How are you feeling today? Have you had any pain? When does your insurance start?


I missed talking to you :( .

I am doing alright. I've had some pain but not that bad. Work is also getting a little better day by day. I still don't know when my insurance will start. Hopefully soon! Then I can see if it will be covered. I went to the doctor and gave blood to see if I have a low thyroid last Friday. This week I should be getting the results.

I am glad that you are making progress and that seems really fast. Is it hurting at all?

My teeth are moving super fast, it's really amazing. My teeth don't really hurt, they're only a little sore in places. I go to the ortho on Friday for my next adjustment. I think I get my expander off this time :) .

I hope you start feeling better. Are you still taking medication for your jaw pain? Let me know how your tests come back.

I hope everything goes well at your next appointment. Hopefully you get your expander out.

Tomorrow is my last day of the Air Force. I ran out of medication and my tests haven't came back yet. Maybe tomorrow they will let me know. I still am having some jaw pain, hopefully I get my insurance soon and I can get treated.

How are you feeling today? Any more pain?


I think I get my expander off tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.


Have you heard back about your tests yet?

I am feeling fine today, just a little tired. I even got 8 hours of sleep without waking up. So I haven't got my results yet, but now I am officially out of the Air Force. I will be trying to pickup my dd 214 form.

That is very exciting that you get it removed tomorrow. Let me know how everything goes.

Congrats on being officially out of the Air Force! I'm glad you're feeling a bit better.


So, I got my expander out today. It feels great and weird to have so much room back in my mouth. Thanks for convincing me to get it, instead of extractions.

I got elastics today too. I am not wearing these!!! They look ridicuolous, I can't really open my mouth with them in, and they hurt a lot. I have one on each side, they're so annoying. I'm so not wearing these.

Why won't the military take me if my orthodontic treatment isn't finished "satisfactorily"?

Thank you,

I am glad that you got your expander removed. Did it hurt when he took it out? What type of pattern is your orthodontist prescribing with rubberbands. Wearing the rubberbands is very important. Your braces can't move teeth in certain directions and this is where rubberbands are prescribed. Make sure you follow the directions and wear them for the correct amount of time. Also don't ever try to double up on elastics because it will make things worse.

The reason the Air Force won't take you with un-satisfatory is you can develope other problems if not done correctly. A misaligned bite can cause many problems in the future. When you in process the military won't ever know you had braces unless you tell them. So you don't really have to worry, plus your teeth will be beautiful once your done. :)

Here is a list of disqualifying factors just for dental:

a. Diseases of the jaw or associated tissues which are not easily remediable, and will incapacitate the individual or otherwise prevent the satisfactory performance of duty. This includes temporomandibular disorders and/or myofascial pain dysfunction that is not easily corrected or has the potential for significant future problems with pain and function.

b. Severe malocclusion that interferes with normal mastication or requires early and protracted treatment; or relationship between mandible and maxilla that prevents satisfactory future prosthodontic replacement.

c. Insufficient natural healthy teeth or lack of a serviceable prosthesis, preventing adequate mastication and incision of a normal diet. This includes complex (multiple fixture) dental implant systems that have associated complications that severely limit assignments and adversely affect performance of world-wide duty. Dental implants systems must be successfully osseointegrated and completed.

d. Orthodontic appliances for continued treatment (attached or removable). Retainer appliances are permissible, provided all active orthodontic treatment has been satisfactorily completed.

It didn't hurt when he removed my expander, just a lot of pressure.

I am supposed to wear the elastics from my lower 2nd molar to my upper canine on each side. They make my teeth hurt alot, and I hate not being able to open my mouth all the way. I don't understand what these elastics are supposed to do anyway. Do you ever have elastics? I am not wearing these!!!

Elastics are one of the most important parts of your procedure. The first week they will hurt. Having that type of configuration will fix your overjet or or overbite, or both. Your lower jaw will be brought forward with that type of configuration. It sounds like your treatment is going very well. Because most of the time you will have two different configurations when getting elastics. To fix crossbites and such.

I never got elastics because I only had top braces. I really need elastics to fix my overjet and overbite. I am not looking forward to getting elastics when I get braces. But I definitely need them. This will fix my facial profile by bringing my lower jaw forward. This possibly could fix my jaw problems if everything is done correctly.

I'll wear them, starting tomorrow. I promise.

Try them for a week and you should get use to them. Ask your orthodontist for lighter force elastic. I hope everything else is going well.

