Metal Mouth Message Board

Hey everyone,

I've had braces for 6 months now and for 4 of those months I had class II elastics. When I went for my last appointment my orthodontist said my bite was looking good and to go to night time wear only. So the problem is that when I wear the elastics at night they hurt. After 12 hours my teeth are just getting used to the elastics then I pop them off and they hurt again. They feel really loose for a few hours without elastics then the first few hours of elastics feel really tight, almost like my first day in elastics. It's like a vicious cycle of my teeth always hurting.

Anyone else have this problem with night time wear? Maybe I'm just being a huge baby.

Hey there, I'm on nighttime class II triangles.

I agree with you that it's more uncomfortable than 24/7 wear. I've been on nighttime only since about February and it does seem like the pain has improved. I find it most uncomfortable when I wake up in the morning, I can't wait to take them off.

I think I have pretty light elastics (parrot) and I've spent most of my time with braces elastic-free or night only. I find there's minimal pain but I dislike the annoyance of elastics so I'm happy to sleep in them and be rid of them during the day!

Not looking forward to elastics time

Midtown, my thoughts exactly! I have about 12 or so hooks and haven't even asked my ortho what, when, how or where. I'm hoping he will forget. I'm also a big yawner and I hear they snap off and wack you in the mouth. Do they generally go on at the end of treatment?

carrieann wrote:Midtown, my thoughts exactly! I have about 12 or so hooks and haven't even asked my ortho what, when, how or where. I'm hoping he will forget. I'm also a big yawner and I hear they snap off and wack you in the mouth. Do they generally go on at the end of treatment?

They can go on at any time, but generally it's not until a few months into the treatment.

I've been wearing elastics every single day since last June and I've never had one snap from yawning. I've swallowed a few and I've whacked my gums trying to get them on, but that's all!

I'm new in braces *2nd time around* and my ortho put me in rubber bands same day the braces were put on.. my top teeth are not too crooked- although i have an overjet and my upper 4's were extracted so that is probably why he put them so early on me (to close the gap?) i hear its more common towards the end of treatment, but like stated before me they can come at any time!

Question about elastics. I thought they were used to move your jaw but after doing some research on this site it seems like they move your entire top / bottom row of teeth certain ways? Or do they only move the teeth that the elastics are engaged on? I'll ask my ortho when I see him in June but I'm really curious. I did read the all about elastics portion on here and that sparked more questions.

I'm in night-time wear now and it's strange that I haven't had any pain from not wearing them during the day. The only thing I've noticed is that my teeth move a bit during the day and then they move back once I put the elastics on. Not sure if this constant tug-o-war is normal, but I'm not having any pain. They feel the same as when I was wearing them full-time.

carrieann wrote:Question about elastics. I thought they were used to move your jaw but after doing some research on this site it seems like they move your entire top / bottom row of teeth certain ways? Or do they only move the teeth that the elastics are engaged on? I'll ask my ortho when I see him in June but I'm really curious. I did read the all about elastics portion on here and that sparked more questions.

They can move individual teeth, or whole rows of teeth, and also can affect your jaw. For example when I had Class IIs (which is upper canines to lower molars). It both brought my whole front section of teeth back to close an overbite, but also adjusted my jaw position. As when I chewed I would throw my bottom jaw forward to cause teeth to hit. With the top teeth pulled back that was no longer the case as the best chewing position was with my bottom jaw back.

But they can also be used to adjust individual teeth. There is a ton of possibilities when it comes to elastics. I used to always hope i would get new configurations at each appt. Just because after a month of wearing them the same way I would get bored and want something different.

sandiego and oldfart - Do you know or remember how much class II discrepancy (mm's) they closed? And how long it took? Thx.

i was probably.. 4-6 mm in about the same amount of months.

oldfart wrote:i was probably.. 4-6 mm in about the same amount of months.

Thanks. That matches a reply that EWUgal offered elsewhere from her surgeon. I guess I'm just a little slower.

oldfart wrote:

carrieann wrote:Question about elastics. I thought they were used to move your jaw but after doing some research on this site it seems like they move your entire top / bottom row of teeth certain ways? Or do they only move the teeth that the elastics are engaged on? I'll ask my ortho when I see him in June but I'm really curious. I did read the all about elastics portion on here and that sparked more questions.

They can move individual teeth, or whole rows of teeth, and also can affect your jaw. For example when I had Class IIs (which is upper canines to lower molars). It both brought my whole front section of teeth back to close an overbite, but also adjusted my jaw position. As when I chewed I would throw my bottom jaw forward to cause teeth to hit. With the top teeth pulled back that was no longer the case as the best chewing position was with my bottom jaw back.

But they can also be used to adjust individual teeth. There is a ton of possibilities when it comes to elastics. I used to always hope i would get new configurations at each appt. Just because after a month of wearing them the same way I would get bored and want something different.

Interesting. That explains why they are worn for such long periods of time. To permanently move jaw position and a row of teeth that must take time. Thanks OF.