Metal Mouth Message Board

I just wanted to see if anyone ever had to be there own orthodontist. I get to have my chance in a month in half. Some claim it is the most painful procedure when having braces. That's right I will have to put in my own spacers for my lower braces. I will have to put in 4 altogether a week before I get braces. I am sure I will be successful, but I just wanted to see if I am the only one.

why do you have to put your own spacers in?

Well I need to get molar bands and also my orthodontist is 280 miles away. So it would be a waste of a trip just to go get spacers a week before braces. Don't worry I have already been trained how to do it.

I've clipped my own archwire once or twice and also replaced a spacer that I had pulled out while flossing (forgot the spacer was there), but my crowning DIY acheivement so far has been removing one of my own micro-screw implants with a jeweller's screwdriver.

I haven't yet, and probably won't. I may or may not be doing a co-operative education next year at my ortho's. I don't think they'd let me change my ligatures or anything. I don't know what I may be doing there yet.

I Woulden't want to be my own orthodontist unless I was certified and trained to do so.... that way if something went wrong I would be able to blame the others then myself

~Tim~

I've been my own ortho as well as my daughter's!

All with the approval of the orthos and dentist.

I've clipped the end of my archwire twice, closed a bracket that openned while I was 300 miles from home.

I clipped an elastic thread that was closing gaps in my daughter's lower arch, and I spent an hour or so with a scaler and cleaned up the over abundence of flash from around her brackets (dentist insisted I do this).

All done with the professional's instructions. NO HARM done to any of us.

I guess my little experience won't be that big of a deal. Nothing like pulling out a implant or cutting wires or elastics.

I will have to ask my orthodontist about a bracket that was reglued on. It seems that isn't in the center of the tooth like the rest and I am worried the tooth won't rotate where it needs to be. Also I am getting a new appliance when I go to my next appointment.

All I've done is tuck in a bit of archwire ...did it with the edge of my nail scissors. If my archwire starts poking my cheek and it's near Friday or Saturday when my ortho works, I'm supposed to go in and see her. If not, she said not to wait and go to the dentist as he can do it. ( she works out of my dentist's practice so no charge).

My ortho has just done her own treatment..but guess she knows what she's doing! I don't trust myself to do anything to my braces!