How long did you have your spacers?

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#1 Post by **Iceolated** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 11:54 am

When I get hardwired on May 2 I will have had my spacers in for 20 days, three weeks give or take. This seems like quite a long time.

For those that had them placed between their teeth before braces how long did you wear your spacers?

Cheers,

Ice.

Website · #2 Post by **alexa** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 12:26 pm

I had mine for a month, but that is due to me having a difficult time scheduling two appointments to get 4 teeth extracted. If I had gotten the extractions sooner, they would've came out somehwere between 2-3 weeks.

That was the first time I had spacers. I've had them two other times since having braces and I had them for two weeks each of these times.

#3 Post by **Dark_angel** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 1:04 pm

7 Long tedious days, and the day i had them taken out was the day i recieved my A level results.

#4 Post by **celiviel** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 2:03 pm

I had mine for a month as well, for reasons that I don't really know.

Then I had spacers put back in on my lower right after the space they made didn't turn out to be big enough. I had those in for two more weeks. It would have been another full month, but I lost a lig and so went in two weeks earlier than expected. While I was there, they popped the spacers out and banded the molar.

#5 Post by **OneTime** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 2:08 pm

I have 4 spacers for a grand total of 14 days. Horrible 14 days of my life...

#6 Post by **Iceolated** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:34 pm

My spacers aren't as noticeable as they were just a couple of days ago. Perhaps my teeth have moved rather easily, if so, I hope that's a precurser to how my braces will perform.

The discomfort I feel now is not so much the spacers but the difference in my bite since my teeth have moved a bit. In fact, I have quit taking pain killers since there is no real pain to speak of.

The only way I notice them is if I bite something particularly hard which jars my teeth - such as a very thick Yorkie bar

Of course, I have experienced that same feeling before I had the spacers.

I suppose the feeling may change between now and May 2 but if it shouldn't I think I can live with this.

Ice

#7 Post by **braces4me** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 5:32 pm

Only 7 days for me

#8 Post by **Evelyn** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 5:48 pm

I think I had them for a week but I don't remember exactly it might have been two weeks.

Eve

#9 Post by **ssfw** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:27 pm

Hi Ice,

I had my spacers in for 1 week.

I didn't have many problems with them (4 spacers on the upper arch) - just a bit of pressure when I was chewing on the right side on the 4th and 5th days, otherwise I forgot I had them in.

Hope you're doing well with your spacers. Could it be that since you were there, your ortho decided to place the spacers in until they place your braces which seems like their next available appt. for you was almost 3 weeks later? You may want to call your ortho's office and see if you can move your appt. up if there is an opening.

My orthodontist placed the spacers in, then one week later removed them and measured for bands for my expander. Because I didn't want the expander placed until 3 weeks later because I was attending a special event and wanted it placed after the event, he just had me come in 3 days prior to the placement of my expander and placed the spacers back in.

Good luck with your orthodontic treatment. Keep us posted.

ssfw

#10 Post by **Iceolated** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:49 am

Well, I called the Ortho's office and they didn't want to replace my missing spacer (came out on Saturday) until about 4 or 5 days before my visit. They said it really only takes 4 or 5 days for the spacers to do their work.

I requested that I have the spacer put back in as soon as possible as I didn't want my braces pushed back if I didn't have a large enough gap.

So, I'm off tomorrow morning at 8:10 to get a new spacer placed.

When I went in for my very first appointment I could have had my braces scheduled for the 23. That would have meant about a week less in spacers as I ultimately chose to get 'wired' on May 2.

The reason I pushed it back a week?

Money...no
Too busy....no

We are travelling to Minneapolis on the 26th of this month. In the Mall of America they have a restaurant called Bubba Gump's - serves very very very good shrimp. Whenever we go, that's where we eat. I know that eating shrimp in spacers will be uncomfortable. But I also know that eating shirmp after 3 days in braces will be all but impossible.

I must have my shrimp...

Cheers,

Ice.

#11 Post by **JumpTheDitch** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:20 pm

Ice,

1st round: 8 days

2nd round: 7 days

And SO very happy

when they came out!

And I loooooooved Scotland, would live there forever if I could!

#12 Post by **CLAmom** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:40 pm

2 weeks, 2 days, and 4 hours. Nasty little buggers. I tried to take them out myself once but couldn't get a good grip on them.

Website · #13 Post by **susieq182** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 3:26 pm

I didnt need spacers to get banded but they put them between all of my teeth in my lower arch for the first 10 weeks of treatment. My ortho said something about needing the extra pressure to help get my lower arch moving. thats 14 spacers for 70 days

i was so annoyed by my bite plate i hardly had time to worry about the spacers.

#14 Post by **bckydgardnr** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 5:03 pm

I had spacers for 3 weeks. My son is getting spacers on May 2, and braced on May 3. I asked if it was long enough...and they said they only needed 24 hours. Go figure...
Gardnr

#15 Post by **ssfw** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:25 pm

Iceolated wrote:Well, I called the Ortho's office and they didn't want to replace my missing spacer (came out on Saturday) until about 4 or 5 days before my visit. They said it really only takes 4 or 5 days for the spacers to do their work.

I requested that I have the spacer put back in as soon as possible as I didn't want my braces pushed back if I didn't have a large enough gap.

So, I'm off tomorrow morning at 8:10 to get a new spacer placed.

When I went in for my very first appointment I could have had my braces scheduled for the 23. That would have meant about a week less in spacers as I ultimately chose to get 'wired' on May 2.

The reason I pushed it back a week?

Money...no
Too busy....no

We are travelling to Minneapolis on the 26th of this month. In the Mall of America they have a restaurant called Bubba Gump's - serves very very very good shrimp. Whenever we go, that's where we eat. I know that eating shrimp in spacers will be uncomfortable. But I also know that eating shirmp after 3 days in braces will be all but impossible.

I must have my shrimp...

Cheers,

Ice.

Hi Ice,

What better excuse for delaying getting your braces can you have? Eating shrimp is a great reason! I think it's a good idea that you delayed it also because this way you won't have to worry about any pain/irritation from the braces and not being able to eat at your favorite restaurant. I think the delay will also make you more ready to get the braces.

Are you getting bands? I wonder why your orthodontist didn't suggest you get your spacers when you return from your trip then get the braces a week after that - this way you would not have to have spacers on for so long. If you had the braces placed on the 23rd you would only have had the spacers for about 10 days??? - it could be this was the first available appt. they had since they told you the spacers take 4-5 days to work.

You may want to ask them at your appt. tomorrow if they could remove the spacers and place them back on when you return from your trip and delay getting your braces by about a week - would that work for you? A delay in getting your braces by a week will not make a big difference.
This way you can go on your trip spacer-free.

The only reason I got spacers the first time was because they had to measure me for bands for my expander. After that was done, my orthodontist asked me to come in 3 days prior to the palcement of the expander to get the spacers placed again. I think he tries to avoid his patients from having the spacers in for no reason.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

ssfw