Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi everyone! I'm new here (just registered), but have had braces for the past 7 to 8 months...on the top only. Last appointment (Wed) my ortho told me I'd be getting my lower brackets on next appointment (in 3 weeks). She also told me I'd be getting molar bands because I'd be using rubber bands.

A little more info on me: I have ceramic uppers..no molar bands...and I'll be getting metal lowers. I'm also wearing the dreaded (and oh-so-painful) spacers. I have an overbite/overjet (I believe that's the same thing?) because my lower jaw didn't grow at the same rate my upper did and orthognathic surgery would be the only way to fix it 100%, but my ortho says it's mild enough that braces can fix it enough where I don't need the surgery. Also, I'm 27 years old, so all jaw growth is over and I won't be required to wear headgear.

Here's where my question(s)/concern(s) come in. First...

1) I've read a LOT of horror stories about molar bands. For instance, the glue/cement chipping off and jamming down into your gum causing pain and/or food to lodge there and get funky/huring the teeth; the band simply digging INTO the gums; food being trapped behind the bands; people getting cavities in the tooth with the molar band; people needing a root canal resulting from damage from molar bands; and I'm sure there's more.

2) I've heard (from another forum) that not all orthos use molar bands, even when using rubber bands and that there should be sufficient 'anchorage' using just a bracket with a buccal tube.

3) I've heard the bands are sometimes put in place because brackets can come off easier on the lowers.

And I'm sure there's more....that being said, I'd like to know if the stories in #1 are true...and how likely they are? I have NO cavities and I DO NOT EVER WANT one..especially not because of braces!! It seems like I'd have spent thousands of dollars to make my teeth better, only to RUIN them (or even one of them)!

2) I'd really love to talk with my ortho about not getting the molar bands. I'm going to do this anyways, but I'd like input re: experiences, etc. so that I can go in and talk with her informed. Do they REALLY do that much 'work' that they're better than the regular brackets?

3) I'd much rather pay for whatever brackets might 'pop off' than risk any of the concerns in #1!! But, how true IS this??

4) Do the molar bands hurt as much as the spacers? Or is the movement from the spacers sufficient enough to keep the bands from hurting me? (And is it just from having such rapid movement from the spacers what is causing me so much pain? Literally, when I eat, it hurts SO much, even when I try to chew as lightly as possible (or not at all on the side that hurts)?

5) Do you still floss with the bands on? How do you maintain the best level of oral hygiene on the teeth w/ the bands?

Thank you SO MUCH and I look forward to hearing your responses because I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO nervous!!!!

I have all brackets now and there has not been any problem with wearing elastics on the bottom first molars.

I have 5 molar bands & never had any problems in 2 years, In the beginning I asked my Ortho about problems with molar bands, 95% of her patients have bands with little or no problems.
Spacers are worse than the bands, my spacers only hurt for about 2 days & with a few painkillers managed to get through it, the spacers do make a bigger gap than the bands, so the fitting of the bands was easy.
About flossing, I floss between all my teeth including the ones with bands on & have had no cavities at all due to having braces.
Hope this helps you relax a bit.

Hi. I have a total of 6 metal bands on my back teeth. When they put them on it is a bit uncomfortable/painful but nothign too bad. Spacers are worse imo. You can't really floss the teeth with molar bands in my experience... instead, I use the g.u.m. soft picks. You can also get a waterpik.
So far I've ha my braces for about 3 weeks and I haven't had problems with the molar bands except that I am a bit paranoid about food getting trapped there and me not being able to get it out... although it's just my worry nothign concrete you know..

I have 5 molar bands....3 bottom (one not on a molar...long story) and 2 top....I am 2+ years into treatment and have not had any problems. I can floss with no problems and dont see why there would be a problem unless it is a very tight fit.

As far as your question 1, my ortho mentioned those to me but said if you keep you hygiene up then you wont have those problems.

Do the molar bands hurt as much as the spacers? not a bit....i cant even tell they are there. The only time I have had a problem with one of them is when the glue came undone. I made sure to brush really well and continued to floss really well....they did a big check before they glued it back into place to make sure there was nothing there that could cause problems.

I don't know where you've been to be hearing a LOT of horror stories about molar bands. Fact is, any issue related to them is extremely rare. I have 4 and i don't even know they are there.

UGHBRACES wrote:I don't know where you've been to be hearing a LOT of horror stories about molar bands. Fact is, any issue related to them is extremely rare. I have 4 and i don't even know they are there.

LOL. I've been to GOOGLE.COM...ever hear of it?

But seriously, I've done searches about molar bands and a LOT of things come up about complications people have had. I'm not pulling this out of thin air. I am a worrier, but I don't automatically worry without reason. I actually wasn't worried UNTIL I started researching what molar bands were all about. TYVM

You have a 99% chance of having no issues with molar bands, i'd say thats good odds. Stop worrying, they wouldn't use them if they were so bad.

This is the first I've heard about complications and horror stories with bands - I know at one time it was all they used. I had them my first time around with braces, but then again I had bands on all my teeth. I had banded braces for 3.5 years - and no cavities once removed.

I'm curious though - are molar bands used more often with traditonal/current brackets vs. self ligating brackets? Do those with self ligating brackets have molar bands? Or could this vary as well with those kinds of brackets as well?

I had 4 MB's and no problems. I had elastics for most of my treatment and never had an issue. They did not hurt me or cause any problems. They're a bit uncomfortable for a day or 2 like anything else that's not supposed to be stuck in your mouth like that but you get used to it.

And I agree with most. Spacers are the worst!!! I think that was the least fav. part of treatment!

I've had 3 molar bands for almost a year and, like the others, don't even notice they're there. I've only had one 6 month cleaning since being braced (next one is in a month) but have had no cavities so far. The only time they've ever caused me any discomfort is when they first put them on and I had to bite down on the bite-stick.

Out of 4 molar bands, 2 of them had excess cement/bonding material that eventually dislodged...uncomfortable? yes! Afterwards, smooth sailing!

I have self-ligating braces, and I have two molar bands. It was actually a relief to have the bands put on because it meant removing the painful spacers!

In my case, my ortho put brackets on all the teeth that were getting braced. The teeth that ended up getting molar bands are crowned, and the brackets just wouldn't stay glued to them. They came off twice, and after the second time he gave up on brackets and gave me bands. In my opinion, having a bracket keep popping off is worse than having bands. I hate the feeling of suddenly having a hard chunk of something in my mouth when I'm not expecting it! (One of mine popped off while I was chewing scrambled egg. The bracket definitely caught my attention!)

The only problem I had with a band is that one of them was rough near my tongue. But when I mentioned it, they smoothed out the rough spot. No problems since.

And now for your horror story... yes things on #1 do happen.

I've had braces on for a little over 1 week and I have 4 molar bands (2 top, 2 bottom). The assistant had a hard time fitting me for them (they were either too small or too big). I got braces on a Friday and on the following Monday I was in a lot of pain because one of the bands was too big and digged into my gums.

But that was the end of that. I went to my ortho tuesday morning and he just removed it. He said that he would just replace it on my next adjustment (he does adjustments every 3 weeks). So again, things like what you read do happen, but they're really not too bad.

I'm also very worried about cavities and I hate flossing and just don't have the time, so I bought a waterpik and it seems to be doing a decent job at cleaning between the bands.

Spacers hurt like hell. Bands and/or braces are nothing compared to them

Just go with it and don't worry about them. Most of the time you can't even tell they're there