Orthodontics has come a long way in the past 30 years. Back then, it was common for orthodontists to place a band on every tooth in the mouth when attaching braces. Recently, however, more effective bonding materials have allowed doctors to place brackets on teeth without the need for bands. The exception is molars. Even today, many orthodontists prefer to place molar bands on a patient. Why is this?

The molars are a very active part of the mouth – it’s where you do almost all of your chewing. This can put a lot of stress on brackets. Molar bands can increase the stability of the bracket so they are less likely to break off. They also give orthodontists an area to attach additional appliances if necessary, like headgear.

Even as bonding materials continue to improve, it looks like molar bands are here to stay, at least for a little while longer!