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Do molar bands hurt when they are first put in? I have eight spacers in between my molars as of 10/4. On 10/11 they are supposed to remove them and put in the molar bands.
Does it hurt? I'm wondering if there is enough room between the molars with spacers only in for a week. Though I am quite happy to get rid of the spacers
They told me not to use the waterpik between the spacers or floss so I'm feeling "dirty" right now.
7/7/06 Damon 3's on top, Damon 2's on bottom
03/18/08 Naked
The molar bands do not hurt your molars. They come in different sizes and your ortho will try a few and slip on the right size for your molar. It sort of feels like putting on a tight ring on your finger. They sort of rock it back and forth until it goes above the gumline. Mine were a bit of a problem because my lower molars are very tilted inward facing my tongue. If your ortho does not plan to use the cleats/hooks that will face your tongue. You can ask him/her to close them or press them down so they won't scrape your tongue. I got used to them except for when I eat. I do have to put wax during meal times.
The worst part of my experience so far was getting the molar bands! It felt like they were ripping into my gums, and everytime the assistant pulled them off (while she was fitting them) it felt as though my teeth were going to come out with them.
But it was 5 minutes of pain and they certainly don't bother me at all now. Remember that it is different for everyone- most people I have talked to hated getting molds but that didn't bother me at all.
Banded 22 June 2006.
Debanded 24 July 2007.
Loving it!
Make sure you floss and brush good in and between the molar bands because they don't go right to the gumline and it may be easy to get food trapped below them.
You'll be fine.
Top Braces June 2004
Bottom Braces November 2004
Debanded January 2007
Mine didn't hurt going in & after they are on you don't really feel them much. I was just so relieved to get the spacers out! I only had the spacers in for a week too & there was enough space.
I only had spacers for a week and there was definitely enough room. The bands are a bit annoying going on...mainly because they try a few different sizes and your teeth will feel a bit odd once the spacers come out...so you don't ideally want someone fiddling around there too much. But it doesn't take long and its not sore...just weird.
It was the most annoying part of getting my braces put on, but it wasn't painful.
Since then they haven't been sore at all.
The only soreness I've had from them is my tongue that got sore for a couple of says from rubbing up against them.
Oh, and my teeth are *very* tight and crowded, but they had no problem putting on the molar bands after I wore spacers for only a week - and I lost two of them.
Getting them on was a pain, because the girl that was fitting them didnt know what she was doing. She tried to put one on that was too small , jamming it down when it clearly was too small, when she realized it, she had to now get the darn thing off my tooth. It was a bit painful, only because of her though..heh. now they don't bother me too much. I did have to use wax at first because the things on the outside of them irritated my cheeks.
Getting them on sort of ached, but that was what the process was like--kind of achy, but not too bad.
What hurt about the molar bands was afterward. My poor tongue was sliced up for weeks afterward, until I finally got used to the inside of the bands. I recommend lots of wax on them at first!
I only had the spacers in for a week too & there was enough space.
