Metal Mouth Message Board

After almost two months of preparation, I have already place my braces. I have had four total extractions (2 impacted wisdom tooth - lower and 2 upper first premolars).

Since I've had my braces for a week, my tooth aren't as sore as it was when it was first places.

A couple of questions: My ortho didn't place brackets on any of my remaining molars. She did, however, place a couple of rubber thingies in between my first molars in preparation for the placing of the rings (i think this is the molar band) on my molars. This means that there won't be any brackets on my 2nd (upper and lower) and 3rd molars (upper). Is this what you guys experienced.

Now, I'm actually confused, especially since I've had extractions on my first premolars (upper). I mean, I'm sure that my ortho will close the gap in the front, but would that mean that there will be gaps on the molar areas (ie in between 1st-2nd or 2nd-3rd molars)? Please enlighten me.

Hi Toneten
My ortho didn't bracket my 2nd molars straightaway (I have no wisdom teeth). He brought them into the arch at (I think) my 3rd adjustment.

Like Karen I find it hard to floss back there and if I hadn't needed those teeth brought into line I'd have been quite happy for them to be left alone!

By the gaps between your molars, do you mean the gaps created by the spacers and later on the molar bands? They are only going to be teeny little gaps and will close up no problem at the end of your treatment.

This sounds like a common thing; my ortho hasn't bothered with my very back teeth (2nd molars). I guess no one can see them, so I don't really care, although the top ones are about 1/2 a tooth-space outside the rest of the teeth, and although it doesn't really physically bother me, I do tend to play around that space with my tongue when I'm bored or something.....

KK wrote:Great that your journey has started Toneten!

Thanks. I'm actually quite excited about the whole process, can't wait till it's all done.

KK wrote: I'm sure your ortho will close those extraction gaps, as they must have needed doing, so that space could be ultilised for other teeth to move into. I'm not totally sure what you mean about gaps between your 1st, 2nd and 3rd molars, but I'm sure when your treatment is complete, there will not be gaps between any teeth.

Since I only had extraction on my upper teeth, I am a wee bit worried that maybe there will be gaps left in between molars due to the "excess" space that seems to be available on my upper teeth (that is, as opposed to my lower set of teeth that didn't have any extractions). If I understood my ortho correctly, she's planning to push my front teeth inward (incisors, canine) and then, when it's reached the limit, pull some of the teeth in the back (premolars, molars) to the front so as to close the gap. Now, I'm concerned that if she doesn't put brackets on the molars, it might not move, which might result for them having gaps. That shouldn't happen right?

ame_malia wrote:This sounds like a common thing; my ortho hasn't bothered with my very back teeth (2nd molars). I guess no one can see them, so I don't really care, although the top ones are about 1/2 a tooth-space outside the rest of the teeth, and although it doesn't really physically bother me, I do tend to play around that space with my tongue when I'm bored or something.....

If I'm imagining your description correctly, this is what I'm afraid of, that there might be a gap resulting from the treatment. Although it will be at the back, for me, it will be very annoying. I hope this doesn't happen.

Question though, shouldn't the treatments assure you that all gaps are closed, be it front or back?

I don't if I accurately described it.... There isn't a gap between my teeth. My back tooth is shifted to the outside. The inside edge of my back tooth is even with the middle of my next tooth, instead of being lined up. Orthos for some reason don't usually mess with the farthest back teeth (I think).

See the tooth behind the last blue spacer, and how it's kinda scooted to the outside, thats what I was talking about.

Hi KK,

Yup, will ask my ortho so that I'll be appeased.



Hi Ame_Malia,

Nope, that's not what I pictured when you described your case. Since we're on the subject though, my ortho told me that there were cases that she handled wherein she had to put brackets on the back tooth because it wasn't aligned with the other teeth (there's a big difference).

Hi KK,

Yup, will ask my ortho so that I'll be appeased.



Hi Ame_Malia,

Nope, that's not what I pictured when you described your case. Since we're on the subject though, my ortho told me that there were cases that she handled wherein she had to put brackets on the back tooth because it wasn't aligned with the other teeth (there's a big difference).

Hi Ame-Malia

I had the same thing with my molars. They weren't bracketed at first so I asked about it and my ortho put bands on those teeth. Now they are nicely aligned (it took about 12 months)