Metal Mouth Message Board

I went for my 2nd adjustment today and my ortho told me that he thought I would be ready for rubber bands to be added soon, possibly at my next visit. I'm currently at the 5 month mark in my treatment and am wearing Damon 2's. My next visit will be at the 7 1/2 month mark. I was just wondering if there was a standard time that orthos add the rubber bands on as part of the treatment?

Good question! I just had my 3rd adjustment yesterday at the 6 month period, and they put my on elastics for the first time. I thought elastics were only used to put on the "finishing touches" at the end of treatment. Apparently not. I have to wear them 16 hours a day for at least the next 2 months when I have another adjustment.

I got elastics in August '05 which was one year into treatment. Since then, I've had some configuration in my mouth so they're not always for finishing. Most of the time, I've been in elastics 24/7 except when eating or brushing and flossing.

There is no standard time for starting elastics. Some people get them right at the beginning, others not until the end of treatment, and others yet again at various points along the way.

I'll be getting them next week, at the 6 month mark. I was due to start at the end of June, but my ortho decided a wisdom tooth had to go first.

I'm not sure when I'm getting mine, but I do remember my ortho telling me at my initial consultation that I will definitely need them. I had my first adjustment today, and he didn't mention anything about them yet, so it's probably not anytime soon for me

Elastics are used for many things, so as you would expect, there is no specific timeframe for their usage.

Some people wear them for a couple of months at the beginning of their treament, others three months at the end. Then there are folks like me who have been wearing them in one configuration or another for most of their treatment. I've had mine for nearly 16 months and got them during my first adjustment.

I've got my elastics at the 6 month mark to fix my midline as its a little off.