So, I wore the elastics all day today. My jaw hurts so bad, and I can't really eat anything but soft foods :( . I'll try very hard to wear them for the week, and hopefully I'll get used to them. My ortho put me in the heavy 3/16", 4oz elastics, I can ask him for lighter ones, but I'm not sure he'll move me down. How long do most people have to wear elastics for? You'll wear the elastics if you have to when you get braces?

How have you been feeling?

Well I have been feeling the same. Still having that little aching pain in both my right and left jaw. Do you have to eat with the elastics in? I can see why you wouldn't want to wear elastics with that type of prescription. You would think your orthodontist would have given you lighter ones to start out with. Not to dissappoint you but you might be wearing elastics on and off until your treatment is over. I would almost guaranty you that I will have to wear elastics also.

Just so you know, when I was in high school I did get a consultation to get braces, but my family didn't have enough money at the time. So I couldn't get them. The orthodontist said that I had overjet and a over bite. So I would need to have both top and bottom braces, along with headgear at night and elastics. I really would like to hear what an orthodontist would recommend for treatment know since that was about 10 years ago. I will definitely try to get a consultation or two by the end of this year.

I hope you get your insurance soon so you can see an orthodontist about your jaw pain.

I am allowed to take my elastics out when I eat. I'm glad too, otherwise I'm not sure I'd be able to eat because I can't open my mouth really with them in. I hope I don't have to wear elastics on and off until the end of my treatment. Are there heavier elastics than the ones I'm wearing now?

It will be really interesting to see what kind of treatment the ortho will recommend for you 10 years later. Hopefully not headgear this time. If I got headgear I wouldn't wear it, there's no way.

How did your tests come back?

I got my insurance, except I have to go to a dentist first in order to get a referal to an orthodontist. Maybe a non military dentist might think I need braces. My tests came back and everything showed up normal.

How are you feeling?

I'm glad you finally got your insurance. Have you made an appointment with a dentist yet? I'm so glad your test results came back normal :)


I'm doing ok. My teeth, and jaw are still really sore. I still can't really eat anything because my teeth hurt so bad to put any pressure on them, especially my lower molars :( . On a positive note, one of the gaps I have left is starting to close :) .


How are you feeling today?

I haven't made an appointment yet. I was still going to see what the other orthodontist opinion is. My jaw musles are still sore. On the nineth I will be getting an appointment with the VA and see if they know whats wrong. When I selected my insurance I choose one that does both orthodontics and dentistry. There was only one place out of about 80 places.

I am glad that you gaps are closing. I hope you start feeling better, I think you should be fine by this Sunday as long as you don't have any candy tonight. :)

Don't worry, there'll be no candy for me, just mashed potatos. That's really all I can handle because my teeth still really hurt. I hope I feel better by Sunday. So, I wore my elastics all day today (except when eating), that was a pretty big accomplishment :).

I hope you start feeling better soon. That's good you got an appointment with the VA for the 9th. Will your insurance cover all of your orthodontic work, or will you have a co-pay?

My insurance won't cover all my expenses. It says that it will pay 2400 and than like another 500 for all of the other tiny expenses. I just talked to the other orthodontist place and they said that I will need a referral. The problems is my teeth look pretty much straight, but it feels like my teeth are out of alignment. The dentists that I have seen said they are fine, but I still think there is something wrong. If I took a picture you wouldn't even know anything was wrong.

That's good that your insurance will at least cover part of the cost. My insurance doesn't cover any of my treatment, so I pay out of pocket. That's why I'm always working so much. I didn't need a referral to the ortho to start treatment. Is that just that particular ortho's policy? The ortho should be able to tell from the x-rays, molds, etc. that you're bite and jaw are off. Mine was able to tell, but my teeth were also kinda messed up too.

No that is a insurance policy. Maybe since I picked a place that does both I will have a better chance of getting them. I am in a little pain this morning just some neck stiffness and left jaw feels a little swollen. How are you feeling?

I'm feeling ok. My lower molars are still soooo sore, and my upper front teeth are really sensitive from the elastics. My other teeth don't really hurt any more though :) .

When will you see the dentist at the place you chose?

I am glad that you are feeling better. Have you noticed any movement since wearing your elastics? I have been pretty sore today, hopefully I will feel better tomorrow. First I am going to see what the va offers. I am also going to call my dentist office and see if they have a free consultation. That way I could see if they will recommend that I get braces. It's just an idea.

