Can I switch?

[DeeCA]

I'm 37 and just had my braces put on. Yesterday I had my ring bands on my molars. I hate them, as the soldered parts of brackets frictioned with my tongue. I completely regret this. I should've chosen brackets instead.
My ortho assistant kept telling me about the hassle of brackets broken, etc - thus I chose bands. I can chew either because my upper molars touch the bracket side, but the most annoying thing is the inside part of the bands that aggravate my tongue. I can imagine I can't use my tongue for a whole period of treatment.
Can anyone share any advice? I'm planning to come back in on Monday (it's saturday today), and will ask them to take the bands off and put on the brackets. Please help.
thanks,

[Sunny]

Dee the only person who can tell you if you can switch or not is your orthodontist.

First I recommend you keep the cleat covered with wax. This is especially important when you're eating, to help your tongue heal and toughen.

On Monday give your ortho a call and ask if it's possible to have the cleats flattened, removed, or the bands changed to a buccal molar bracket. Hopefully the cleats can be flattened or removed, as this means you won't need the hassle of having the bands removed at this stage.

Tell your ortho that your molar is coming into contact with a lower bracket. This may not be a problem as your bite may be expected to change soon. If this could cause a problem then your ortho will be able to explain your options and hopefully you'll find things become better quickly.

Where I work, we use buccal molar brackets most of the time and there's no problem with them popping off. I'm not sure why your ortho assistant told you that, but talk to your ortho about this, if you need clarification.

Remember for many people it takes a week or two to adjust to having braces, so please don't be too tough on yourself! All the best with your treatment!

[DeeCA]

Thanks, Sunny.
I told my ortho that my molars come into contact with the lower bracket after they put them in, and she said my teeth will move.
I certainly will ask about the buccal molar brackets.
Is it gonna be a difficult process to remove the bands at this point?

[DeeCA]

oh, about the wax. She told me that I have to take it off when I eat so that I won't swallow those.
Are brackets better than the bands?

[Sunny]

Dee wax is safe to swallow ... so please don't take it off when you eat, as that's one of the most important times for your tongue.

Changing from bands to brackets is probably not difficult ... although I've never been involved in the process, as I've not worked with a patient with bands. Your teeth may be tender from just having the archwire placed, and that may make the process a little sore though. If the cleats can be sorted, there's probably no need to have the change ... but please talk to your ortho about that.

Brackets aren't better ... bands aren't better ... it's mostly about the personal preference of the orthodontist. There are a couple of appliances we use ... not often ... and only with young patients, that come with 'band preferred' notes attached to them. We usually use 'buttons' bonded to the inside of the molars (very flat in shape), that most appliances can be attached to. Occassionally a person may need to have an elastic attached to these buttons to help correct a crossbite ... and that works great also.

Firstly take care of your tongue and help it heal and toughen and within a short time, you'll hopefully not notice what you have on your molars.

Good luck!

[DeeCA]

Sunny, thanks again. I really am glad I found this site, and apprecite your advices. I will update and probably ask more questions along the way. Happy (belated) Anniversary to you and hope your hubby gets well soon!

[Sunny]

Thanks Dee!

I look forward to reading more about your journey.

If you want to keep a your details in one place, click on Blogs in the blue frame below the pics above. This is a great place to allow others to follow your journey.

Take care!

[Zoso]

It's not difficult to remove a band. But the problems with your opposing teeth contacting the tubes would be likely to be the same with the directly bonded tubes anyway. Those cleats could definitely be pressed flatter against the band, or you could ask your orthodontist to snip them off entirely - I think this would provide a lot of relief.

In the meantime, wax is an option (yes, I agree, there is no problem leaving it in place whilst you eat - there's no harm if you swallow it) but in practice it just doesn't stay put on cleats when your tongue is busy with food. You might find that sugar-free gum might stay in place a little bit more effectively, but even that is no sure bet.

[eatyourpeas]

I hope you've gotten this taken care of by now, if not (and for anyone else reading this with mouth irritation problems) . Two ideas:

1. Use a LOT of wax. Be sure to place a large ball on the offending bracket.

2. Don't forget to try the silicone wax. It really does work better in some situations for some people. You could also use the Mack's silicone ear plugs (avail in Walmart, CVS, Target, RiteAid etc) be sure to dry the area first, use plenty of it and use your tongue (or lip) to press it down firmly. It needs to stick to a dry surface and be pushed down with a wet surface.

Best of luck to you!!

[newsboysgrl777]

I'm embarassed to ask this, but I have no idea what we're talking about and I'm curious. What do you all mean by 'bands' instead of 'brackets?' Can you show me pictures or point me to somewhere that explains this? I'm sorry I'm being dumb, but I can't figure this out AT ALL!! :-| Thanks

[Sunny]

Bands go round the whole tooth and if used, are mostly used on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd (wisdom) molars. Brackets are the smaller pieces of metal/ceramic that is bonded to the front or back of each tooth.

Hope that helps!