Elastics Question....

[CoryDaniels]

I went in today to get my wire change on my damons...then my ortho told me that it would help if they went ahead and did some elastics. I wasn't ready to hear that, but she only told me that I would need them to wear them at night, since I was getting thicker wires and that my teeth were already doing really well, she was only requiring me to wear them at night....now, I am wearing them now and I am going to try and wear them as much as I can throughout the day, but to be honest...its very uncomfortable....If I just continue to wear them at night and maybe some during the day like after lunch until dinner how long will it take to get use to them and not have the soreness? BTW I am wearing 3/16 4 oz Elastics....

Also, with having new wires top and bottom plus elastics...should I see alot more improvement faster?

[maxhammer]

It takes a few days to get used to them.
If she said to only wear them at night then do that, don't wear them in the day unless she said so.

[CoryDaniels]

Well she said that I only "need" to wear them at night...but if I wanted to wear them addition to that, that I could and would only help me...So I am gonna try to wear them as much as I can.

[CoryDaniels]

Last night I could wear my elastics...I did wear them from 10 A.M to about 6:30 P.M last night and I was in so much pain that I just had to take them out and I couldn't hardly eat and I just knew that with having 2 new wires put in plus elastics was gonna make my teeth really sore...They feel alot better today...still sore whenever I touch them but not throbbing like they were yesterday...I think I am gonna go without wearing my elastics again tonight just to let me teeth get used to the new wires and then start wearing them nightly starting Friday.

Also, is it just me or can teeth move visibly overnight? I swear my left lower canine shifted last night and there is no longer a gap.....

[Maya]

Elastics work really quickly so it is good that you are wearing get them as much as you can. I am on my last stages to fix my slightly off midline and the orthodontist said about 5 visits on elastics. He is really good and has been spot on every step of the way.

My midline was aligned by day 3 I kid you not. But you need to keep the tension there hence the timeframe.

The pain will go within the first week, just keep wearing them. If you start and stop, your body will not get used on the pain. Good luck!

[sea54change]

Cory -
When I first got elastics my ortho gave me the same advice: only at night. I started wearing them during the day as well and it really helped the process. Whenever I had my wires adjusted, I stopped wearing elastics for a few days, as the pain of the adjustment and the elastics combined, was just too much for me, even with Advil. So about 4 days after an adjustment I would go back to wearing the elastics.

Three weeks have passed since my upper braces were removed. I still have the bottoms on. My mouth actually feels "empty" without the elastics and the braces! And my upper teeth feel so smooth!

[metalsmile]

I was told to start wearing them immediately all the time (except eating and brushing). I know everyone is different in tolerances and when their told to wear them. I only had discomfort for the first day.

Using 1/8", 6.5oz elastics.

[sirwired]

As a side-note to other people reading this thread. If your ortho says to only wear them at night, don't "speed things up" by adding daytime wear (or adding more elastics) without asking your ortho first, even if the additional force doesn't hurt. He/she knows how much force needs to be applied over what span. If you move your teeth too quickly, your bone may not catch up like it's supposed to.

[CoryDaniels]

She told me that I could wear them additional time...But my question is this....like Yesterday I was off work and didn't do anything...so I took the elastics off when I woke up after wearing them for about 9 hours and then I ate, brushed, then put new ones back in, the took them off for lunch, brushed, then put new ones in again, left them in until dinner time, then put new ones in right before bed....now this is not everyday...but I try to put them in after dinner and leave them in until the morning. Does it matter if my days are no uniform with wearing them? I always wear them at night, but some days I can wear them longer than other days...

[ArchWired28]

CoryDaniels

if I were you, I would have asked my ortho if it's OK to wear the elastics during the day and also, if the non-uniformity of wear is a problem or not. I have read that elastics tends to exert forces in different directions during the day and night time. While for some people it does not matter, for others wearing the elastics not as directed may slow down the progress and not speed it up, even if one wears it more or longer than directed. A lot of people here can give you different advice based on their own experience, but nobody knows better than your ortho. Good luck!

[CoryDaniels]

I would have asked her, but I was so excited that I only "had" to wear them at night, that I was afraid to ask and her say..."well, lets just wear them 24/7" So I kept my mouth shut....although now...they aren't that bad. I am over the intial pain of them being in, and I just want my teeth to move along. I just don't want to damage them in the process and wear them "too much" for my situation.