Metal Mouth Message Board

I don't know how to do polls, so this will have to do.

Grade yourself on your elastics wear per the instructions of your ortho.

A) They are in 24 hours a day. I go into sweats running around the house if its time to change them and I can't find a packet.

B) I am pretty good. They are in about 90-95% of the time they are supposed to be.

C) Average. Enough to make some progress, but I would get the Evil Eye from my Ortho if they knew how much time I actually did wear them compared to what I tell them I wear them.

D) Here and there usage. So sick of these things that I'm not sure it matters.

E) Elastics? I use them for art projects. Don't even wear them as close as to as much as I should.

I am B. Pretty good but sometimes after eating I forget to put them back in. Or if I have a meeting I need to talk a lot.

I am a D lol I am horrible at wearing those darn things! I want these braces off so bad but yet I am so forgetful about the elastics. I will say that my teeth are very cooperative and my Ortho never can tell that I am so bad at wearing them! hehe

B- right now my teeth hurt so much, its a relief to take them off.

A- (A minus)
I am diligent but don't have the sweats

TheKT wrote:A- (A minus)
I am diligent but don't have the sweats

^me too

Mine are in all the time except when I'm eating or brushing. Maybe I should be getting an A+ because I always know where my elastics are, so I have no reason for the sweats

when I wore them I was an A-.. went into sweats if I realised I'd forgotten to put them in or if I'd lost one.. lol

I was an A.well an A- I always knew where my elastics were. I kept them on me at all times.

I wear them around 23 hours daily so I'm probably a B.

I'm an A. So used to them now after surgery that I almost miss them when they're out, as I feel they give my jaw stability.

I am A. I wear them all the time, except when I'm eating or brushing (sometimes I start brushing with them on lol).
I can always find them, because I have packages at different places (home, work, bag etc.). :D
But, at this point of my treatment I don't wear them, and I miss elastics. :)

Matilda wrote:I wear them around 23 hours daily so I'm probably a B.

Hi Matilda I don't have braces yet so I am curious. I have read you are not supposed to have them in while you are eating? So if you have yours in 23 hours per day why would that be a B for you? I feel you are an A++ for having them in that long!

I am an A The only time I take them out is when I'm brushing, as my ortho instructed me to wear them when I eat and sleep - the longest I've went without them are at dentist visits and when I had my TADs put in. I keep them stashed at work, car, school, etc. so I don't ever get sweats.

While I mentioned previously that I was an A- ... I also want to mention and query everyone about playing with the rubber bands with your tongue and popping them. Seems to have become quite the habit with me. I am constantly playing with them which leads to them coming undone or broken. It's annoying and I need to stop! Ha! Anyone else?

parsleysage wrote:

Matilda wrote:I wear them around 23 hours daily so I'm probably a B.

Hi Matilda I don't have braces yet so I am curious. I have read you are not supposed to have them in while you are eating? So if you have yours in 23 hours per day why would that be a B for you? I feel you are an A++ for having them in that long!

Aw, thanks, parsleysage! Well, it seems like the opinions vary but my orthodontist advised me to remove them while eating and that's what I'm doing. I gave myself a B because I thought A was for 24 hour wearers only. However, I do go into sweats if I can't find a pair.