What are these wires coming from my molar bands?

[leelou905]

Someone please tell me what these little criss cross wires are that are attached to my molar bands? These little suckers hurt when I rub my tongue over them, they kind of pinch the skin on my tongue and it hurts
I hope you can see the picture!

[EWUgal15]

I don't see a picture, but my guess would be that you might have steel ties. Molar bands usually have a bracket or tube on the outside of them that the arch wire goes into. If its a bracket, it might have a wire tie around the wire in the bracket for better engagement or to correct rotation.

[leelou905]

Oh really? The picture shows up my end.

Yes it does have a bracket on the outside, the wires kind of interwind with each other, which makes for trapping skin very easy and painful!

I have put up a link instead hopefully that works? http://s15.postimg.org/uzj9ev1or/image.jpg

[EWUgal15]

It could be my work machine blocking the picture. I wouldn't be surprised about that. Pulled it up on my phone and could see it just fine...those look like wire ties to me. Some people prefer them to the rubber ligatures, I'm like you. I hate them. They don't stain, which is a perk. And they engage the wire in the bracket better. I've had them before to correct rotation and currently I have two steel ties to keep teeth from tipping into extraction gaps that we're working to close up. I've never had them stretch across the brackets like you have though. When in doubt, ask your orthodontist. And don't be afraid of wax. It tastes pretty terrible sometimes and you're likely to swallow it on occasion, but it will help keep you from getting torn up too bad.

[dantocanada]

Yup, I had those. They aren't wire ties, but some sort of additional tension. I know this because I had them at the same time as I had wire ties. I think they are just using all forces available to keep your teeth together. I even had that below a power chain and with wire ties. That was fun!

[dantocanada]

Oh, I just noticed the gap. Yup, they are trying to pull your teeth together.

[teeebeee]

It's posts like this that make me really wish I'd listened to the lessons about forces in physics at school!

T xx

[leelou905]

Haha thanks guys, they're pretty nasty when they catch your tongue in those little gaps! I've refrained from licking it any further