Got my spacers in today!

[madefromconcentrate]

I know I posted a couple months ago that I was going to get my braces Mid-November, but things didn’t go according to plan. BUT now I’ve got my spacers in [need to go back tomorrow morning to have one replaced as it’s being stubbourn and doesn’t want to stick =/]. I’ve updated my post in Our Braces Stories, but I had a question for the general audience.

Those of you who had spacers, did you have any major issues with them coming out?

The one that popped out I was half-expecting to lose as it was sagging down and only the top half of the band was between my teeth, and my ortho had a time trying to get it in there to begin with [I have like, no space between those two teeth in particular, and my molars are quite closely-spaced in general too]. So I’m going back at 9 tomorrow morning, but I’m starting to feel paranoid already about the rest of the spacers wanting to come out. They aren’t sagging to the half-circle degree that the other was, but I *can* feel the rubber sticking out a bit between my teeth if I rub my tongue over the biting surface of the molars. Maybe they will stay in but I’ve just got a feeling I might have several trips to the ortho before my B-Day in two weeks just to sort out these spacer bands.

Already it’s starting to look like a nightmare when it comes to trying to chew food with them in for paranoia about dislodging them.

I’m getting really nervous too but I’m also excited for things to be getting underway. Two weeks today I will be braced!

[badbite]

My teeth are extremely tight . I had spacers for three weeks (8 of them). The assistant could not even get them in because she was not strong enough. I ended up biting through two of them.

I think it is normal to be able to feel them with your tounge. I could feel mine. If your teeth are tight they should not slide/pop out.

[TumbleDryLow]

I had spacers twice. The first time I had 8 placed, and my molars were very tight. The assistant had to use the floss method to get two of them in because she couldn't do it with the tool.

My molars didn't touch at all because all my spacers stuck up above my tooth surface and they bumped into each other when I chewed. They never came out though, even after biting on them for 2 weeks.

If your molars are as tight as mine were, I'm guessing the one that came out was not in properly to begin with. Don't worry about them too much--although it's an inconvenience, your ortho can alway replace them if they fall out. After a week mine stopped hurting and I forgot about them.

[Kara]

I'm new to this forum and this is the first message that caught my eye. I had a terrible time with spacers. My teeth are "tight" as they say at the orthodontist so I did have a couple that snapped or broke on one side. I had 9 spacers all together and to be honest... I thought the spacers hurt more than the braces do. My teeth were very tender and it was hard to get used to chewing again but you do get used to them after about a week. I hope you have better luck with them. Keep that tylenol handy. It has become a good friend of mine in getting through the beginning stages of braces. Good luck to you!

[mstikl1]

Oh poor baby!
I think spacers have so far been the worst feature of getting braces. I had 2 (and a half!) rounds of both metal and little rubber disks. Both fell out regularly and had to be replaced. They are a bother!
ummm, feels so good when they fall out!
I never did get used to them being in, even the 2 week round.
Pamper yourself - it is a pain and you deserve some relief!

[madefromconcentrate]

Gods, they hurt now.

Last night while I was sleeping the other back one popped out and I woke up with it in my mouth. Good thing I already had an appointment!

So I went in this morning and explained that they’d fallen out on their own and maybe weren’t in properly to begin with. I didn’t see my usual ortho – I guess emergency appointments are just with whoever is in and available on the day. He used a couple Super-Slick spacer bands and popped them in no problem.

However, he also told me that if they fall out again, just leave them – the ortho I’ve been seeing told me if they fall out more than three days before my B-Day, I need to go have new ones put in. My ortho said I don’t have any space between my molars at all and so it’s important that the spacers stay in for most of the next two weeks. The one I saw today told me I have a little bit of space so maybe that’s why they fell out.

So I’m not sure. If they fall out again I’m going to call the orthodontist office and ask them what I should do. Although if I have a bit of space now and I had NONE at all yesterday, maybe my teeth are ready and willing to move, which is a good sign.

But my goodness they really ache and hurt today =/ I’ve had the new spacers in for maybe an hour and a half, and already I want to tear them out they’re that uncomfortable. Ughh

[sali]

Mine hurt really bad as well. I barely got mine in on monday. The tylenol doesn't even help but it'll be worth it. I don't go back til next thursday hopefully they take them out.

