Orthodontic spacers typically stay in for one to two weeks. They’re placed about a week before your braces appointment to create small gaps between your back teeth, making room for the metal bands that anchor your braces in place.
What Spacers Do and Why You Need Them
Your back molars sit tightly against each other. Braces require metal bands to wrap around those molars, and there’s simply no room to slide them on without a little preparation. Spacers are small rings, usually made of rubber or sometimes metal, wedged between your back teeth to push them slightly apart. That tiny gap is all your orthodontist needs to fit the bands comfortably at your next visit.
Not everyone getting braces needs spacers. It depends on how tightly your molars are packed together. If there’s already enough natural space, your orthodontist can skip this step entirely.
What the Pain Timeline Looks Like
Spacers create a dull, aching pressure that most people compare to having food stuck between their teeth, except it doesn’t go away. The discomfort typically starts about four hours after placement, ramps up to its worst point around 24 hours in, and then gradually fades over the next several days. By day seven, most people are back to feeling normal.
That first day or two is the hardest. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can take the edge off. Eating softer foods during the peak soreness helps too, since biting down on anything firm puts extra pressure on teeth that are already sore. Cold foods like yogurt or smoothies can also feel soothing.
Foods That Can Dislodge Spacers
Spacers are small and only lightly wedged in place, so certain foods pull them right out. During your one to two weeks with spacers, avoid:
- Gum or gummy candy
- Hard or sticky candy like toffee
- Popcorn or anything that gets stuck between teeth
- Pretzels, nuts, and other hard, crunchy foods
- Chewing ice
Anything sticky is the biggest culprit. It grabs onto the rubber ring and pulls it out when you chew. Hard foods can knock spacers loose by shifting the pressure between your teeth.
How to Brush and Floss With Spacers
You can brush normally with spacers in place. They sit between your teeth, not on the surface, so your toothbrush won’t disturb them. Flossing is a different story. You can floss everywhere except between the teeth where spacers are sitting. Running floss through those gaps can either pop the spacer out or push it deeper into the gum tissue, neither of which you want.
Rinsing with warm salt water can help keep the area clean and reduce gum irritation if the spacers are pressing on soft tissue.
What to Do if a Spacer Falls Out
A spacer falling out early is common and not an emergency. It sometimes means the spacer already did its job and created enough room. Call your orthodontist’s office to let them know. The general rule is that if your next appointment is more than three to four days away, the spacer may need to be replaced so the gap doesn’t close back up. If your appointment is just a couple of days out, you’ll likely be fine without it.
Don’t try to push a spacer back in yourself. If you accidentally swallow one, that’s also not a medical concern. They’re tiny and pass through your system without issue.
Why the Timeline Sometimes Varies
Most people wear spacers for about a week, but your orthodontist may leave them in for up to two weeks depending on how tightly packed your teeth are and how quickly they respond. Teeth that are very crowded take longer to shift apart. Metal spacers, which are sometimes used when rubber ones keep falling out, may stay in slightly longer because they work differently, using a small spring mechanism rather than elastic pressure.
Scheduling also plays a role. If your braces appointment gets pushed back for any reason, your orthodontist may need to check that the spacers are still in place or replace any that have fallen out in the extra time.