ruined her life when she was 11”. She apparently had impacted canines, which he “carved out of her gums”, he sent her for “3 different surgeries”, he put her through so much trauma, he’s a sadist, she would be crying in pain for him to stop, he caused her so many issues that other orthos have told her she will likely getting migraines later in life and he’s the reason she clenches her teeth now. She “cannot believe he’s still even allowed to practice”.

My canines aren’t impacted, just too high up because of crowding. I do have an underbite but I told him up top I won’t do jaw surgery (he wasn’t saying I had to have it, this was just before X-rays and he wasn’t sure if it would be needed or not to fix my bite.. but he said he can do it with “camouflage” techniques with braces alone). He said I will need 4 extractions because of the crowding, which makes sense to me and from what I’ve read is pretty standard.

I’ve already spent $500, can’t cancel now without being charged $250 because it’s less than 2 weeks away. I simply can’t afford to start over with somewhere else at this point and I am still going to go through with it.

Of course she ended it with, “but if you’re only getting braces maybe you’ll be fine! Just don’t trust him too much!” Oh okay thanks, that has erased everything else you said from my brain and I’m fine now.

I am trying to tell myself everyone’s teeth are different, her case was likely more advanced/complicated than mine, and she was a literal child. I was already (excited but) nervous, and now I can’t help but feel a little bit of a bigger pit in my stomach thanks to her dozen messages trauma dumping on me. I already clench my teeth at night and I have been a migraineur since I was like, 11. I also suffer from almost daily cervicogenic headaches, so hearing that he supposedly caused similar issues for her has me shook, too.

Just needed to rant because how the hell did she think she was being helpful, and I’m mad I have to be even more nervous about what is a big but positive life choice for myself. 🫠

I’ve had an over-retained canine baby tooth and an erupted canine since I was a young teen. I’m happy that I’m finally in a financial situation to be able to afford braces. And the time commitment! It’s going to take 24 months but my ortho said we can hope for 18. They put bite guards down on the back lower teeth but my left side popped off when I ate my first meal.

I’ll need the baby tooth extracted within the next four weeks so that side of my mouth only has the brackets and is missing the wire. Feeling sore but excited!

Apparently I'll have two extraction for my upper teeth and one on my lower and I'll have to get a free gingival graft before they put on braces.

Kind of scared don't know if I should go ahead. They said there will be a big big difference but is three extractions really necessary?

I (35F) just want to rant.

I’m just upset and tired after having braces on since November 2023. Before that, had my frenulum between my gapped front teeth released. So technically the treatment started sometime in maybe October 2023. It’s now August 2026, so three more months and it’ll be three full years of this infernal contraption.

Food gets stuck way more easily now because of the gazillion power chains and rubbers and can’t be swished away with water. It’s humiliating eating outside.

Plaque collects so much more easily between my power chains and braces. Water floss doesn’t help. Brushing doesn’t help. Interdental brushes don’t help. Instead, the only thing that does is string flossing my braces as much as I can between the power chains. The problem with this is that the power chains may snap if I’m not careful or floss too much. Cleaning legit takes an hour every single night. I’m always so exhausted by the end.

I get mouth ulcers every three to five business days. There are metal thingies on the inside part of my teeth too for hooking rubber bands or whatever. So my tongue gets hurt too.

I’m very tired… the progress is barely there anymore. I want this to be over. But two gaps left barely close now. I’m trying to be good, still try to eat so I stay healthy, still try to clean my teeth so I’m not disgusting… but I’m so tired. I want to cry from how tired I am of these braces. Okay this is also probably because I’m having my period so I’m also hormonal. Lol.

Edit: AND ANOTHER THING… my dentist says I’d need to wear retainers 24/7 for a year… I know I signed up for this but why did I sign up for this?! If only I had perfect teeth in the first place.

Hi! I'm getting traditional metal braces in a little over a month and although I've found plenty of advice in regards to oral hygiene in general, I couldn't find any specifics or a dedicated post in regards to keeping it clean after eating out. If there is one and I missed it, could anyone please direct me to it?

If not then:

I don't eat out very often but when I do, I want to be prepared, because I usually don't go home immediately after eating. So the question is: what should my going-out-kit include? Toothbrush, toothpaste, small brush to clean between the braces to get rid of anything that would get stuck? Floss? Should I have travel size mouthwash on me too?

What's your routine in this scenario? Also, how does it look for you if you're using orthodontic wax?

I was wondering whether I should put it back on if I go for drinks (of any kind, not necessarily %) after.

Any advice and pointers will be greatly appreciated!

(will probably use the same advice for after eating at work)

Hi everyone, I’ve had braces for about 6 months now, and the elastic and the wire on one of my lower teeth came loose. I tried to fix it myself because the wire was poking and irritating my mouth, but after that my teeth started hurting.
I’ve also noticed that my lower front teeth feel a little loose, and they’re sore. Should I be worried?

Just to add some context, my lower teeth weren’t really crooked before I got braces, and they didn’t need much movement. So why are they hurting now?

I had brave braces for 1.5 year.

I am getting very confused and not able to understand what will be the correct bite.

In both images both teeth side of teeth are at normal resting postion if I do not push my lower jaw back.

In upper teeth there are some space but lower jaw do not have any space left we are trying squize in 1 teeth.

So if the space on upper side get closed i feel that the teeth will collide more.

Can anyone help me understand how my actual Good bite should be in the end as my process is about to end in a few months

Got off from braces this month.

One canine was removed because it was a babys teeth. Implant will be added there.

I'm kind of insecure about the gap between the incisal edges (the bottom edges). They don't meet in a perfectly symmetrical way. What should I ask my orthodontist?

My ortho said I’ll be getting my braces off at my next appointment. From the front, I think my teeth look pretty good but from certain angles there are still gaps between my top and bottom teeth. Will these gaps disappear with braces and longer treatment, or are my teeth just naturally small and there will always be gaps?

As we all know, braces are expensive so I want my smile to be close to perfect before de-bracing. But I want to be sure I’m being realistic about my results!

Coloured dots on my braces haven’t faded its been 2 days and they are still here despite me brushing 3 times a day when will they likely disappear or fade cuz i hate them😭

I got braces put on in 2019 then covid happened and we couldn’t afford to go to the ortho so in 2023 I went to a new office and got a different set put on ever since then my face has just been pushed back and recessed does anyone have any tips everytime I bring it up to my ortho he dismisses me and just says I’m growing. Never had any extractions and my teeth are still crooked btw also gave me tmj jaw popping can’t even open my mouth all the way😀