Metal Mouth Message Board

16 months in and finally have elastics, but only on one side, stretching from the back lower molar to the top canine.
Thought it was strange to only use one, anyone else had this arrangement?

I forgot what my ortho told me already but he did say to keep them in all day and night and change them each day, do people usually take them out to eat or leave them in?

One of my extraction gaps is closed which is good, desperate for the others to close..

Estimated brace completion... April 2013
Wedding date... July 2013... Eeeek

Hi

Yep, I've had just one elastic (after almost a year of having them on both sides). It was just to finish opening up the bite on one side.

Usually, elastics are kept in all day, except when eating and changed daily. (I wouldn't try eating with them! on the few times I forgot to take them out, I always ended up swallowing them!)

They do make teeth move amazingly quickly!

Thanks for your reply

I just tried eating with them and yep.. swallowed it hahaha...
It's not a really strong band like I expected it to be, but hope it moves fast !

I had elastics early on in treatment and may have them again a few weeks before my braces are removed. During my treatment I have had elastics on one side too.

My ortho told me to remove mine when eating but I read on another forum to eat with them in and I tried to and found it impossible! so didn't bother again

I had elastics on one side similar to what you describe and I may have it again. I think it is a class II elastics. Is your midline lined up? I had it to fix the midline but I dont think it has really worked I only had it for 8 weeks though. I ate with it. It wasen't strong at all.

The other one I had from the top canine to the lower teeth, a triangle. This was to bring my canine down. That one worked really well, however it was much stronger, I really felt the pull. I only wore it for the 4 weeks and it worked like magic. I could not eat with that one, had to take it out.

If you can eat with it, do so. If you can't, don't stress about it. As I said, my triangle elastics worked best and I did not eat with it.

I still have my elastics on both sides and the still have quite a way to go but because one of my teeth hasn't been bracketed yet my ortho expects that side to take longer and I'll probably just have elastics on that side later on. I think it depends on whether everything was symetrical to start with and whether both sides move symetrically.

I've eaten with my elastics in, didn't really think to take them out and they have never come out or been swallowed or anything like that but it may just be the type of elastics, I've only tried quails and foxes so far and they are pretty tiny.

I tried eating with them too but couldn't. However, I changed the elastics morning and night because I noticed that they felt looser after 12 hours. I wore them for two months.

ArchWired28 wrote:I think it is a class II elastics. Is your midline lined up? I had it to fix the midline but I dont think it has really worked I only had it for 8 weeks though. I ate with it. It wasen't strong at all.

Yeah I think I'm in the same boat, I thought my lowers were off but it turns out my uppers are when i look straight down from the centre of my nose. It almost feels too weak like it's not going to work but time will tell I guess.
Next appointment is 8 weeks so maybe they will be stopped by then.

Currently have quite thick power chains over my extraction gaps to bring my back teeth forward and my god the top molars are killing me today, makes me want to keep clenching, first time I've really felt the need for painkillers.

kennyandrew85 wrote: It almost feels too weak like it's not going to work ...

That was EXACTLY how I felt. And indeed, it did not do much (an ortho said it did but to me, my midline is still off). When I got my triangle elastics though, I KNEW almost immediately that it will work. It felt like my canine would separate from the palate and end up with the lower teeth And it worked very well.

I do not have elastics (yet). If you take them out to eat, do you then put the same ones back in afterwards? For each meal of the day? I'd be such a freak that I would have to have a new, clean one each time I put it in. Wouldn't that be a 'change'?

Kipepeo
you use a new one every time since they loose their strength very fast in the mouth. Orthos usually recommend changing them 3-4 times a day. They give a lot of elastics and you always can stop by for more.
But don't worry. You will get detailed instructions if/when you need to wear them.

I put a fresh one in after eating even though my ortho didn't mention this.
Yesterday i accidently doubled up, didn't realise until it was aching quite a bit more.