Adjustments for elastics?

[TheKT]

I have elastics and am 3 days in. The elastics are rubbing up against my cheeks and cutting in and creating sores. One side is worse than the other. Can the ortho make adjustments to help ease this or do you just have to get used to it? Thanks!

[sirwired]

Not really, no. Just about everybody gets sores at some point in the treatment process. You can try wax, but I'm not sure how well it will stay since the elastics will be moving around underneath it.

If I were in your place, I'd stick to my own "my braces are irritating" formula of warm salt-water rinses, Gly-Oxide, and Rincinol.

[FireFinder]

I have just started with elastics on Dec. 9th. Have the "Manatees" in a box configuration on 4-7 top/bottom on left, and 4-6 top/4-7 bottom on right. I don't have brackets on top right #7 or top left #6 because those have gold crowns, and the ortho elected to not band them. I find my mouth gets dry but not so irritated.

[chichi]

I've noticed that the brackets the elastics are hooked onto can become more irritating. Are you sure the elastics are what's causing the irritation and not the brackets? Sometimes I think a bracket or hook on one tooth is causing discomfort, but then I'll explore and find it's coming from nowhere near the tooth I was expecting.

[Snowglobe32]

You can use Benzodent. It is a paste like material that will cover the sores until they heal. Usually things are better after one use. You can find it at any drugstore. Apply it with a q-tip and it will stay in place even on the insides of you cheeks.

[TheKT]

Thanks so much for all the support and tips.

[BracesB4Thirty]

TheKT almost everyone gets mouth sores at some point in time of their treatment. Use wax and a salt water rinse to help.

[Lorianne]

I have elastics and am 3 days in. The elastics are rubbing up against my cheeks and cutting in and creating sores. One side is worse than the other. Can the ortho make adjustments to help ease this or do you just have to get used to it? Thanks!

Mine were pinching my cheeks and hurting really bad too. I started twisting the elastics one time, making an X then attaching to the hook and that helped tremendously.

[TheKT]

Lorianne, thatis exacty the problem I am experiencing. Thanks for the tip.

[Lorianne]

Lorianne, thatis exacty the problem I am experiencing. Thanks for the tip.

Hope it helps!

[chichi]

Mine were pinching my cheeks and hurting really bad too. I started twisting the elastics one time, making an X then attaching to the hook and that helped tremendously.

When I got my class III elastics, the assistant actually put them in that way. I don't twist them and I just assumed they got twisted when she was putting them in since it doesn't really matter with that configuration. Maybe she did it so I wouldn't get pinched...