When did you guys get elastics? Does it suck?

[starfish88]

I got elastics 4 weeks in and will probably have them until near the end! I think the length of time depends on how much your bite needs ajusting. I have a cm of overjet to lose (ideally) hence the long time with the elastics. When I got them it felt like braces pain again, but thats good as it showed me my teeth were moving and they scratched up my mouth in the first few days but now I don't really notice them.

[marybee]

Not looking forward to the elastics...noooooooo.....

I do know eventually they will come because there are too many hooks in my mouth and they aren't there for decoration.........

[xanidu2012]

Well this certainly schooled me. When I was braced up many years ago and you got elastics you were near the end of treatment. Wow times and braces have changed

[CJP]

The one in the front???? Like there will be one right smack in the front of my mouth? Oh dear. I am already self conscious enough about the braces, and just getting used to them, and now I'm going to be paranoid about looking stupid all over again. I thought they'd be further back. Oohh no.

If you do a Search for "elastics" on this forum, you'll find many threads and posts about them. I found it very helpful to learn more. About having one in front. Yes, it is a little odd. But if I am teaching I don't wear that one. However, I wear the side/back one 24/7, even while eating. Also, having a neon color for the front makes it less rubber looking, and I don't mind it much.

[anxiousgirl]

I literally got elastics yesterday!
Sad to say but they are hurting so bad which is strange because I have had hardly any pain since i got my braces on

[CJP]

Anxiousgirl - I know what you mean. For the first month, I barely noticed any discomfort with my teeth. Then, when I began elastics -wow! Although my teeth did not ache throughout the day or night, eating anything more difficult than an egg was simply painful. But - it has been 10 days, and I can say that after about 5-7 days, it improves dramatically. Today, (and for the last several days) I do not notice any issues at all.

Moreover, I had to go to the orthodontist to have the top wire clipped, (8 days after the elastics) and they were crazy happy that my teeth had moved already so much! I knew they had because I was beginning to see gaps where there hadn't been (you have to move teeth back in order to move the ones to be where they should be.)

So for me - I wear my elastics 24/7 - especially while eating. I change 3-4 times a day (whenever I brush.) The one I wear in front, I don't wear when I lecture but probably 18+ hours a day.

Trust me - in a week, you will forget they are even there. In the meantime, no matter what, wear them just as your orthodontist says to. Brush often (I seems to make my gums/teeth more comfortable., and absolutely carry them everywhere with you. In no time, you will see huge improvements and the pain/discomfort/soreness will be a distant memory.

[CountessDeSangre]

When I first got my elastics I was not prepared for them at all. I had to correct a 6mm overjet and my first day in elastics was just HORRIBLE. I was in so much pain, more than anything I had ever been in during my treatment (except perhaps when my ortho accidentally pops off a bracket and then has to scrape off the glue. THAT is the worst).

Getting them on was a bit of a pain and getting them off was even more difficult. It really put a damper on my mood when it was time to eat anything because it took so much time and at my job I don't really get to take any breaks. It's just a full 8 hour shift of WORK WORK WORK.

I've gotten used to them and they stopped hurting but then I kinda got lazy and, uh, wasn't as dedicated to wearing them 24/7 as I should have been. I'm paying for that now though. I began to wear them religiously again and I'm back to being achey.

My advice to you, stick with it. Do not get lazy and slack off. You will pay for it later.

[CoryDaniels]

I had to wear elastics only at night for 2 months. It sucked at first, but Im gonna tell you....I had to wear them to correct my crossbite...in 2 months of only wearing them at night, it actually OVER corrected my bite...it was amazing to see how fast those eleastics work....I really actually hope the next time I go in for my appointment, they give me elastics to bring my upper canines down....if I could get those things to come down and close that space...I would be So happy!


Once you start to see the movement and how fast it happens....you won't care about them anymore.

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

I got elastics from the day I got them on but they were only at night then 1.5 months in I had them all day. It does suck and when they up the size it feels worse than the first day. :/

[JillD]

when they up the size it feels worse than the first day. :/

Does it? I got my first elastics last week. They gave me two different packets, Tokyo and Korea. They told me that Tokyo is just to make me get used to elastics and won't do much work, but they wanted me to finish them before I move to Korea. But when I saw how fast Tokyo moved my teeth, I decided to use it up as quickly as possible, so that I can move to Korea, which will do a lot more than Tokyo. But your post makes me think twice.

[kennyandrew85]

I've had elastics a while now, but only in 1 side...

They don't ache or cause any pain, (maybe they are weak?)
The only annoying thing is i forget they are in when I eat and have swallowed quite a few!

[BracedSurgeryStudent]

It might have been because they did like 3 in my mouth at a time after only having one.

[marybee]

I now have elastics and it actually feels weird without them. No only do I like them but the neon green, orange, pink and purple colors are cool, too! I have both clear and neon and you might as well have fun with it! The improvement in my teeth are amazing, wearing them 7/24 does make a difference (there are times when they need to come off when eating). But, why do they name them after animals and countries? Nothing like a Sea Lion or 2 in your mouth.......

[furious george]

Interesting.

I got elastics at the 6 month mark. I am supposed to wear them around the clock, and I basically do. I'm honestly not sure what they are supposed to do...reduce the overbite/overjet? Anyway, I've had them for a month and a half and as far as I can tell, they haven't done a THING. Nada. Zero change for either my overbite OR overjet OR anything else.

I know, I'm trying to be patient and I know these kinds of changes can be subtle...but I'm surprised to see so many people say they had fast results. If they're doing anything for me at all, they are working at a snail's pace.

Oh, I have Galapagos Giant Tortoise too!

[jessieg]

Got my elastics today. I am NOT enjoying it so far. My teeth hurt, they're awkward, and I can't tell what exactly they are doing. My jaw feels like it's sitting exactly where it always has, I don't see how it's going to 'pull' it where it needs to go. I've been looking at my teeth with the elastics on, and am thinking about what he said needs to happen, and I just don't get how it's going to happen. He said it's to fix my crossbite but when I look at the left side, I feel like they're positioned opposite of what he told me needs to happen. It's hard to explain. I feel frustrated! What if two months goes by and nothing changes. I'll lose my mind. I'm at the nine month mark and I'm ssooo done.