Just got elastics - what to expect?

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#16 Post by **Ribbit** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 11:26 am

I've had elastics on for the past month. It was actually rather painful at first but that could have been due to the new wire as well. I was told to change them 'several times a day', take them off for eating but otherwise wear them 24/7. Given the number of elastics they gave me, I've only been changing elastics 1 or 2 times per day. I've been leaving them on while I eat (mostly due to laziness!) and only removing them for foods that require more chewing and bigger bites. I had 2 elastics snap this past weekend for the first time. My sister and nephew both used to have braces and keep asking me when I'm going to learn how to shoot them at people!

Thu Sep 08, 2005 12:45 pm

i've had those stupid elastics on for about 2 months. everytime i go back in for a checkup my dentist frowns and tells me that i haven't been wearing them enough. now i wear these things all day long and change them after i eat. i went from wearing them at upper 4s to lower 3s and now i have that stupid triangle thing (which is really uncomfortable). can anyone tell me what i'm doing wrong since they're not moving my mouth fast enough for him?

#18 Post by **erica** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:11 am

Just wanted to post a quick update to anyone reading this in anticipation of getting elastics. My speech recovered quickly, and the pain only lasted a few days - it wasn't anything Advil couldn't take care of. By day three, I was able to eat a giant sandwich without any trouble, and by the end of the first week, I honestly didn't even notice the elastics were there. I ate a few apples when out picking at the local orchard and didn't give it a second thought until one of my friends said "hey, are you supposed to do that with braces?" Oops! I had also been afraid that the elastics would tear up the insides of my cheeks, but luckily that didn't happen! Now I feel weird when I DON'T have the elastics on...feels like somehow my jaw isn't sure just how to close.

I'm intrigued by the idea of changing the elastics as frequently as every two hours. I think I'll give that a try...until I find myself close to running out of elastics that is! I also recall reading a post here where someone wore two elastics per side to speed things along. I'll ask my orthodontist about that at my next visit, but I'd love to hear any feedback from people who've tried doubling up...

Cheers,
Erica

#19 Post by SW » Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:38 am

erica wrote: I'll ask my orthodontist about that at my next visit, but I'd love to hear any feedback from people who've tried doubling up...

Cheers,
Erica

Doubling up elastics is a bad idea (unless you are instructed to for some specific reason). It won't necessarily move things along faster, just possibly place more stress than there should be on the teeth. (There was a discussion awhile back about this). You know how some people are told to take say, one pill of medication and they think that taking two will somehow work better? Maybe.. or it could lead to an overdose or side effects instead. I know how fustrating it can be wearing elastics, patience is definitely required and some days I run short on it, but in the long run it is better to wear the elastics the way they want you to.

#20 Post by **Bracingmyself** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 5:25 am

My Ortho hasn't mentioned I will need elastics when I start treatment but should the need arise how long do they have to stay on for?

#21 Post by SW » Tue Sep 13, 2005 9:13 am

Bracingmyself wrote:My Ortho hasn't mentioned I will need elastics when I start treatment but should the need arise how long do they have to stay on for?

It really depends on what your diagnosis is. Some people never have to wear elastics, some people wear them toward the end of treatment to get their bite perfect, others like me will have to wear them for months. I think the general "rule" could be that the more messed up your bite is from the start, the greater the chance that you will be wearing elastics.

#22 Post by **Bracingmyself** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 9:23 am

Thanks SW. I only have a slight over bite. Mostly crowding but that has helped - thanks

#23 Post by **spongebob82** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 4:28 pm

I just got elastics today and I hate them already. It is encouraging to hear you all say that it gets better. Sometimes when things are new and the pain is bad you forget that it takes time for things to adjust so you can feel better. I was told to wear them all day and toss them out and replace them when I eat. I don't know that I could eat with them on. I tried putting things in my mouth today without taking the bands out (I forgot to take them out) and I noticed right away that my mouth was not going to open wide enough. I have another question though. I have a bad habit of clenching my jaw. I don't ever notice that I am doing it until I open my mouth and it hurts like he**. Anyways this rubber band thing has made this worse. Anyone else have this problem? What did you do about it? Is there anything to help?

Thanks for all your help!!

#24 Post by **doglover1395** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 7:59 pm

I had to wear elastics for a month so far in my treatment. At first it hurts, feels weird, and is hard to eat. It does get better really quickly though. I remember when I first got elastics I posted a desperate message saying how much my teeth hurt. Some members told me it would take a week for the pain to go away. It really only hurt for one or two days. By the third day my teeth barely hurt. After that I didn't even notice they were there! Good luck with the elastics!

#25 Post by **hannah164** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 4:48 pm

i'm just curious to know if anyone had elastics to close gaps. I had two bottom teeth removed and I was just wondering. Any info. helps...

Thanks,

-Hannah

#26 Post by SW » Sat Sep 17, 2005 5:05 pm

hannah164 wrote:i'm just curious to know if anyone had elastics to close gaps. I had two bottom teeth removed and I was just wondering. Any info. helps...
Thanks,

-Hannah

Right now wearing elastics has actually caused a gap to develop between my front tooth and the tooth next to it (there wasn't one before), so I expect I will have to go back to wearing powerchains to close the gap back up. I was wearing them before along with the elastics to prevent this. Powerchains close gaps, but elastics move the teeth into alignment so your occulsion/bite is correct.

#27 Post by **hannah164** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 3:31 pm

Thanks, but I was just wondering because my friend had to wear elastics to glose gaps from extractions. Hoping anyone else had any experiences they could share.

Much appreciated.

-Hannah

#28 Post by **erica** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:50 am

Spongebob82, I hear you about the jaw clenching, but I have no idea how to make it go away! It wasn't really a problem for me until I got elastics last month. In the past week or two, I've been waking up in the morning with my jaw tightly clenched, and now that my bite's moving, I happen to be in agonizing pain today because a single tooth was angled such that it took all the pressure of my clenching last night! Let me know if you or anyone else have tips for how to reduce the jaw clenching...

Cheers,
Erica