The Dreaded Elastics - Please help!

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Fri May 19, 2006 2:27 am

I have had my braces on for about 6 moths now and am about to get the dreaded elastics but the problem isâ€¦I donâ€™t know anything about them!!! What do they do? How often do you get them changed by your ortho? What is the longest / shortest time people have them for? I have to have them on 24/7 can this change after a while or will it always be that? And finally are they as horribly painful as I am led to believe? Phew! Sorry I would ask my ortho but I am afraid he is a brilliant but very grumpy man!

#2 Post by **flowertowngal** » Fri May 19, 2006 6:13 am

What do they do - they correct your bite.

How often do you get them changed by your ortho - your ortho will put them on during your visit and give you probably 2 bags of them to take home with you. From then on, you will change them several times a day, probably when you first get up, each time after you eat and before you go to bed.

What is the longest/shortest time people have them for - this varies case by case. A lot of times you don't go into elastics until you're nearing the end of your treatment but there have been several people on this board who got them very early on in their treatment. There's really no way to know how long you will have them - it depends on how fast your bite is corrected.

Will you always have them 24/7 - until your bite is corrected, yes, you will have them 24/7. I have never heard anyone say they were told to only wear their elastics for part of the day - the more you wear them, the faster your bite will correct and the sooner you can stop wearing them.

Are they horribly painful - no. I would say that is too strong a description - they are uncomfortable and for the first 2-3 days, they will be painful but just like braces, it eventually gets better. If you take them out and give yourself breaks from wearing them, you will only be prolonging the uncomfortable period - the faster you get used to them the better off you will be.

The thing about elastics, for me, was that it was such a shock - I just couldn't believe that after all I had been going thru with my braces that I had to now deal with these bands in my mouth and all the hassle that comes with them. I was very depressed for the first week - oh hell, ok, for a couple of weeks - but eventually I adjusted. I wore two elastics, one on each side for 6 weeks. Then I wore just one elastic for another 6 weeks. Then, when I thought I would go in and I would be told I didn't have to wear them at all, I was given a configuration that would try anyone's patience - two bands that crisscrossed each other right across the front of my mouth - a big "X" - extremely extremely hard to take - couldn't even drink anything without a straw...couldn't lick my lips...anyway, it was torture for 6 weeks but finally, finally I went in and he said no more elastics! So I wore them for a total of 18 weeks...not that bad when you put it into perspective...

Cheer up - think of all you've gone through already - it's just another step in the journey...

#3 Post by **KJM** » Fri May 19, 2006 6:17 am

I got elastics about 7 weeks ago. Mine are to correct a cross-bite (that's what we are working on right now) I have 1/4 in sized, that is the most common. When I went this week for an adjustment they keep the same size and same configuration. Sometimes they change it though, to tweak something, or work on another part of your bite.

I wear mine for 24/7 other than to eat and brush. I do know that it can change, my son had his only at night for a long time and at the end she had him wearing them 24/7. I think it depends on how long it takes to fix whatever your ortho is working on.

As far as how long someone has to wear them, it totally depends on the problems you have and how long it takes to correct it. Some people say they only had to wear them for 6 months, some wear them the entire time they are in braces. I would ask your ortho ( grumpy or not your paying him! or ask your assistant if she knows)

Changing your elastics is pretty simple, I change mine every time I eat and in the morning when I get up. They give me 2 bags full when I go in, and I can stop by and pick up more anytime I want, so I wont run out. Don't worry!! Its not rocket science, its a rubber band- attached to a hook. The hard part is if they have a funky configuration or something. Thankfully I have an easy one.

LOL If you have long nails or a strange configuration they may give you a hook to use to help place the elastic. I have two and use my fingers instead, its just easier for me. LOL

To begin with they were painful. But after about a week the pain went away and now I totally forget that I have them in. I am often eating dinner and having to get up to take them out about 1/2 way through the meal! LOL

It takes a few days for your mouth to adjust, just like when you had your brackets put on. Just make sure to keep the ibuprofen handy.

Good Luck!!!

#4 Post by **jennielee81** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:10 am

Will you always have them 24/7 - until your bite is corrected, yes, you will have them 24/7. I have never heard anyone say they were told to only wear their elastics for part of the day - the more you wear them, the faster your bite will correct and the sooner you can stop wearing them.

I must be an odd-ball

I wear one of my sets of elastics nights only the class II set I wear 24/7.

I was told in the beginning that I would get them toward the end.

I have to say that the rest of my experience is quite similar to flowertowngirl and KJM's posted experiences. They're really not that bad after the first few days; sometimes I even forget I am wearing them and try to put them in again.

#5 Post by **KJM** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:47 am

Jennielee81 said

I must be an odd-ball I wear one of my sets of elastics nights only the class II set I wear 24/7.

Well, I cant comment on the "odd-ball" part- LOL

But my son also wore his at night only for most of his treatment. However, she changed that to 24/7 for the last couple months before debanding.

