Where do the braces go?
When people die that have braces on, do you leave them on or remove them when you are preparing the body for burial or cremation?
Braces and any other type of orthodontic gear is left in place regardless of the type of burial/cremation being performed. That being said, anyone viewing your body would not be able to see or notice the braces. There is a lot done to the mouth when preparing a body for a showing and the mouth will always be fully closed at a showing.
When preparing the mouth, with or without braces, a needle injector is used to insert a tack with a long wire attached to it. One wire is inserted in the upper jaw (maxilla) and one in the lower jaw (mandible) and then the two wires are twisted together until the mouth is securely closed. Often, a piece of cotton or other type of mouth former is placed over the teeth to give a fuller, smoother look. With braces, cotton may be used to fill in any gaps or smooth out any edges created by the hardware. The lips are then glued closed. An alternative to the wire method is to use a ligature and a curved needle. The prepare would insert the needle in the mouth upward under the nose, across the top of the mouth and back down into the bottom jaw, then across the jaw and back out (four points). The ligature would then be tied together to secure the mouth closed.
Does a person pee or poop at the last moment of death?
The answer is sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. It varies from death to death and person to person. The most common thing we see is incontinence with urine. Poop is most often found with cardiac related deaths. This usually ties in to something we call “The Death Poop.” People with cardiac issues often have an overwhelming urge to use the bathroom and unfortunately end up passing away on the toilet.
Have a question to ask Jacquie? Make your way to the “Ask” tab on the website and submit a question to be answered. All questions are anonymous, even to Jacquie. In order to keep this blog interesting, we rely on you to ask all the questions you can think of!
If you’re hungry for more right now, check out Jacquie’s new book, released this week: Spoiler Alert: You’re Gonna Die. It’s filled with all the questions you won’t see here on the blog, as well as an abundance of information, humor and tips on how to prepare for death.