Before you get braces, you need other procedures to be performed to make the treatment effective. So, Does everyone need spacers before braces?
Most people require spacers before getting braces to create space between back teeth. This space is necessary to place the molar band on back teeth. However, some people don’t need them as they have enough gaps between molar teeth for the bands.
But, how much space is required for those molar bands?
And, do you always need these bands? When do you need spacers?
What will you need before braces if you don’t get spacers?
In this article, you will know about these.
Why do you need spacers for braces?
During the first appointment with your orthodontist, he evaluates your teeth and oral condition thoroughly and design treatment.
If you don’t have enough gaps between your back teeth, the orthodontist decides to create space between those teeth.
A spacer or separator is placed between the molar teeth. It’s made of elastic.
As it’s squeezed between the teeth, they try to get back to its original form, because of the elastic property.
The orthodontist needs the space to place a special component for braces, called the molar bands.
Molar bands are made of metal, that are ring-shaped. They are one of the most important components of traditional or ceramic braces.
Those bands encircle your molar teeth. The orthodontist has to slide it on the teeth when he places it.
If teeth are in tight contact with each other, molar bands can’t be placed on those teeth.
In this case, you need to wear spacers to create gaps.
In some situations, you may get separators during orthodontic treatment. It can be used as a part of treatment to move teeth in a certain position.
In brief, you get spacers before braces for the following reasons:
- To create space between teeth for molar bands
- As a part of orthodontic treatment to shift teeth in the desired position.
You may feel pain for the first few days, as the spacer puts pressure on teeth.
But, when they are removed, you get rid of the pain.
You are curious, you check out other articles about if spacers hurt more than braces.
But, why do you need molar bands for braces?
The orthodontist places brackets on almost every teeth. He uses special glue to attach the brackets to the teeth.
Then, the archwire is placed which runs through the brackets. The archwire is a curved wire that ends at the back teeth.
The orthodontist attaches the last end of the archwire to the molar bands. The wire as well as brackets get support or anchor from the molar bands.
Braces and their attachments can’t work without the support from the molar bands. As your back teeth are stronger than other teeth, the orthodontist takes help from those teeth.
Because of that, the wire can put a force on the teeth through the brackets. This provides pressure on the bones that hold the teeth.
As a result, a chemical reaction occurs inside the bones, which helps move the teeth in a certain direction.
To achieve all of these, you have to wear spacers for braces.
Braces without spacers
Some people don’t need to wear spacers for orthodontic treatment. They have spaces between teeth to place the molar bands.
An example is when you need braces to close the gaps between teeth.
It happens when you have a generalized spacing that needs to be corrected.
But, in most cases, we need to create gaps between back teeth for the molar bands.
Traditional or ceramic braces require all of these. But, clear aligners neither need a molar band nor a spacer.
How long do you need spacers before braces?
You have to wear spacers before braces for 7 to 10 days. Usually, this time is sufficient to create space between teeth. However, you may need to keep the spacers more than that based on the severity of cases.
If you get the separators in between the orthodontic treatment to move teeth in a special direction, you may have to wear them for weeks to a month or more.
However, if you can’t maintain the separators and they fall out, you may need to wear them for a long time.
Learn why spacers fall out and what to do.
Even if it hurts or you feel irritated, you need to keep your patience.
It’s the part of your goal that is achieving a beautiful smile.
You need to change your lifestyle such as changing dietary habits or methods of cleaning teeth.
This prevents the displacement of the spacers.
What is the next step after spacers for braces?
Since you get the spacers for the molar bands, you get the molar bands after the removal of spacers.
When the orthodontist fits them in your teeth, he set the next appointment.
After 7 or 10 days, when you visit him, he checks the spacers and looks for the created gaps.
If everything is ok, he removes them. On the same appointment, he attaches the molar bands.
Before applying the molar bands, he cleans the surface of teeth where bands are needed.
Then, he puts adhesive glues on the teeth and attaches the molar bands by it.
He simply slides the bands on the teeth. After that, the bonding glue helps fix the bands with the teeth.
The orthodontist uses a blue light to fix them. However, the separator may fall out before the appointment.
It may happen due to your negligence or any accident.
In that case, your orthodontist may reattach the spacers again if space between teeth isn’t enough.
Takeaways
In short, you need spacer before braces to create gaps between molar teeth in almost every case. Spacers create a clear path for the molar bands to be placed on the teeth.
Usually, you have to wear the separators for one to two weeks. In many cases, you get them as a part of orthodontic treatment. So, you need to wear them for a longer duration.
