Spacers for Braces

So you’re going to be getting braces put on and your dentist informs you that you’ll need separators or spacers. Like the millions of patients getting orthodontic work done this month, you’ve probably got lots of questions about the entire treatment process including getting spacers and how they work. If you have any questions about how spacers work, your orthodontist will be able to answer these questions the best as he understands your case personally. However, this article can help with explaining a few common reasons for needing spacers.

You’ve probably deduced that spacers are used to create space orthodontically for braces. This is true, but it’s also only a partial answer. A more correct answer is that there is a metal band that has to go around the first molar in the mouth. This band is what the braces are anchored to so that all the teeth will move into alignment properly. Without a little help, most teeth do not have the space to allow a band to wrap around the entire molar. An orthodontist will carefully examine your mouth to make sure everything is in order. In some cases, separators won’t be needed. For most patients, spacers  are necessary to help move the molar away from the nearest teeth to make room for the band.

 

How Long Do You Need Spacers?

Most people only need the spacers for  maybe one or two weeks. This doesn’t seem like a long time on paper, especially in comparison with the length of treatment with braces.  Once the teeth have moved away and created a place for the band to fit snugly around the molar, the spacer will then be removed, so it’s really just a short stint of time you’ll be wearing the spacers.

 

How Do Dentists Put In Spacers?

When you go to the orthodontist and they determine that your braces will need a little more space for bands in the back, they’ll probably put spacers in your mouth right then and send you home with them in. A spacer is really just a very small rubber band that could just barely fit around the tip of a pencil. The dentist or orthodontist will take a specially made instrument that stretches the elastic out so that it’s thin like floss, and it will be carefully flossed as deep between your teeth as it can go.

 

How Does It Feel?

It is kind of a strange experience for many patients. The immediate pain is reminiscent of having a piece of meat or fruit lodged between your teeth. Perhaps you’ll feel like you want to pick it out. Maybe you’ll begin to bite against the spacers when you chew. Some patients start feeling the pain of it immediately while others never feel pain from the spacers and even forget they’re in their mouths.  There are those who experience a kind of “pinching” caused by the spacers touching the gums. For everyone, the experience of having small spacers  put in is a little bit different. Depending upon your teeth and their position, the change that must occur will vary. Of course there are those patients who feel great discomfort and even get a headache because their teeth are so close together. Using over-the-counter medications is normally all it takes to assuage these pains.

 

When You’re Done With Spacers

When the time comes, normally only a week or two after they’re put in, your dentist will trade the spacers for braces bands and place the rest of the brackets and wires. Removing spacers doesn’t hurt. They pop right out with a little tug and you’ll be on to bigger and better things! So, if your dentist says it’s time for you to get spacers, be excited: this means straight teeth are one step closer to being yours!