Who knew these tiny blue spacers could hurt so much....

[Joy]

Those little plastic things can cause so much pain. I'm on day 3 of getting power chains and this pain is nothing compared to the spacers.

Good luck hopefully they get removed soon.

[lorsa]

GAH!! SPACERS!! They are awful.

When my Damons were first installed, we could not put brackets on any of my upper and lower 2nd molars because they were gold crowns and the glue would not adhere to them, so my ortho said he would use bands. However, the contacts between my crowns were soooo tight that I had to wear spacers first. In fact, they were so tight that the normal spacers would not fit between them - he had to use elastic bands in between the crowns which I wore for the first week.

Then in week 2 he swapped the elastics out for a thin brass wire which he looped between the teeth and then twisted the ends together a little further every few days to make it thicker between the teeth. It was AWFUL!

After 2 weeks of that horrible wire stuff, he took it out and inserted the 'regular' spacers which I had to wear for 3 more weeks. Finally, 6 weeks after getting my braces on, he was able to band the fist molars, but he still had a dickens of a time doing it because the molars had not moved nearly as much as he had hoped. (He hasn't banded the 2nd molars yet, but they will be banded at some point later in my treatment.)

Every time I saw him during this time, he would say he had never seen molars with such tight contacts, and "whoever did your crowns did a VERY good job!"...which made me think "well, now we're undoing all that good work by prying them apart, aren't we!".

And now (in week 7) he has also installed push coils between my lower premolar and molar on either side; I assume it's to push the molars back to give the other teeth more room.

I still have nightmares about things being stuck in between my teeth...

[deathorglory]

I was unfortunate enough to have 6 spacers in my top teeth and 5 in my bottom teeth, all molars, for about a MONTH. Chewing was a nightmare! And then a piece of chicken managed to move one spacer in my top to halfway out. That was even more painful...until I pulled it out and put it back in with floss...

Don't worry...after a week or so, the pain goes mostly away. Just.......chew really gently...! And hopefully nothing gets stuck in your teeth and dislodges them. ...Seriously.

[urban]

I'm getting spacers put on tomorrow! Thankfully it is only until the 11th when I get my braces installed.

How are your energy levels with them on? Are your energy levels much lower in that it is harder to eat?

[lorsa]

...How are your energy levels with them on? Are your energy levels much lower in that it is harder to eat?

Sorry Urban, I can't comment on eating with spacers because once I had the braces on, none of my upper and lower teeth touched each other. I haven't been able to chew at all, I'm on a totally soft diet (I can only eat it if I can slurp it). But that being said, I didn't notice any change in energy levels with or without the spacers. It was just that awful feeling of something being wedged between your teeth for so long, and you can't do anything to get rid of it.

[urban]

Cool, good to know! I got my spacers installed today, but I am not feeling much besides knowing there are rubbery things stuck between my teeth. No pain at all, but I fear I might be waking up tomorrow to a surprise.

[Bracedforthewedding]

I'm getting spacers put on tomorrow! Thankfully it is only until the 11th when I get my braces installed.

How are your energy levels with them on? Are your energy levels much lower in that it is harder to eat?

Eating has been awful... I have resorted to soup, mashed potatoes, or steamed veggies... my enegry level was only really bad the second day of having them... I didnt want to do anything. I work in retail so I have alot of customer contact and it hurt to talk. That was a very bad day. So far though, I just have an annoying sensation between my teeth.

Also fair warning, DO NOT floss the row of teeth your spacers are on. I have been using my waterpik on level 1 for my bottom teeth because they are that uncomfortable.

[urban]

OH MY GOODNESS... I had the biggest surprise last night while eating dinner. Biting down on food was SO PAINFUL. My mouth feels fine when I'm not biting down on anything, but that's just deception! Hah!

I was able to power through my food and got the normal amount of calories I get daily. (I train for a sport where weight matters.) I do feel like at times, my spacers might come off while chewing though... but I think that is all in my head.

[Bracedforthewedding]

OH MY GOODNESS... I had the biggest surprise last night while eating dinner. Biting down on food was SO PAINFUL. My mouth feels fine when I'm not biting down on anything, but that's just deception! Hah!

I was able to power through my food and got the normal amount of calories I get daily. (I train for a sport where weight matters.) I do feel like at times, my spacers might come off while chewing though... but I think that is all in my head.

Hang in there. I've had them for 7 days and my eating is almost back to normal (just in time to get them out LOL). As you can see from my initial post, day one and two were brutal...

[Bracedforthewedding]

I was unfortunate enough to have 6 spacers in my top teeth and 5 in my bottom teeth, all molars, for about a MONTH. Chewing was a nightmare! And then a piece of chicken managed to move one spacer in my top to halfway out. That was even more painful...until I pulled it out and put it back in with floss...

Don't worry...after a week or so, the pain goes mostly away. Just.......chew really gently...! And hopefully nothing gets stuck in your teeth and dislodges them. ...Seriously.

If they told me I had to have these in for a month I would of died lol. I get my 6 out Thursday praise Jesus!! Lol

[Bracedforthewedding]

Got the spacers off!! BUT in return, I got molar bands on both my number 6 molars, broke my temporary crown on my left #7 molar and officially had my first mental break down about my braces. Oh, AND I have bite blocks on my upper canine's. I am officially regretting braces today

[Nozzelnut]

It will get better, I promise. It's a bit of a wakeup when they start with those painful spacers, but your mouth will get used to the new hardware in there.

Bite blocks are a PITA but they do help. (At least that's what my orthodontist keeps saying; I wonder if he's ever had them...)

Be patient, take some advil or Tylenol or your favorite adult beverage.

[pjade1]

I am reading this and not looking forward to it. I get spacers in my teeth today. I am not sure how many though and these will be in for 11 days until I get braced. They will do my records first and then the spacers. I guess I will have to stop at the grocery store to buy yogurt.

[Kerryboo]

I've had 6 spacers on my top teeth for almost a week. Eating still hurts and my teeth feel so sensitive :( even my bottom teeth feel sensitive and I only have spacers on top. Could it be because I'm chewing differently to avoid the pain?

[Bracedforthewedding]

I am reading this and not looking forward to it. I get spacers in my teeth today. I am not sure how many though and these will be in for 11 days until I get braced. They will do my records first and then the spacers. I guess I will have to stop at the grocery store to buy yogurt.

Spacers were the pits... I hope to never have to have them again.. Do you know if you are getting molar bands?