That sounds like a good plan. When do you go to the VA again?


My molars and front teeth are still sore, but they are starting to fell less sore each day. I haven't really noticed any movement yet, since I've been wearing the elastics. When should I start to see movement?

I will be going up there next Thursday. Then I will be able to stop by the dentist area and get my eligibility sheet and bring up the problem to them.

I wouldn't worry if you haven't seen any movement. Your teeth seemed to have moved quite a bit it sounds like in the last few weeks. You might not see really any movement with elastics unless you canine teeth have to be pulled down. I am glad you getting better.

My teeth have been feeling much better this weekend. I went away to visit some friends, and I was able to eat pretty much everything. My canines do have to be pulled down, will the elastics do that?

How have you been feeling?

I am glad that you are doing better. Your elastics will bring down your canines and also balance your jaw. Again I am very happy your doing better. So again I am still have intermittent pain in my jaw and my neck is very sore along with my lower back. I am kind of lost on what I should do. I don't even know where to start. All the military doctors I have been to say it's not a dental issue, so maybe it is something else.

I'm sorry you're still feeling bad. I hope the dentist is able to help you. I'm pretty sure all of the symptoms you have are symptoms of tmj, so hopefully an ortho can help with some of that. Do you still wear your night guard?

I feel a little better today. The doctors that I have been too say I can open wide enough and shift my jaw from left to right and see no problem. I will be calling a ortho soon, so maybe they will have a recommendation. So anyway I still wear my nightguard but I haven't noticed any difference since I got it. So how are you this week? Are elastics worse than the expander, springs, or powerchains?

I'm glad you're feeling better. Hopefully an ortho will be able to help you.

My teeth are feeling pretty much back to normal. My lower back molars, and my upper canines are still a little tender, but not bad. How long will it take for my canines to come down? I don't really look like they're moving, they just feel a little tender.

The worst part of my braces so far has been the springs and that elastic wire stuff. Powerchains are nothing really. The expander was uncomfortable at first, but it got better once I was done activating it.

I go back to the ortho on the 17th for my next adjusment. This time he wanted to see me in 3 weeks instead of the every 5 weeks he was seeing me before. I hope that means my teeth are moving way faster than he anticipated, maybe I'll be able to get my braces off early :).

So, the elastics will help balance my jaw? Does that mean I won't have any more tmj problems when I get my braces off?

I hope that the elastics will decrease your tmj problems. So hopefully your ortho will give you good news on the 17th. I will be going to the a doctor on the 9th hopefully all goes well.

How have you been feeling today?

Good luck at your appointment tomorrow, let me know how it goes.

How did your appointment go today?

I hope they were able to give you some answers. Let me know :).

I am feeling alright today, almost no pain. My appointment was for something else, so I did schedule an appointment on the 8 of December with the dental clinic. They will have no records so they are going to start from scratch. But I am also going to see a nerologist on the 22nd.

So how are feeling?

I'm glad you've been feeling ok. That's good that they're going to start from the begining at your appointment, maybe that will help.

I've been feeling ok. My jaw is a bit achy, and my lower molars are hurting again. I think both of these are from the elastics. Other than that I feel good. I go to the ortho on friday, so maybe I'll talk to him about this.

Did you get your insurance yet?

It sounds like you are having good progress. I would like to know what your ortho says. It sounds like everything is moving pretty fast. Well, I did get insurance but I pick out the wrong plan. So I am going to see if I can change it.

My teeth are moving really fast, it's so exciting :). I go to the ortho on friday, hopefully he's as impressed with my progress as I am.

Were you able to get your insurance changed? How have you been feeling today?

I am really glad that everything is going very well. I hope your orthodontist has good news for you. Sorry I haven't written, I been very tired and my jaw has been painful. Right now it isn't bad, it is just a little tight. I wasn't able to change insurance but I might still have the right insurance as long as dentist agrees.

I'm sorry to hear you've been having a lot of pain. Have you scheduled an appointment with the dentist yet? I hope you're able to get in to see an ortho soon. I think that would really help with your pain.

I've been wearing my elastics almost all the time, so hopefully the ortho sees a big difference. I haven't really noticed a difference since wearing the elastics, but hopefully he will. Hopefully I won't have to wear them anymore after my appointment of Friday.

I hope you start feeling better. Keep me posted, and let me know how you're doing.

I am still having some pain, not as bad as before. I am scheduled to see a neurologist next Wednesday along with 4 other appointments. Hopefully they can diagnose and treat whatever problem I have.