#6 Post by **Geri** » Fri May 19, 2006 11:09 am

I've had elastics for a week and a bit and I can honestly say that I like them because it means I am that bit closer to the end. I have a very simple configuration which I wear 24/7. The first day was not good pain-wize and I reccomend the pain-killers of your choice (mine wereTylenol and chocolate cake). Mind you, it could have been the power-chains I had fitted which made things worse. After a couple of days things were fine again and I could eat semi-solid food again. It was soup the first day or two. In all this I remembered what someone here said about elastics working quickly and that thought helped - and they do seem to be doing a great job! Bottom line - don't worry about them...just have a couple of asprin handy for the first day or two!

#7 Post by **Betty Bat** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:18 pm

I must be really dense, but here are the things about elastics that I still don't understand.

Do you eat with the elastics in? Do you brush your teeth with the elastics in?

My ortho mentioned the E-word when I was there last time, so I'm trying to prepare myself for this!

#8 Post by **CreedAngel81** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:35 pm

I've already started out with elastics after the first week of getting braces.... I was instructed to switch to three seperate top teeth(last 3) every eight hours which is attatched to my first premolar on bottom! I already have a straight arch on the bottom after just alittle over 2 weeks, although it was only one tooth pushed slightly behind another. Still it goes to show how quickly elastics go to work, I'm amazed! Now only if he'd get work on the top arch! I have not had any pain or discomfort and I actually don't like to have them off because it sort of feels weird, must be because my bite is moving. I don't have any problem with eating, although I do tend to knock them off due to trying to tongue food around the bracket. I even brush my teeth between snacking and meals with them on without any problems. So far so good! Good Luck!

#9 Post by **KJM** » Fri May 19, 2006 2:43 pm

Betty Bat said:
Do you eat with the elastics in? I try not to, LOL.

Very often I find myself having to remove them halfway through my meal. I was told to take them out to eat ( it is harder to eat with them in) and replace them with new ones when I am done.

Do you brush your teeth with the elastics in? No I remove them, do my brushing/flossing and then put new ones in.

#10 Post by **Betty Bat** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:44 pm

Thanks, KJM and CreedAngel81, for those very good explanations!

#11 Post by **MarkupNorth** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:14 pm

I wore elastics for about two months, unfortunately I kept breaking the hooks that the elastics went onto, and after a while my ortho had enough and said we'd try something else for a while

I feel my top teeth are flaring out much more now and want to go back to elastics so I'll harass him again soon. I'm just getting over the shock of an extra 7 months treatment time to correct my midline so I'll wait a bit yet.

Anyway the moral of the story, if I am hankering to get elastics put back in, they can't be that bad can they

Once you get them, to begin with they're so fiddly to put in but you won't believe how quick you get after a while

#12 Post by **Betty Bat** » Fri May 26, 2006 10:33 am

Well, I did get elastics yesterday, along with new upper and lower wires and springs to keep my "tooth-less" spots open. I'm missing two lower teeth (#5 on each side) because my baby teeth did not get replaced by adult teeth.

Anyway, my question is - if I change my elastics more frequently, could this shorten the length of time that I have to wear them? I'm trying to decide if I want to change them 4 times a day (after each meal and bedtime) vs. changing them 3 times a day. My reason for asking is that it just seems like I'm going to be filling up the landfill with more elastics. I know they are very, very small in the scheme of things, but I've been a conservationist for a long time!

And, I know the answer to this will be "It depends", like so many other questions about braces! But, I was wondering if anyone had any experience in this area.

Thanks!

#13 Post by **jennielee81** » Fri May 26, 2006 11:13 am

I change mine 4 times a day. The saliva and temperature in our mouths causes the reduction of elastic force. I can feel it after about 2 hours; they're not pulling as hard. I can open my mouth wider and with less effort. I put in a new set and immediately I'm "locked down" again.

The more often you replace them, the more efficiently they will move your teeth.

Not sure if there's any significant difference between 3 and 4 a day, I sort of doubt it.

Just my opinion, hope it helps!

#14 Post by **royalstation** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:18 am

Can I double up on the elastics?

I'm wearing Class II right now. I'm in my 6th month. I have too wear inside and outside of my teeth. Going from top canines to bottm molars.

#15 Post by **Betty Bat** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 1:28 pm

Well, I've had the dreaded elastics for two weeks now and I can honestly say that they are the worst part for me, so far. I think they look much more obvious than my braces, they make me talk funny (the proverbial lisp), I'm feeling much more tired since I've had them and they hurt - not much, but just enough so I know they are there.

When I started out with the braces, the ortho never mentioned elastics to me. I suspect that I will have them for several months. I'm not going to give up on either the elastics or the braces, but I'm much unhappier now.

And, Royalstation, I don't think you can/should double up on them.

Metal Mouth Message Board

The Dreaded Elastics - Please help!

The Dreaded Elastics - Please help!

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