Metal Mouth Message Board

I have just spacers in now and am scheduled to be braced on Tuesday. My big question seems to be bands vs. brackets. I have two spacers on each side on top (I have no wisdom teeth) and three on each side on the bottom. So, from what I can figure out, the ortho wants to band my first and second molars and a biscuspid? I can't figure this out. My second molars on both sides have crowns, but I think I'm going to protest banding the bicuspid. When I said something, all he would tell me is about his 25 years experience and that he knew what was best. ARGH, they're my teeth! It seems strange to need to band those two teeth, has anyone else had this experience?

TIA!
Vicki

names of teeth:

http://dentalimplants-usa.com/Generalin ... hpics.html

I have all but one of my molars banded, as well as one bicuspid.

cool! I never knew you could band bicuspids!

Hmmm I never thought about banding the bicuspids being not normal. I have a bicuspid on each side banded. I thought it seemed a little weird when my ortho did it, but I didn't reallythink anything of it, being new to all of this and all I just figured hey, he knows what he's doing. But now I think I'll question it. It's probably because of my fillings, but I'd still like to know for sure why he did it. I had three spacers on each side on the top and one on each side on the bottom (I already had gaps due to some missing molars!). Now I have eleven teeth banded. Five on the bottom (2 left / 3 right) and six on the top (3 and 3).

On a side note, can brackets be bonded to teeth with composite fillings? One of my upper bicuspids is due to have a bracket bonded to it on Tuesday, and the tooth is comprised mainly of composite filling material as it was broken a few years back.

I'll let everyone know what my ortho says about the banded bicuspids on Tuesday after my next appointment.

~Rachel

I wouldn't think anything of a band on a bicuspid, bands really aren't that bad. Remember, back in the day, they used to band EVERY tooth.

I'm so dumb so times.....my top bicuspids are banded also. You're right jaswi they really aren't that bad. I can't imagine having my whole mouth look like that though! That would be horrible!!!! Thank goodness for modern technology!