How did your appointment turn out?

My appointment went kinda bad. My ortho said I haven't been wearing my elastics enough. I was kinda bad about it at first, but I got really good about it after a little while. He said my gap didn't close because I haven't been wearing the elastics, and if I'd wear them ALL the time it should close pretty quickly. Also, my canine hasn't come down yet like it's supposed to (I think the elastics were supposed to help that too). So, I got a wire tie on the canine that needs to come down more, new powerchains (top and bottom), new heavier arch wires (top and bottom), and I have to wear the heavy elastics for at least 6 more weeks :( . My mouth is pretty sore right now from all of the new hardware. I'm going to try to be better about wearing my elastics all the time. What if I don't wear them, can the ortho do something else instead of the elastics?

How have you been feeling?

I am sorry to hear that you had a bad appointment. So have you been wearing your elastics like the ortho said? You have two options when you don't wear elastics. The first would be just extending your treatment time and second would be to a fix device called a jasper jumper. The jasper jumper is much bigger and you can't remove it.

I haven't been doing very well the past two days. I had some horrible pain last night with a bad headache and this morning my jaw muscles were just a little sore. This Wednesday I will see all type of different specialists and then later that day I am heading up to my uncles house.

I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling so bad. I hope you start feeling better soon. Hopefully these dr's will be able to help this time. Are you going to your uncle the dentist's house? Maybe he'll be able to help you.

I haven't been wearing the elastics since I left the ortho's on Friday. My teeth were really sore, and the elastics made it so much worse. I'm going to start wearing them when my teeth get a little less sensitive. Do you think that will be ok?

I will be going up to my uncles this Wednesday and hopefully we will have a little conversation about what I should do. Because it is getting me kind of depressed having this nagging pain.

I hope you start wearing or elastics again. I don't want you to have to extend your treatment anymore. Remember that you need at least 10 hrs of pressure to move your teeth. I would at least wear your elastics for 12 hrs a day and once you get use to them try to wear them all day.

I hope your uncle is able to help you this time. I hate hearing that you're in so much pain :(.

I'll wear my elastics. I just put them in, and I'm going to bed now so hopefully they won't bother me too much. I've already extended my treatment time, my ortho doesn't want to see me for 6 weeks this time. Last time it was only 3 weeks in between my appointments, because I was progressing so quickly. He told me I'd be wearing these elastics at least 6more weeks :(. I'm so not looking forward to this. I'll wear my elastics.

How are you doing today? My uncle might ask and he might not. Hopefully tomorrow the doctors will be able to diagnose what I have? I am still having pain on my left jaw bone. With my luck the pain will subside tomorrow and comeback next week.

Good luck at your appointment tomorrow. Hopefully your jaw cooperates :).


I'm feeling ok. My jaw is killing me. These elastics are horrible :( ! I wore them to bed lastnight, and a little today. They make my jaw ache sooo bad when they're in. I'll put them back in before I go to bed tonight. If I only wear them to bed everynight, do you think that will be enough wear time for them to work?

I hope you don't have to have elastics when you get re-braced.

Let me know how it goes tomorrow.

I don't want to disappoint you, but you should wear your elastics during the day. They are much more effective during the day because you are talking and have other habits during the day. If you notice when your mouth is closed there is very little tension compared when you have your mouth open just a few millimeters. Some appliances do work better at night except elastics.

I already know if I do get rebraced, I will have to wear elastics, that is almost guaranteed. Anyways I will try to let you know how things went tomorrow if I have internet access this weekend.

I hope you have a great trip, and a happy Thanksgiving :). Good luck at your appointment, let me know how it went when you can. I'll be thinking about you.

Are you having second thoughts about getting braces now? I'll wear my elastics 24/7 from now on, promise :angel: . I'm not going to complain about them either, I just gonna suck it up and do it. Plus, I don't want those Jasper Jumper things you said the ortho might give me if I don't wear the elastics. I have no idea what they are, but they sound bad.

Good luck tomorrow.

I hope that you had a great thanksgiving. My appointments last Wednesday were a waste of time. They weren't able to diagnose my pain. My uncle was said the next time that I come over he might have some time to do a couple more tests, but it surely doesn't seem to be his specialty. I am still having second thoughts of getting braces. The only reason is my teeth are pretty straight compared to a lot of people and it might just be awkward to wear braces if my teeth are already straighter then most.