Got my bite plate for the lower jaw

So, with the teeth of my lower jaw wired up, sometimes there is a chance that the pressure of the wire trying to correct the alignment would push the teeth backwards and form a bad alignment. What needs to be done is to also put pressure from the back side so that the the teeth are held in the desired alignment instead of forming a bad alignment.

A bite plate is a small, removable acrylic appliance that fits on the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth. It should feel secure and fit snugly - source

source: uniortholab.com

Bite plate behind the teeth on my lower jaw.
Notice the whitish transparent plates at the bottom and its clamps holding on to the molars beside the gaps.

Disclaimer: If anyone is disgusted by these pictures, please press Ctrl+W (or Command+W on Mac)

The clamps were needed to hold the molars in place so that the tension of the wire between the molars and the front teeth did not pull the molars forward, but instead pulled the front teeth along backward. Hence, the clamps would hold the molars in place to achieve just that InshAllah.

The molar band has a metallic clamp - can cause infection

There was a point where the molar bands caused a slight infection on the inner skin of my right cheek. I don't know what's the medical term for the skin I am talking about; but I will refer to it as the inner skin.

source: http://www.innobrace.com/Product-1.html

The molar band is fitted on the molar tooth and it has a little clamp on its side which resides on the space between the teeth line and cheek muscles. If the molar band is not fitted properly (which the dentist tried to ensure by asking me several times if I feel anything scratchy inside), then as we talk or chew, the little clamp can slowly wear off the superficial layer of the inner skin and then start scratching the inner layer of the skin - that's when it starts hurting and that's when I realized "The molar band needs some adjustment."

However, the adjustment was pretty interesting. I was given a little chunk of wax - a beeswax. Beeswax covers sharp orthodontic braces and wires that poke into the mouth, which protects the tongue and gums from developing pain and sores. Read more here.

• I would have to dip it in lukewarm water and make it soft. 
• Then mould the softened warm wax on the clamp of the molar band with my fingers reaching inside. 
• When the wax solidifies in a matter of a minute or so, my inner skin won't feel the metallic clamp but a soft waxy cushion. 

It was pretty soothing to the scar that formed inside and it was necessary for the inner skin to heal without suffering more damage.

After the separators, comes the molar bands

So I have put on the separators in the previous week. After giving it about little less than a week's time to create enough space around my molars, it was time to take the separators off (also known as spacers) and put the molar bands in place.

source: http://mksforum.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2977

I had put on 6 such molar bands.

• on 1 lower left molar
• on 1 lower right molar
• on 2 upper left molars
• on 2 upper right molars

Settling the molar bands seamlessly around the molars is quite tough. My mouth always felt a little heavier and something stuck around the inner teeth. It was not very comfortable the first few days. And around these times I really appreciated the beauty, the slickness and the fine-features of God gifted teeth which we the humans have.

However, i took some shots after putting the molar bands in place.

Disclaimer: If anyone is disgusted by these pictures, please press Ctrl+W (or Command+W on Mac)