Why haven't all my teeth been braced!?

[shanlola]

Hi all, so I have just gotten braces at the age of 23, I am 4 weeks into my sentance (18 months) and I wonder if you guys could help me with something that is bothering me, my orthodontist hasn't fitted brackets onto the back two molars on both my upper and lower arches, meaning that I have 8 teeth unbraced! I am very upset about this as I am paying a lot of money for the treatment so I would like to have all my teeth straightened instead I will still have 8 crooked molars! Has anyone else had/have braces and found that not all their teeth have been braced? Is there a reason for this? Thanks in advance!

[NeilH]

Hi, if you contact your ortho and ask to see or discuss your treatment plan they should be able to explain the reasoning behind this. It could be that these teeth will be braced later or it could be that they are only working on the other teeth as your bite is already good. I would suspect the former but its best to check.

[shanlola]

Thanks NeilH you have put my mind at ease, I am due to go for my first tightening in two weeks so I will ask him about it then, my bite is perfect so hopefully they will be put on the back teeth eventually as they could do with aligning

[coriocarey]

I would not be necessarily worried - but I would ask. I am going on my 10th week of treatment. My upper molars are still not bracketed/wired in at this point. They may be at my next adjustment. I may need to have my bottom molars disengaged from my wires tomorrow too, as the thin wire has been prone to popping out of place on these teeth.

[shanlola]

How are you finding braces? My teeth have moved loads already, I find looking at the changes so exciting! I have just about got used to having a mouth (almost) full of metal! Hmm yes that would make sense maybe my ortho is waiting until I need a thicker wire to attach the molars incase the thin one just pings off I shall ask when I see him though! I also have another comlaint to make with him, he has put bite turbos on my upper first molars (little ball of cement type material to prevent my bite from closing so I don't damage my lower brackets) and the bite turbo on my right hand side sits directly on top of a tooth that has recently had root canal treatment, meaning the filing material is constantly being worn away - argh!

[Tyrantblade]

Yeah lots of us either don't get molars braced or wired in at first, i got every tooth braced on day one, but they waited until 3 months in (1st adjustment) before they wired my top 2nd molars and until 5 months in (2nd adjustment) before they wired my bottom 2nd molars

[Ziggy]

Got my braces a week ago. No brackets on the back molars on top and none on the bottom yet. I know the bottom brackets are coming, but I'm not sure I'll have any brackets on the back molars. Also, the top wire doesn't go all the way to the back on the top brackets -- they explained that to me when I was getting fitted.

I know my ortho has a plan, and I don't think I'm paying by the bracket so I'm not worried. If you are I would definitely ask. I'm sure it's all good.

[cdmoses6]

I've been braced for a year now and I don't have brackets on my top or bottom 2nd molars. When I finally asked about this a couple of adjustments ago, I was told that since I had gaps, it was easier for the wire to move without the extra bracket. Also he said my molars, although they are not in line with the rest of my teeth in the arch, match up perfectly top and bottom when I bite down. I don't know if they'll every put brackets on them!

[jaime]

My second molars weren't bracketed until 6 months into my treatment. When I asked my ortho, he said they have to wait until you're in thicker wires or else the force of your chewing will pop the wires out. I'm sure that's not the reason for waiting for everybody, but the ortho knows what they're doing. I don't think he's trying to swindle you or anything.

My sister got braces about a year before I did and her second molars were never bracketed.

[musicbrace]

Hey there!

My molars did not have a wire through them until just last week! I'm 16 months into my treatment and it never dawned on me to worry about it. I figured they would attach it when I had a thicker wire.
The one they tried to attach last time was too thin, therefore popping out almost everyday.
They finally just settled on waiting for a wire upgrade.

Let me tell you, it's pretty painful when ALL of your teeth are finally braced.
It's just a crazy feeling.

[shanlola]

Thanks for all the replies!! I feel much better knowing that this is normal and my ortho hasn't just forgotten about my molars! I have my first adjustment next week so I shall ask him what the plan is with my molars, I'm sure it is just the case of having to wait until I am wearing a thicker wire. Thanks everyone for putting my mind at ease xx