Metal Mouth Message Board

Okay, so some people need elastics to correct their bite. I do. But they are only needed for some time, varies from case to case right, but they are not needed for the entire treatment time. I was wondering about the hooks for the elastics, are they always there? or only in the time when you are using the elastics?

I read that these hooks and clets really bother. So if I have braces for 18 months and elastics for 2 of those months, will i have the hooks on my braces the ENTIRE time?? or only for those 2 months?

Please help!!

I had...elastics to correct what I *think* is called a cross bite. My teeth weren't lined up.
Anyhow, my treatment period was for 18 months. The last 4 months they changed my wires from straight to the wires with the hooks (Im not sure what that's called). Mine were annoying because I had about 16 big hooks. 8 on top 8 on bottom. (4 on the left and 4 on the right) and they got food stuck all the time. And yeah I had to wear them until the day I got debanded (today!)
I did notice however other people with just the hooks on their brackets, and I haven't a clue what's the difference between that and mine.

Could be both... I had cleats on some of my bands (they never really bothered me). Then I had to get some new bands when I started wearing a rubber band on one side (I guess the old bands didn't have hooks). If you ask me the cleats were barely noticable... they bothered me once for two days (wax did the trick). If they're on there and they poke you either use some wax or ask your Ortho to press them in so they're not as bad.

At my appt last month (been with braces since Dec for lowers and Feb for uppers) they put me in elastics going from the upper back to the lower front to pull the lower back. The hooks on the bottom I've had the whole time. I hadn't thought of the elastics when I didn't know what they were for..then they were put on which then sunk in. They did change my upper hooks just to put on the elastics. I guess we'll see once they stop with the elastics if they change those back.

cool.. what sucks is that I found this site a bit late. I actually saw a model of teeth with braces and hooks and bands (which is what i will need) the thing is i knew so little about braces and had so much info thrown at me at one time that i didnt think to ask if the hooks would not be there when they were not in use.




but hey i found it now. I love this site!



I also love this little dancing banana . its cute

You'll probably have the hooks the whole time. They're really not much more bothersome than just having brackets, really. You're mouth will adjust, especially if you're diligent with your salt water rinses!

At my 3rd adjustment my hooks were utilized for the 1st time when I had a posted wire put in and an elastic band hooked to the posts on the wire back to the hooks on the back molars (both on the lower teeth). So they can be used for more than just elastics to correct your bite, too.

They added hooks to my bottoms at my last ajusment but my uppers already had them on the brackets.

I have 12 hooks.....3 in each quadrant....however, the brackets beyond those DO have a tiny hook as well as I found out when I started using elastics....I asked about this at my last adjustment.

I have hooks on my brackets starting from my canines back. I don't know if he'll use them but I'm assuming all of his patients have brackets with hooks on them so that he only has to order metal and ceramics. Instead of having to order metal with hooks and without hooks and ceramics with hooks and without hooks.