Metal Mouth Message Board

A number of months ago, I had my expander removed and just when I thought I would be getting a break, the orthodontist installed two metal bands around the molars. The bands contain a metal tube on one side (which I have been told is used for headgear, which i do not need) and the other side contains an attachment which has a spike-like appearance and I have told those are used in case I need another sort of expander installed.
These bands have done NOTHING but drive me nuts. When the tubes aren't scraping my cheeks, the spike-looking things are cutting my tongue. To add insult to injury, they are doing nothing at the moment and may not even be needed! I haven't demanded them off or anything but all my ortho has done for my problem is attempt to make them a little smoother, which of course has done absolutely nothing.
Has anyone had any experience with these type of bands? I feel like telling the ortho to take them off for now and reinstall them if and when I need them but I don't want to appear to be a difficult patient. Should I be this annoyed? Thoughts or advice?

Thanks

I have the same type of bands as you are talking about and after having them for almost 14 months I have gotten used to them. When i was braced I had a fixed biteplate that connected to the inner cleats of the bands, and since then off and on rubberbands have been connected to the hooks on the outside of them. I cant say that they are comfortable and by all means ask your ortho about other options, but you should get used to them in a few weeks. Until then use lots of wax and salt water rinses. The best kind of wax for the molar bands is the waxy wax not the silicon type. good luck

Sounds like a pain in the ass... I'd really state that if indeed they aren't even being used that you'd appreciate them putting on regular brackets until these types are needed if they are holding or are going to hold a wire. Waxing is ok when needed but who wants to go that if you really don't need to. I've been very lucky, haven't had to use much wax BUT I have had to maake sure they know when I'm in that chair that I want to be as comfortable as possible when I leave and that it is greatly appreciated.

When I first got molar bands, I was miserable with cleats - the hook thing on tongue side of molar bands. They torn up my tongue. I couldn't eat and talk normally. I used wax to cover the cleats but this helped temporarily. I ended up... swallowing a lot of wax . After I talked to my ortho, she filed the cleats down because they're no use in my case, she bent the hooks outside to a comfort position for later use on elastics, she also did gentle filing to smooth some sharp sides of the brackets.
Please talk to your ortho about your discomfort with the things attached to your molar bands. If they are not used, your ortho will get rid of them for you.

Sounds about like mine, but I don't know about the headgear part. The outside of the band has a tube-like structure, which is for attaching the wires, plus it has a hook for attaching my rubber bands. The inside, for whatever reason, is very rough, and at first, hurt my tongue alot (on the bottoms anyway, the inside of the tops has my biteplate wires attached, and that part is very smooth and comfortable). I used alot of wax the first month or two, but my mouth toughened up after that.

Can I join the complaint? I have had these things in my upper molar bands more than a year already. When I asked, my ortho told me exactly the same as yours told you, steak. Since then, I've been patiently waiting for an expander or anything that would make this cleats useful, but no, nothing.

I was considering asking my ortho again, now that I have like 8 months to go to end my treatment. It took a lot time to get used to these spiky things, lots of wax (and wax swallowing too) and lots of salt water rinses to heal my tongue. Now that my upper arch is changing, these things are getting even more close to the tongue, and I don't see the point of all this suffering!

Even the headgear tubes are getting painful now. I will surely ask my ortho if the cleats can be removed on my next appointment. I didn't want to be a difficult patient either, but I think we should ask, don't you think?

By the way, why do the manufacturers put everything that "may be needed" on the molar bands? It is just like packing everything you have in your wardrobe on your travel bags "in case you need them".

The pain from cleats is unbearable! I wonder why ortho don't use the smooth molar band first until the ones with hooks are needed. By then, ortho just replace the no-hook bands with the hooky bands. This should save patients from suffering the pain for long period. And if I'm told that this replacement can't be done because of whatever, I wouldn't buy it. It's so cruel we have to suffer the pain if there is a way to avoid it even though it takes more time on the ortho chairs.

The second night that i had braces, (i got everything at once), i bought a lingual dental mirror and flattened all of the cleats. Even now though, i can still feel roughness and anguish. You just have to look at it as paying your dues. I am at the 9 month mark and just got both square wires and elastics and it feels like forever i first got my braces and i was in more pain last week than my 1st week..

you'll get used to it. just think of 2 years from now.

I too can relate to your problem. I have a total of 5 molar bands, 4 of which are being used to hold wires now. The assistant and Ortho did quite a bit to make them as comfortable as possible. However, one of the bands still caused me GREAT discomfort for a couple of weeks. I eventally had to have a hook readjusted that was digging into my gum. I tried the wax thing a couple of times but got tired of swallowing it. Now I only notice them when I lay on my hand while trying to sleep. So, in my case it has gotten better and I am glad I don't have to get used to these things while adjusting to other things that are going to be added. I hope things gets better for you soon.

P.S. - I don't have headgear or bite appliances.