[TumbleDryLow]

Hang in there. I'm sure I echo everyone else when I say: My first week in spacers was hell. If you can, take 2 Advil every 4 hours. Treat yourself to whatever your favorite soft foods are. Do something distracting (I played SPAMS) to take your mind off your mouth. I wish I could tell you that in a week the pain will be gone, because it was for me, but apparently many people found they hurt the whole time. Lucky they will be in and out before you know it and you won't need to deal with them again!

[Kaluna]

With my spacers I found that I messed with them a whole lot and that REALLY increased my soreness in my whole mouth. Even on teeth that shouldn't have been impacted by the spacers. For me I finally got some relief after I started keeping my teeth apart when I was idle and tempted to chew on/mess with the spacers. And you'll get used to them after a few days, you'll know they're there, but they won't drive you quite as crazy. I've been taking ibuprofen whenever the pain gets bad and before meals.

[madefromconcentrate]

There’s no Advil in this country, and standard Paracetimol tablets aren’t doing a darned thing. I think Paracetimol are the closest thing to standard Tylenol over here. I’m going to buy some cocodamol and hopefully that will help a little more.

My aunt gave me two of her painkillers [apparently the highest dosage of codeine you can get over the counter here is 15mg but her prescription ones are for 30mg], and they did help for a while. Until I tried to eat. I never knew crunching through a piece of diced green pepper could cause so much agony! I mean I’d read up on braces and knew that bite-pressure hurt like the dickens with the braces in, but I didn’t think it would be so bad with just the spacers. My right side is a lot more painful than my left, although the left side is sore as well. I’m dreading trying to eat something tonight. I think my grandma is making a chicken casserole, which shouldn’t be TOO bad as the chicken will be overcooked until it falls off the bone. Here’s hoping.

I really do hope the pain goes away soon. I’ve got pain in the three molars that the bands are between, but also the premolar in front of them. And if I bite down, I feel like my teeth are going to crumble into toothdust.

Man, I have so much more respect for everyone who has ever had braces before. Even the preparation is a nightmare. I so badly want to tear these things out of my mouth already lol.

But yeah, I’m going to try to get some stronger painkillers and hopefully I’ll be able to chew on my foods. Either that or I’ll have to start using my aunt’s smoothie maker to pulverize all my food into an easy-to-drink form

[TumbleDryLow]

Personally I found that ibuprofen worked much much better on this particular pain than acetaminophen--I don't know what the name brand are in your country. I literally didn't chew ANYTHING for a week. Nothing at all. I tried the first day and after that---no more. My husband was very sweet about it all, and as he does all the cooking, made sure that he gave me meals that I could literally just swallow whole. He used a blender a lot. (On the plus side---I lost 5 pounds in two weeks!)

[madefromconcentrate]

lol, I've lost 15lbs in the psat two months - admittedly because i've been depressed and sick and not eating properly for both reasons - and if this keeps up i'm going to need a whole new wardrobe by the time the braces come off. Shopping spree!!

In all seriousness, ouch. Lol tonight wasn't so bad, my grandma did this chicken casserole type thing and cooked the chicken all afternoon so it was very soft and tener, and then mashed potatoes and some overcooked sprouts and broccolli so it was mushy and didn't need chewing. She was my saviour of the day!!

[jgrrl22]

I got 8 spacers yesterday afternoon and one on the top right popped out at work this morning. I was frustrated because I'd just gotten them... it's not like I've had a week or two for spaces to open up on their own so that the spacers become loose.

So now I have to go back to the orthodontists office tomorrow after work and have that spacer replaced. I'm hoping **crosses fingers** that this time they all stay in because I'm getting my braces put on Friday morning! I asked if 3 1/2 days of spacers wasn't a very short time before getting braced, but the ortho's assistant assured me that it's perfectly ok. I'll take her word on that... I don't want to wear them any longer than I have to!

However, I am surprised at the lack of pain. After reading posts on Archwired, and talking to friends who have/had braces, I expected this horrible and constant pain. While I admit I feel a lot of pressure on my other teeth (especially my 2 front teeth for some reason), I really don't have any pain unless I'm trying to eat. THEN the pain kicks in and I hate, hate, hate these spacers! Thank god for mashed potatoes and spaghettio's or I think I might starve to death!

[Twinjoy]

I have had my spacers in for 24 hrs now and all of my teeth feel loose and I can't chew anything at all. I have read so many things of people that were able to eat well cooked foods but all my teeth feel like they are getting squeezed together so it hurts to bite anything at all. I will only have them on for a week so I hope it gets better soon!