Elastics in a funny formation??

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succession
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:28 pm
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Elastics in a funny formation??

#1 Post by succession »

Help! I have no idea what my elastics do!

The detailed story is, for this month my ortho asked me to wear an elastic on 3 of my front teeth, looping the top canine, bottom canine, and the tooth next to the bottom canine away from the middle of my mouth. (Sorry, I don't know my teeth numbers.) In other words I form a tall triangle with the elastic. I wear another elastic on the other canines as a mirror image.

I have no idea what these "triangular elastics" do! They don't move my teeth to the right or left, which I don't need anyways. I think they have closed the big gap between my top & bottom rows of teeth, but how do they do that? Any insight, anybody?

All I feel with these elastics is that they make me clenth my teeth together very tightly, which means I have to master the art of speaking thru clenched teeth. And the pain in the first 3 days was horrible.
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Way Too Old For This
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 11:23 am

#2 Post by Way Too Old For This »

I had a triangular elastic configuration for about a month. Mine was to fix a temporary bite problem. (Left molars weren't coming together at all) I'm sure I'll be back in elastics before this is over.

Hang in there. As with other new torture devices, we seem to be able to get used to it.
Wired on Sep 16, 2005, left canine exposed on Oct 5, 2005, at 52 years old.
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Bianca
Posts: 82
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:45 am
Location: WA State

#3 Post by Bianca »

Way Too Old For This wrote:As with other new torture devices, we seem to be able to get used to it.
Ain't that the truth!

:)
Image

It's a two year process.......
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Chris
Posts: 2326
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2004 9:18 pm
Location: Southern California

#4 Post by Chris »

Are they closing an open bite?
Top Braces June 2004
Bottom Braces November 2004
Debanded January 2007
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succession
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:28 pm
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

#5 Post by succession »

When I bite down, the top row of incisors don't meet the bottom row. Is that considered an open bite?
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Chris
Posts: 2326
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2004 9:18 pm
Location: Southern California

#6 Post by Chris »

I'm not an expert but if your back teeth are hitting first and the front teeth are "open", then its an open bite as opposed to a deep bite where your front teeth cover alot of the bottom teeth.

Perhaps thats what your ortho is addressing with the elastics?
Why not ask.
Top Braces June 2004
Bottom Braces November 2004
Debanded January 2007
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mtbrncofn
Posts: 1040
Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 9:39 pm
Location: Bigfork, MT

#7 Post by mtbrncofn »

I have the same configuration for mine. I was told that it was to keep your bite together. I didn't realize I had a problem with that. I only have to wear mine at night now, but man they are small little suckers!
Full upper and lower metal braces put on May 12, 2005.

Braces free as of April 18, 2006!

Temporarily rebraced Nov. 21, 2006. ( I think I've moved past temporary. )

Brace free again - July 26, 2007.
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SueFromNJ
Posts: 96
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 9:52 pm
Location: NJ

I have a rhombus-like parallelogram!

#8 Post by SueFromNJ »

I started elastics in January, for the 1st time in my three years of braces! But I don't have a simple triangle shape, I am lucky enough to get a more exciting shape, a rhombus parallelogram! Good thing I remember my math classes as a kid, who knew these words would come in handy years later! :)
Debanded in May, 2006! Total sentence: Three years and two months. Now in hawleys which make me gag! Before braces, I had dracula fangs in their own rows, and everything else was crooked, crowded, with a cross-bite, too!
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