does positioning of rubber bands matter?

[quiggle]

I've been putting rubber bands on my upper back molar to the lower canine for about a week now. I usually can't get the top part properly attached to the hook, so I usually place it on the back part of the bracket instead. Does this make any difference? Thanks.

[catgyrl]

You'll need to check with your orthodontist because improper positioning of the rubber bands CAN change the way your teeth move. When I get a new configuration, my ortho usually makes me practice putting them in before I leave the office, so I can tell him if I have any problems. Check with yours just to be safe...

[hellokitty]

This position that your doctor has told you to use with the rubberbands is the position for moving your upper teeth outward (like an overbite) so that your bottom teeth fit inside and under your upper. It's supposed to be a slight overbite for an ideal bite but not one where it's more than a few millimeters. The bottom teeth should fit inside/overlap 50-75% of the back of your upper teeth when fully closed. I'm not sure what you need to have done but I do suggest questioning the reasoning behind everything your doctor does. Ask him/her why you need to do this? What does this do? If you don't double-check what they are doing, you may end up with a result that you really didn't want. I had this happen to me. I did a search on orthodontic rubberband configurations (or patterns) and found better explanations online about the different rubberband positions. This also helps to check what's going on with your teeth. I had a dentist put me in the wrong configuration before and thank god I checked it online.

And yes, it's not good to put the rubber band on the bracket as it will cause the wrong directiion of pressure and the the tooth can angle as well as the bracket could break off your tooth). I always start with the rubber band in the back of my mouth first and then use the little rubberband hooking stick to pull toward the teeth closer to the front.