Metal Mouth Message Board

I just got back from my orthodontist. I hate the spacers already. I have to have it over the holidays, which sucks. My teeth are really tight so the lady had to keep pushing the damn thing in that I was practically bleeding. Some of the spacers doesn't feel tight enough since I can see a bit of it floating on top, but the lady insisted it's fine. I'm not so sure... I don't trust her for some reason. And she keeps calling me honey, which I've always hated. Well, I should go and try to manage my anger issues.

At least you've got the right sense of humor for going through this experience. :D

The spacers are not fun. Mine had to be shoved into nonexistent gaps, too. Take ibuprofen and take it now. Like many others here, now that I'm all braced up, I have to say the spacers hurt more than anything. So I'm glad I stuck it out.

Yup...spacers are a drag. I'm not too far ahead of you. Had spacers just a few weeks ago. I found myself trying to chew with my front teeth, but OUCH, front teeth became very sore. I would have done better to avoid foods that I needed to chew. Ultimately, I ate a lot of soup, oatmeal, grits, yogurt. I recently created a "gumbo smoothie". Looked like something from Fear Factor but it was pretty good. Until I can get past this soreness (in braces and expanders now), I think the blender will be chewing my food for a while.

Yeah, spacers aren't much fun. I wouldn't worry about them poking out a bit though - mine did that too. Good luck on starting your ortho journey!

You know, to be honest the spacers really didn't bother me as much as my braces did. I had the same thing happen to me about how the kept popping up so i would just lodge them right back in with my fingernail.

People say that spacers are worse than braces...but i think the first couple of days in braces are WAY worse than spacers. It gets better though, so i've heard.

my molars were so tight, that when the assistant put in one of the spacers on the top, she was cramming it in there with that instrument of torture and it slipped off and she stabbed me with it in my mouth. It was horrible. I was pretty shocked...she just said sorry and did the rest of them. I was scared to death. Yeah, spacers really sucked. One of them fell out the day before I was going to get my braces on and I just left it out through the night and used dental floss to put it back in the morning of my appt...two pieces looped through on each end to help get it between the teeth.

I think spacers are good prep for the pain of braces...at first it will be a relief, the braces are not nearly as bad as the spacers. But with spacers you don't get canker sores.

Four of my kids have had orthodontic treatment (2 are finished; 2 near completion) and their opinions vary on what was difficult and what was tolerable during their ordeals. I'm at a tough place in my treatment, but I do take comfort in knowing that better days are coming.

hanna wrote:my molars were so tight, that when the assistant put in one of the spacers on the top, she was cramming it in there with that instrument of torture and it slipped off and she stabbed me with it in my mouth. It was horrible..

Oooo I could relate had the same type of thing happen to me too. She had this plier type thing in one had the floss in the other. The pliers hand slipped and punched me in the face! OUCH! For a couple of days I looked like I had been in a fight. She apologized all over the place over it. She felt really bad. Imagine how excited I was to find out that I was going to have to do it again in 10 weeks! Fortunately, that went better meaning I didn't get sucker punched but still was tough. The assistant didn't have to strength so the Ortho had to do it. His hands were shaking at the pure force he had to use to get them in. At least I will NOT have to do it again!

I hear you! I've had the spacers in for two days and they are driving me nuts! I'm also going to have them in over the holidays, so we can commiserate. I'm heading home for the holidays tomorrow and my lovely mother made a lot of green bean soup for me (just green beans, boiled potatoes and little pieces of ham in broth...it's really good!) I'm excited because I love it and think I may actually be able to eat it!

Definitely take the ibuprofen. I didn't take much of it today but am in need right now! Also, the first time I flossed...wow did that ever feel weird!

Avion19 wrote:I just got back from my orthodontist. I hate the spacers already. I have to have it over the holidays, which sucks.

That does suck. I got my uppers on the day before Thanksgiving :S If your dinner is anything like mine, you will have lots of options with mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes and soups!
I will be getting spacers next month in order to band my 3rd upper molars. I still have pain memory for bands from my early teen years--especially that tool you have to bite down on to force the band into the gums...ah, memories.
All your stories are sooo making me look forward to the spacers
I hope your pain recedes soon, Avion19!