Bracket instead of Band?????

Message

#1 Post by **amysouth1016** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:14 am

Ok I'm new here so I'll start off with my story in short.

I'm 27 years old now but had braces before when I was in middle school/early high school. Unfortunately I was irresponsible and never wore my top retainer...but still have the permanent retainer on my bottom teeth. Finally, I'm able to afford braces again so I went to visit an ortho last week. The ortho told me his plan of action and we got all of my initial appointments set up. I went this past week to have my x-rays and impressions made and to get my spacers put in. I have a tooth in the back (molar I'm guessing...don't know all the technical language) that had been drilled out years ago to get ready for a root canal. I never went back for the root canal but haven't had any problems with the tooth at all. When the assistant was putting my spacers in near that tooth...the spacers kept breaking. She took a closer look to find out why it was breaking and noticed that that tooth was sharp and it was popping the spacers. She said she just wouldn't put spacers back there. The ortho hadn't said anything to me about needed to get this fixed before getting my braces but the assistant kinda got me worried about it. She said it was no big deal and that if he hadn't told me to get it fixed, then he had probably just planned to put a bracket on that tooth instead of a band. She put spacers everywhere else.

My question is...has anyone ever had this? Have you ever had a bracket on a back tooth instead of a band? When I had braces before I had bands on all 4 back teeth so this is new to me. I'm getting my braces on Feb 5th and while it may sound crazy...I'm SUPER excited. I can't wait to have straight teeth!

Please respond and let me know if this is something that you've heard of...I'm curious.

Thanks!

#2 Post by **Silverware** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:18 am

I have EXTREMELY tight teeth. When I first got my spacers, one popped out the night I went home. I went back the next day and they put another one in which popped out 5 minutes later. They concluded it wasn't going far enough down because the teeth were too tight in that area. So, that molar had a bracket instead of a band.

Later in my treatment a band broke and I went back to get it fixed. Unfortunately, we forgot (me and the ortho) to get antibiotics set up for that appt so he couldnt do anything that risked cutting the gums (I have a heart condition that prevents any surgery/dental work that might cut without antibiotics) so he put a bracket on there instead.

Anyway, long story short, I had several times where I had a bracket instead of a band. It was no big deal.

Throughout the treatment they may even replace it, especially if they have you in elastics later and need the hook on the bands for that tooth.

#3 Post by **amysouth1016** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:22 am

Thanks for the quick response. I had just never heard of them doing that so I was worried that it may be a problem.

I guess the bracket does the same job that the band would do...so no big deal, right?

Cool, that actually makes me feel a lot better about it! I was so worried I'd go in to get my braces and they would tell me to get that tooth fixed first and then I'd be so disappointed. I've waited almost 10 years to get these braces...if anything gets in the way I'll be crushed!

#4 Post by **ilovemacs** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:22 am

Hello and welcome to Archwired!! I have brackets on my 1st molars only. I'm getting buccal brackets on my bottom 2nd molars eventually. Yes, it's completely normal. It's usually determined case by case either a molar bracket or band.

#5 Post by **ilovemacs** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:27 am

amysouth1016 wrote:I guess the bracket does the same job that the band would do...so no big deal, right?

Correct!! No biggie!! Personally I'd rather have a bracket than a band because the brackets are easier to clean around than a band.

#6 Post by **Twinkletoes** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:53 am

I've got buccal brackets on my second molars. I think my Ortho prefers using brackets where possible as he says they are easier to keep clean.

#7 Post by **lionfish** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:14 pm

I had brackets on all my molars, including one that was a crown.

#8 Post by **Lisa65** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:36 pm

I had to have bands because I started out with a Nance appliance, and now I'm wearing headgear, so there was no choice really!

#9 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:50 pm

I have brackets on all molars except 1 which has a band due to multiple bond failures. Though I have crowns and large fillings, my ortho bonded buccal tubes and brackets to all my teeth.

**EDIT**
I forgot to mention that I did have to wear heavy class II rubber bands to no ill effect on my molar tubes.

#10 Post by **platinum** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:19 pm

I have molar bands on my lower first molars. Upper molars have molar tubes. My lower teeth required much more work than my uppers (it took six months for uppers to align and level, lowers are not yet ready even after a year).
Molar tubes are much more easier to clean!!!!!

Fri Jan 25, 2008 4:32 pm

Twinkletoes wrote:I've got buccal brackets on my second molars. I think my Ortho prefers using brackets where possible as he says they are easier to keep clean.

What is a buccal bracket? How shocking that a person that has had braces for a year (almost) doesn't know that!

- mariah

#12 Post by **SnowSara** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 5:49 pm

No bands, all buccal tubes here! Totally normal.

#13 Post by **ohmyjaw** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:23 pm

I have a mix of tubes and bands. I have a 2nd molar that is kind of oddly shaped and they couldn't fit a band on it.

I too am curious about the tooth that was "drilled out". I have never had a root canal so I don't know how it works, but from what you wrote, it sounds like you have a big gaping hole in your tooth!

#14 Post by **ilovemacs** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 8:25 am

mariahfromchicago wrote:What is a buccal bracket?

A buccal bracket (more often called a buccal tube) can look like these (there are many different types):
Like these on molar bands:

Or this one:

I think I have this one on my top arch on my 1st molars:

I think I have this one on my bottom arch on my 1st molars:

Hope this helps!!