How many times do you CHANGE your elastics

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#1 Post by **Whitters** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:43 pm

Hi everyone!!
How often do you change your elastics?
My ortho told me ideally I should change them only once per day, no more than twice for the day.
But I don't understand why my ortho recommends that...wouldn't it lose it's elasticity after a while...
Currently, I change them about 2/3 times per day...everytime I brush my teeth...
I don't want to disobey my ortho..but I find it a little difficult using those same old elastics after I brush my teeth..

So how often do yall change em?

#2 Post by **monarch64** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:28 am

Yup, certainly follow your ortho's rules....but...I changed mine every time I brushed/waterpik'd, and that was at least 6 times a day.

#3 Post by **purpleteeth** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:33 am

I change mine between 4-6times a day. I snack and or they break, so I usually change at least 4times a day --- which means a minimum of 24elastics a day! I wear 6 at a time now because of the doubling in front.

My ortho told me when I first got them, which was when I was originally braced, to change them when I brushed my teeth. I was changing them at meals and at snacks, so it was usually 2-5times a day then.

I have also gotten to the point where I just *know* when they need to be changed. I can feel a difference and when I know I need them tighter, I just change them... sometimes even without brushing. I talk a lot at my job, so mine get stretched out VERY EASILY

#4 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:38 am

3-5 times a day because I have non-latex ones and they seem to break more often than my latex ones which used to be strictly 3 times a day (eacn changing was after a brushing/meal).

#5 Post by **jorx** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:40 am

I used to change them three times a day, after brushing but now I am changing them up to six times a day! They have started to break often or they just do not feel tight after a while. I wonder if I should double up or just keep changing them so often...

At the beggining it would hurt like hell when I changed them, but now I feel weird when they are not tight anymore and I love it when I replace them and can feel the tightness again! Does anybody feel the same?

#6 Post by **jorx** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:41 am

I used to change them three times a day, after brushing but now I am changing them up to six times a day! They have started to break often or they just do not feel tight after a while. I wonder if I should double up or just keep changing them so often...

At the beggining it would hurt like hell when I changed them, but now I feel weird when they are not tight anymore and I love it when I replace them and can feel the tightness again! Does anybody feel the same?

#7 Post by **iBorg** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:42 pm

I change mine about after every meal and replace them when they break. My ortho wants me to change them four or five ties a day. I've had others tell me their ortho wants in it done twice a day. They take them out before meals and put the same ones back in.

Mike

Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:46 am

I change mine everytime I take them out.....I simply cannot put the same ones back in....EW!

#9 Post by **cosmicgirl** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 12:41 pm

My ortho told me to change them every TWO days!!! AAAGH!!!

I must admit though, I put in a new set every bedtime and felt quite a rebel...

And yes, I'd take them off to eat, and if dining alone, sit them on a saucer, ready for later...

#10 Post by **Whitters** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 5:14 am

Thanks for the responses guys.
I really don't want to disobey my ortho, so for the past 2 days I've only changed them once per day..
I'll wait till my next adjustment to ask why cause I would really like to change em EVERY time I brush my teeth...
Meanwhile..I'll soak em in some Hydrogen Peroxide and hope that it sanitizes them a bit