Separators are elastic spacers that are placed between the back teeth so that your Orthodontist can more easily place metal bands on a tooth or teeth with comfort the following week.
The separator can feel like a piece of meat is stuck between your teeth and you will be tempted to remove it; however, if the separator is missing and the contact is tight, the band will not be able to be placed that day. Your Orthodontist will have to replace the separator and start all over again, so here are some tricks to avoid losing the separator:
- Do not floss that contact
- Do not play with the separator with your fingers or tongue
- Avoid sticky foods like gum and caramels
How To Replace Them At Home:
You will need to grab one separator and two LONG pieces of floss. Thread both pieces of floss through the separator and fold the pieces of floss back on each other so when you pull the floss the separator goes from a circle to an oval.
First put the floss between the contact and pull the separator while stretching it to the contact of the teeth.
Once the separator is at the contact, with ease, start pulling up.
Once the separator is halfway above the two teeth, you have successfully placed it.
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