Spacers.. Not so bad?

Message

#1 Post by **MCG2013** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:24 pm

Hey,

I had spacers put in last Wednesday (proximal and distal to the first molar on the bottom) and I'm not experiencing much discomfort. With the amount of crowding I have, I would expect to be in more pain.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm hoping that my spacers are working and that I'm not going to have to wait another week to get enough space created to place bands around that said tooth.

I have no pain/discomfort when I'm not eating.

Any ideas?

Steve

Ps. I'm able to eat whatever I want... As long as it's in small pieces. Is this the norm?

#2 Post by **Dani1983** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 2:02 pm

I just had spacers put in this morning and I have an incredible urge to pick/floss my teeth but no real pain to speak of either. I do notice a dull throbbing depending on what I try to eat (just tried a tortilla chip and that didn't work out). I defnitely feel the spacers but it doesn't hurt. Hopefully we'll be lucky - I've got 6 days to go though.

Are your spacers slightly above your teeth? Mine sit both above and below my molars so when I bite down I only feel the rubber and not my teeth which makes chewing really tough. What about you?

#3 Post by **scarlett1977** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:13 am

is there anything besides advil/otc painkillers that relieves spacer pain? I got mine in about 48 hours ago and nothing helps. I'd taken advil and ibuprofen, but painkillers don't usually help me much.

I can't bite down, and gums are sore and I feel this intense pressure and am having to strongly resist taking the spacers out. And I don't get my braces until April 7th!

PLUS I have a date tomorrow night and am wondering how I'll ever get through it. It's a guy my friend is setting me up with, and I don't want his first impression of me to be a poor one just because I'm in so much pain.

#4 Post by **Miranbrady20** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:40 am

spacers are the WORST so far for me ... never wanna do it again

#5 Post by **junkee** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:02 pm

my spacers did not hurt either. i had 4 on top and i have alot of crowding as well. i guess everyone is different. i kept on waiting for the pain to begin and it never did. The only thing is i felt some pressure on one of my canines

#6 Post by **MCG2013** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:33 am

I am 9 days out from spacers and I can't tell they are there! Well, other than the occasional extra "spring" that I get when I close my mouth.

To answer the previous question(s),

1. My spacers are showing above the teeth
2. 800 mg Ibuprofin every 6 hours (this is the prescription dose.. except that is given every 4 hours. Don't drink if you're on this level of dose since this drug is metabolized with the same enzyme as alcohol).

PS. I get braces in 3 hours. I'll post pics on my blog that I have going...

http://inovation-r.blogspot.com/

#7 Post by **MCG2013** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:54 am

Heya,

I am going to have a lingual arch put in, to reign in my first molars on the bottom. From what I can tell, I will go through 3-4 adjustments on this system prior to receiving full brackets on the bottom (not lingual). So, I'm looking at being fully "braced" around September if my molars cooperate.

It's defiantly an interesting way to go about correcting a cross bite so we'll see how it works. There's some literature supporting the ability of the new, self-ligating braces to be able to expand the upper maxilla using low forces (ie not a palatal expander) from the NiTi wires. We're hoping for 4-5mm from these wires and we'll be set!