Metal Mouth Message Board

I got my braces off recently after about 3 years wearing them. My teeth look wonderfully straight. I visited my dentist for a check-up, x-rays, and a cleaning today. Also, thankfully, no cavities over the entire time wearing braces.

He said there are band spaces (where the metal bands were attached on the back teeth) that need closure. I have never heard of this before. I will see my orthodontist next week and ask her. The dentist said food can get easily wedged in the spaces between teeth if the band spaces aren't closed.

Anyone else heard of this or have experience with this? If you had 'band spaces' closed, how did the orthodontist do this? I have Essix, clear plastic retainers.

Thanks for your replies, Meryaten and KK. It cheered me to hear from you. Sorry I have not been around for awhile. Good to know you are both doing well.

I visited my orthodontist for a retainer check today. She was able to tighten the Essix retainers (clear plastic) some to help reduce or close the band spaces. She said they naturally close after the bands come off. That was good to know. The next check comes in 3 months.

The next phase for me is to get a bone graft and implant, which will likely take about 8 months to a year. I am really pleased with how my teeth turned out! They look so different from when I first got braces.

For anyone new reading this, it is totally worth the money and effort to get braces. Not only does it improve your smile and sometimes your self-esteem (my self-esteem was fine beforehand), but it also saves your teeth so they will last a lifetime.

One last piece of off-topic advice. If you are a male, have a father, relative, spouse, friend, etc. over 50 y.o. tell them to get tested for prostate cancer. One in six men get it, and if caught early by PSA testing, it's curable!! I got diagnosed a year ago, had surgery, and am doing great. And the cancer is gone!

I just got by braces off on Monday. I had my dentist appointment today, and experienced the exact same thing. The hygienist was concerned about food traps, but the dentist thought that the gaps would naturally close.

I had my retainer fitted this afternoon, and the ortho confirmed the same thing. He did remove the acrylic "prongs" on the retainer near my back molars so they will be free to move forward.