Metal Mouth Message Board

My ortho said I have to wait 2 weeks after 4 premolars are extracted before I can get my braces on.

You've got to be kidding.

I'm 29 years old and I have to walk around for 2 weeks with missing teeth and no braces to show that there's a reason for the missing teeth. I won't mind smiling at people who know I'm getting braces, like friends, family, and co-workers. But I can't smile in public for 2 weeks.

If I don't smile people will think I have an attitude. If I smile people will think.......

On top I'm having the 1st premolars removed and on the bottom I'm having the 2nd premolars removed. Extractions are Oct. 20, braces go on Nov. 4. I can't deal with this.

I know that people in this forum have had extractions after getting braced. Or braces shortly after extractions.

Maybe my ortho doesn't know what he's doing and I need a new ortho. Maybe this is a sign of more problems to come during my treatment.

I had the same teeth extraced that you are having done, but I had two top and one bottom tooth extracted. I'm going on my 3rd week of missing teeth and will get my braces this coming Thursday.

Honestly, unless I smile really big, you wouldn't know that the teeth are gone. I did talk with a bit of a lisp at first but I adjusted and speak clearly again. I think eating was the biggest challenge overall. Start with soft foods and work your way back to the things you would regularly eat. I find that I have to take smaller bites now since there are less teeth to chew with.

If I have been in a social setting where I have felt uncomfortable I have just explained to people that this is all in preparation for when I get my braces on. Everyone has been very understanding and most people will have some sort of braces or dental story to share. You will be surprised how many other people have been through the same thing.

My ortho put my brackets on and left the bracket off the tooth to be extracted. Then I had the extraction and he put the wire on 1 week later. He said a week was plenty of time for healing.

Gardnr

My ortho put my brackets on and left the bracket off the tooth to be extracted. Then I had the extraction and he put the wire on 1 week later. He said a week was plenty of time for healing.

Gardnr

Hey! I don't think your ortho is wrong at all, last week my ortho told me the exact same thing done!!! Reasons:

- 2 weeks is the time it takes for the extraction gaps to heal properly because the teeth can then be pushed back to fill the gap!
- My ortho told me that it shouldn't be over 2 weeks though, something to do with bone healing or something!
- I have braces for about 3 months now! The reason why she waited so long was to see how they reacted and how much my molars could be pushed back!

I got my wisdom teeth and 4 bicuspids taken out on Dec. 19th, I got my braces on February 2nd, the spacers a week before that. The ortho said she wanted to make sure that my swelling was completely down before putting the braces on, so to call her one month after the surgery, and I did.

Oh, and this does NOT mean your ortho doesn't know what s/he's doing! Swelling takes a little time to go down, it takes a little time to heal! Also, you will be surprised...when I had mine removed, it was not noticeable from the front, like if I smiled or laughed. And when I chewed I keep my mouth closed anyway so it's not like I was displaying it for all to see.

I waited two weeks between extractions and braces. I thought the same thing as you (I too am 29!) but honestly it flies. I spent most of the time recovering from the extractions anyway, so it worked out just right.

Joual

I'm getting two premolar extractions on October 5th, off on holiday to Italy a few weeks afterwards and getting my brace fixed October 27th. I chose this schedule as I thought it would give my extraction sites time to heal before my holiday and brace fitting. The ortho was happy with this. Only snag is that I will look a bit strange in Italy and I hope I'll be able to eat ok. The extractions are both on the right side so I suppose I can chew on my left side.

If they think I look a bit odd it Italy then so be it. I'm sure that people won't look that closely anyway.

I think you should view it as an advantage, you'll have that healing time before the braces go on.

Regards
Joney

Thank you so much for your responses everyone.

I'm glad to hear that there are others who waited 2 weeks or even longer to get braces after extractions. I feel relieved now.

hmm it seems like a lot of people do extractions first before they put their brace, but for my case , my oth decided to put the brace on FIRST then do the extractions... why do he do that??

Ilovetosmile232, I think that either way is correct. Based on what people on this forum have said about their extractions, I guess it's up to the ortho.

One ortho who I had a consult with was going to send me for extractions after he put the braces on.

I thought I would get braces 1 week after extractions.I got extractions on 5/22/06 and got braces on 6/14/06 . Two weeks is pretty good. I really wanted it to be in a week but I ended up not healing as fast as I expected so waiting 3 weeks was good for me.

I also got two top premolar &two bottom premolar extractions


Gennel

Interesing. I was braced on a monday by thurs. I had 2 upper first bicuspids removed. I went into the ortho on thurs right before the extractions and had them remove the wire but the wire went back on right after surgery...no time to heal! It took 2 days before my extraction sites stopped bleeding though. I've seen some say that they had very little bleeding a few hours after the extractions.

i had my extractions in the middle of december and then my braces put on, in the middle of january 2006.

I had my brace on exactly 7 days after my extractions. The Ortho said it was to give my extraction sites time to start the healing process.