Class II elastics: timeline and effects?

[ArchWired28]

Hi guys,

I assume there are quite a few people who had to wear / is wearing / plans to wear class II elastics. I would appreciate if you could share why you got it (class II correction is obvious, but also midline deviation, other things maybe?), how long into treatment, how long you wore it for and what was the treatment effect.
Any people out there that were/are unilateral class II with midline deviation, treated with class II elastics? How about class II one side, and class III other side?

Also, I have done a little research and see that there seems to be much debate on how exactly class II elastics works, i.e. does it move the teeth or jaws. Here's what I found in one scientific article, maybe that info will be interesting to somebody:

Class II elastics may be used for main and secondary objectives in the following clinical situations: skeletal and/or dental Class II malocclusions, anchorage reinforcement, backward movement of the upper incisors, mandibular arch advancement, buccal tipping of retruded lower incisors, bite opening (class II/2), midline deviation correction.6
They are recommended only after the correction of overbite and segmentation of the maxillary archwire.
The class II elastics have different effects:6
a. effects upon the maxillary arch:upper incisors are more vertical, extrusion and downward movement of anterior occlusal plane, backward movement of the upper arch, dental distalization.
b. effects upon the mandibular arch: buccal tipping of lower incisors, forward movement of the entire mandibular arch, extrusion of the lower first molars.
c. effects on the facial patterns: forward movement of the chin, forward movement of the mandible with a posterior rotation; The lower facial height will depend on the wearing time and the amount of elastic force used.
d. effects on the occlusal plane:lowering of the anterior occlusal plane, sagital correction of the Class II relationship.

[klobird]

Hey Arch,

I really don't know what all that stuff means, but I have had Class ll elastics since day one and probably will for the whole 2yrs, and possibly the Forsus (fixed metal type elastics). They are for my bucky beavers--they work fabulously!!

I really do not know why people are so afraid/upset about elastics. They are really,truly no big deal. I am so unaware of them that I will eat with them in, realize it later, and know that I had to have swallowed those big suckers!!

NO BIG DEAL!!! Don't believe the horror stories!!! Pullleeeeezzzzz!!!!!

[ArchWired28]

klobird

thanks for your reply! I am glad that elastics works well for you! Have you seen any effect so far, like changes in the bite etc?
While I am aware that many people feel uncomfortable with elastics, I am looking forward to it actually. Not only my midline is very much to the left, but also it is uncomfortable to chew having class II on one side and class I on the other.
I was told that class II elastics are very efficient in centering the midline - by mechanism of class II correction on one side. That is what I am looking for. But I am wondering when will they start using elastics, as soon as my crossbite corrects or later in treatment? I know elastics usually take at least 6 months (often longer) to have an effect, too.

[secretsmile]

Not that this will help but I think it varies... I have an overbite and cross bite and am getting class 2 elastics but not yet. I got braces and power chains in May. Next month I get the forsus appliance then sometime after that I get elastics. The forsus is so scary looking that i'm not scared of the elastics!

[klobird]

Hey Arch,

In 4 1/2 months my overjet went from 10mm down to 4mm--so ya, I think the elastics work!! Bring on the bad boys!! (They get stronger and stronger with each adjustment). In fact, last time they couldn't give me stronger ones because latex free doesn't have the strength they wanted at that time--just a REALLY heavy duty at the next adjustment...I kept trying to tell them how bad I wanted to get the heavier ones now to go from great changes to unbelievable, but they said nooooo....hmphhh....

[ArchWired28]

secretsmile
Forsus is doing the same thing as the class II elastics, with only the slight differences. So perhaps your ortho feels that Forsus has to do the main work followed by "fine-tuning" with elastics. I will not be getting Forsus since I have only a modest overjet (4mm) and my overbite is not that bad (80%). But my midline is waaaay off , something that is easily fixable according to my ortho, but is soooo annoying
Good luck with your treatment!

[ArchWired28]

klobird
how exciting! It is amazing what a piece of rubber can do, isn't it? What is your targeted overjet? Any teeth removed prior to braces?
I only have 4mm now so not that bad, but I want that midline centered and this requires class I on both sides!

[klobird]

Hey Arch--

I didn't even think to ask about my targeted overjet--I usually have so many questions that I have them written down on notecards! (I ask them real fast...)

Since I got braces, my midline has gone from a little off to "where is it?". It's kinda scary to me--I just have to trust that he knows what he's doing (and I do), and I still have 19 months to go sooo it will get all lined up--he doesn't even seem to be paying attention to that right now. They did say that moving the bottom teeth around is a lot easier than the top.

No, I didn't have any extractions. First, with the Damon all metal, I guess very few have to have extractions. Then my upper arch is normal, and both top and bottom "have plenty of room in the back" (I heard him say) so ya, I lucked out.
In fact, I have never had an extraction for anything. My wisdom teeth are so far south that not even the oral surgeon thinks they are worth touching as long as they don't cause problems....

[ArchWired28]

klobird
I am also doing Speed (the same as Damon) metal top and bottoms, and I am also lucky - I don't need anything out. And I also retain my wisdom teeth, as long as they don't cause any problems - why take them out?
But going from 10 to 4mm in overjet without any teeth taken out, that is incredible. You must have "plenty of room in the back" to do that I was told the same thing, we shall see how it plays out. Thus far, I don't see any more or less significant changes. If anything, my overjet has actually increased because of the top braces without the bottoms, but I think he plans to take care of it with elastics.
When you speak about the midline, do you mean the top and bottom midlines lining up together, or you mean that your top midline - between the two frontal incisors - is not lined up with your facial midline (the center of the nose)? I am referring to the latter, my front incisors are about 5mm to the left, although the top and bottom midlines do line up. I will have to either wear class II elastics on the right only, or even class III on the left together with class II on the right. This will happen, but when? I hate waiting, arrggghhh