Metal bands

[20WITHBRACES]

How are metal bands placed on the molars?? I just went to my ortho on monday for two more spacers & bottom brackets and an orthodontist had this girl in a chair next to me bite down everytime after she inserted something in her mouth..i couldbnt tell what she was putting in that girls mouth...so when they put the bands on, do you have to bite down after they are placed to make them fit?

[Sunny]

We don't use molar bands and I've never had them, but I had to learn about them as part of my ortho assistant training. What we were shown, was that they find the band that will fit best, then we put a thin 'stick' on top of it while you bite down gently to make sure it fits. Then it's removed and a generous amount of bonding agent put inside the band, then it's put on again and you bite down again ... and finally any excess bonding material is removed. It's important to make sure that there's no gaps between the band and the tooth, as this area has to be kept otally clean.

Good luck with getting your's put on!

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

Placing bands involves finding the correct sized band for that tooth. It should fit snugly and not be easily removed, even without and ortho cement.

The separators are removed, and the band is fit starting with a band pusher. This instrument helps get the band between the contacts of the tooth. A bite stick is then used to help seat the band to the proper location on the tooth. The dental team member will ask you to bite periodically. Be sure to follow instructions carefully, since you can easily bite the team members fingers, but more importantly, you could inadvertently deform the shape of the band.

When the correct band has been fit, it will be removed and a paste placed inside the band. It is replaced as described above, while excess cement is removed. The cement can then be cured with a light, or be allowed to set on its own, while you bite on some cotton rolls to ensure proper placement.

Best of luck!

[Geoff]

I am curious as to why metal bands over adhesive brackets? I've searched and can find nothing that gives any information.

I have three of six bands applied on the six upper back molars and assume that when I get the bottoms I'll get metal bands there too. There is no pain with regards to the bands, the tubes that stick out from the bands on the cheek side are hard to get used to though.

Also, they (bands) have grooves in them (on the tongue side) that are there for head gear although I was told I didn't have to worry about that, so why don't they make bands with a smooth surface on the tongue side? Pretty brutal on the tongue.

Insight would be appreciated

[MCOMarkhamOrthodontist]

The main reason bands may be preferred is because they are much less likely to become dislodged, due to being wrapped around the tooth, than if using adhesive brackets. Sometimes they are required to be used in conjunction with appliances such expanders, lip bumpers, headgears etc. Bonding a bracket onto a posterior tooth may be difficult due to clean, isolation. The banding of a tooth is much less technique-sensitive to moisture, and therefore is likely to fail than a bracket.

We don't use bands often in our practice as we don't like having our patients require elastic separators if possible. Still, there are times when they are required. We also practice indirect bonding, in which case we cannot use separators or bands.

[annabella]

Our daughter needs bands on her upper back molars for an appliance(palatal bar) to maintain the space once her baby molars come out and while we wait for premolars to come in. Once they come in he will remove the appliance along with the bands and place normal brackets. But it looks like you have more going on did you ask the ortho if something else is going or just to secure archwire. Ask it's your mouth and you need to understand what is going on.
Good luck

[Jobo]

I've got metal bands, but ony because my teeth next to my seond molars which they're on were all removed, so no need for those awful sounding spacers! It felt strange having them put on as the ortho had to keep changing them to find the right size. once on I had to bite on a plastic thing several times. This was to make sure the metal was fit in snuggly, not affecting my bite, and not coming above the tooth.

It didn't hurt to get them on, though they do go right into your gums, gums are resiliant things!