Question about Class 2 elastics

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#1 Post by **broochie** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:44 pm

Do Class 2 elastics bring the lower arch forward or push the upper arch backwards? And is there a risk that as a side effect, they extrude the teeth that they are attached to?

#2 Post by **swan** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 2:41 pm

They bring the lower arch forward.

#3 Post by **broochie** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:30 pm

Thank you for your answer, Swan. I am surprised though, since I visited your blog and you mention after wearing Class 2 elastics for a while, you wrote that "the upper teeth are moving backwards". I am a little confused here.

#4 Post by **swan** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:39 pm

Hm, you are right, I wrote that. It must have been before I found out what's really happening. Thanks for pointing that out - I'll correct it to avoid further confusion.

#5 Post by **SandraJones** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:29 am

I dragged out this old topic ... I am new to the forum, and I actually found this place because I had done a 'net search on "class 2 elastics".

I have a class 2 malocclusion and will be using class 2 elastics to correct my bite. I asked the orthodontist yesterday if this treatment pulls back my upper teeth or pulls forward my lower teeth, or both. She said both. I suppose it's dependent on your individual body, some people might have more backwards movement of the uppers, others might have more forward movement of the lowers.

#6 Post by **PoliGirl** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:19 pm

A related question - do these elastics move the jaw at all or only the teeth. I ask because I am class II as well and my ortho thinks elastics and perhaps an appliance can help correct my bite. Some internet research seems to suggest that only surgery can do anything once you are an adult because your jaw is no longer growing, moving?

#7 Post by **Poeticbraces** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:43 pm

I too have a "Class 2". I understand from today's discussion with ortho that I will be wearing elastics on one side only. Jaw cannot grow but can move, so it is worth a try.
Surgery is basically another way of letting the jaw grow. In my case, the pain would not be worth the gain.

#8 Post by **SandraJones** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:10 pm

What I'm about to post here is from reading only, not experience ...

It's my understanding that for an adult the teeth will move but the jaw will not "grow". However, the lower jaw muscles can be retrained to some degree ("retrained" is probably not the correct term !) so that the lower jaw rests in a more forward position after class 2 elastics compared to before.

On a young person I think the jaw itself can be made to grow, but I'm not sure it can be done with elastics. I read about the Herbst appliance. I *think* the Herbst applies a greater force than elastics can.

If any of you know that I am wrong on any of these details, please don't hesitate to correct me ! I'm heavy into learning mode and more interested in having the correct info than being "right", if you know what I mean.

Btw, My facial profile looks very normal. I do not have a receding chin, and my lower lip lines up exactly below my upper, not behind. And yet I have class 2. Because of the upper teeth crowding I do not have a significant overbite, but the orthodontist said if she just straightens the upper teeth and improves the arch, I will have an overbite. I just hope after class 2 elastics I don't end up with the appearance of an underbite !

Poetic, I will likely at some point be wearing class 2 elastics on one side only too, because on my right side the forward position of the uppers is worse than on the left. I'm curious to find out how it feels to wear elastics on only one side.