Dr. King Answers: What Are Separators, and Why Don't You Use Them?

Q: What are separators, and why don’t you use them?

A: There are two basic types of braces: the traditional metal bands that encircle the entire tooth, and the modern small brace that is bonded directly to the tooth’s front surface.

Separators are small rubber rings that are wedged between adjacent teeth
around their point of contact. Dr. King prefers to use the modern bonding
method, which affords much greater patient comfort and easier tooth brushing.

Separators are small rubber rings that are wedged between adjacent teeth around their point of contact. The compressed rubber expands over time, creating a small gap between the teeth. After the separators are removed, the small gaps remain between the teeth, allowing for the band-type brace to be fit around the entire tooth.

At King Orthodontics, we almost exclusively use the modern bonding method. This allows for much greater patient comfort and a much easier tooth brushing. When patients ask me why I don’t use separators, I often joke, “1980 called and it wants its braces back!”

Keep smiling, and see you soon.

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SOURCE: YouTube [image]