Just got elastics - what to expect?

[erica]

Hi everyone! I'm 10 months into what's estimated to be a 24-month treatment plan, and my orthodontist just started me with elastics as of this morning. I work literally across the hall from my orthodontist, and I've just arrived back in my office in something of a panic...I'm scheduled to see patients of my own starting in a half hour, and I'm questioning whether I'll even be able to talk! I'm hoping some of you can give me some thoughts on what to expect from here, including:

1) How long will it take for the jaw pain to set in, and for about how long will the worst of it (i.e. back to soup and ice cream) last?

2) Will my ability to speak normally come back, or should I get used to trying to talk without fully opening my mouth? I'm particularly concerned about this since if I change my elastics daily, their strength will never weaken!

3) Will I ever be able to eat normally with the elastics on? I'm currently trying to eat the fruit salad I brought for breakfast, and it's really not going very well!

4) Obviously this depends on my specific case, but in general, how long have people had to wear the elastics for? Should I anticipate that I'll have them until the end of my treatment? (I forgot to ask my orthodontist today.)

5) Anything else I should know about that hasn't yet occurred to me?

Thanks so much for any input!

Cheers,
Erica

[2oldtocare]

I've had braces seven months, went yesterday for an adjustment, and got powerchains and one elastic. Thank goodness it's in a simple triangle formation, alot easier to replace. You're supposed to take it off when you eat, then replace it. The power chains hurts the worse. Upper and bottom, they are putting alot of pressure on my teeth. The last time they put in a stiffer wire, and my upper teeth kind of got off kilter, so that's what the elastic is for to bring down one side of my teeth. The powerchains are to close gaps. The Rubix Cube journey, mess things up to make them straight continues.

[OneBluCrayon]

Hiya

I’ve been in elastics for about 3 months (I think) and it takes time, but it, like everything, gets better.

1- It only took about half a day for the pain for me to kick it. And I was on the soup and ice cream diet for a couple days. Then it was only the teeth that the bands were connected to that hurt... well on the right side. (I had two triangle formations, one on each side of the mouth) It was like two weeks before the right sides pain subsided. I know that’s not very comforting... but, that’s just how it was for me. The left side only was sore for a few days.

2- You should be able to speak just normally. The more you talk the more your bands stretch and easier things become. Also, I was told to change my bands 4 times a day. AND to eat with them on. I still have a hard time with most foods eating with the bands on. But I try till the bands snap or if I know that I can’t cram food in there with them on I just take them off....

Every time I eat, I change the bands.... I’ve gotten quite used to the bands, and ive never been shy about my braces so, having the rubber bands show when I talk never bothered me either... This is a problem for some people. It depends on how conscientious you are...

ALSO. I was really nervous about my rubber bands snapping in my mouth- or having them fly off at someone. I’ve never had them fly off before (But once when I was at a restaurant and I was done eating I started my normal brushing ritual and then proceeded to put on my rubber bands. My hands were a lil wet (from rinsing) and when I tried to put the bands on my top tooth it flew out of my mouth at the person watching me doing all of this Oops- Oh well. Guess that’s what they get for starin' at me:) hehehe) ANYWAYS. I have bands snap on me every single day- it really doesn’t hurt, so I wouldn’t worry about that a whole lot.

OK, so that was a huge response and im sorry its so scatter brained... And full of ( ) - I love parenthesis. Hope that helps!


(Lynn: If you read this i think you should try to find some emoticons for peeps with rubber bands, expanders, etc)

[Llamaland]

I just got out of my elastics hurrah!
1. For me it took overnight. For starters it wasn't a lot of pain maybe a bit of a niggle but jus mostly uncomfotable. For me this was the worst of my treatment so far (just got my powerchain and had few props so far) the majority of pain i feel lasted from 5 to maybe 7 days. It wasn't real bad pain but maybe more just uncomfortable and annoying.
2. For the speech thing i really don't know. I wasn't effected that way but most likely when you adjust to the change in your mouth it will become easier to open up and talk normally. I changed my elastics basically after everytime i ate a meal (not for snacks) do to my problem of trying to eat with them on and them flicking off and killing the sides of my cheeks and they do loosen up after wearing them for a while and more so if u wear them properly.
3.Well near the end of my elastics i managed to eat somethings but i did ingest a few of the little suckers. You most likely will be able to eat most things. (I had trouble with things that i had to open my mouth big for like hamburgers).
4.Well i didn't wear mine properly for the first 2 6 weeks i was better the 2nd 6 week period and in the third i wore them pretty much constantly. So i wore mine for about 18 weeks and i asked if i was going to have to wear them again. Ortho said he wasnt sure but his look told me yes but i am prepared this time!!
5. I dunno if this happened to anyone else but be careful when u r eating with the elastics in and have the urge to talk. I tended to spray food i was eating over people also near the end of the elastics i was salivating a heap and often when i just spoke i would spray it instead of just saying it. Preatty embarrassing my friends just laughed it off though.

[erica]

Thanks for all of the input! The pain did end up kicking in pretty quickly, but at least now I can believe all of you when you promise it'll go away, unlike when I first got my braces and I thought everyone was pulling one over on me by saying I'd get used to it and the inside of my cheeks would someday stop bleeding. Right now I feel kind of like when I got spacers before braces - if I touch my teeth together, I get a radiating pain. Great excuse why I had to have a milkshake for dinner last night though!

I'm already speaking better as well, although I'll admit that I wimped out and took off the elastics before seeing my first patient yesterday! I was also afraid they'd pop off and hit somone. It's a shame I probably won't be able to eat sandwiches...I've been eating absolutely everything (don't tell my ortho) and I was even looking forward to the challenge of apple season here in New England.

Also, thanks for the tips on how often you changed your elastics. My ortho told me once a day, but I think I'll increase that for better effectiveness and fewer embarassing food stains.

Thanks again to you all!

Cheers,
Erica

[2oldtocare]

Boy it's amazing the difference sometimes in what our orthos tell us. Mine said specifically to take them out to eat. And to change them 4-6 times a day. Otherwise they are on 24/7 But I guess that's what they mean when they say the docs have a "practice".

[eurydice]

How can you eat with the elastics on? I was told to take them out to eat. I've forgotten to take them off a couple of times and they've just pinged right off!! I also have to change them once a day as they lose their elasticity.

[secretagent437]

really? you only change them once a day? i change them after i eat. Which is about 3 or 4 times a day.

[eurydice]

I usually end up changing them more though as I seem to lose them every time I take them off! I was told to put them on my little finger so I don't lose them while I'm eating but they're so tiny they cut off the circulation so I put them somewhere else!!!

[mackenzie]

I haven't had any yet but my ortho is trying to help my treatment go quickly, and she told me to change them every 2 hours to keep them really strong and get them over with quickly.

[eurydice]

Blimey! That's dedication for you!!!!!

Good luck!

euryxx

[dstef]

I've had elastics for about 2 weeks now, the first day was a pain in the a$$, I had problems trying to take them off and got really frustrated and punched the wall , now I just use a toothpick, makes it nice and easy.

The pain from the elastics didn't last very long, but my bottom lip was getting shredded and swollen by the hooks on my lower teeth.

[Chris]

I had problems trying to take them off and got really frustrated and punched the wall , now I just use a toothpick, makes it nice and easy.

Didn't they give you a plastic hook to use? It took me a day to get use to using it, but I couldn't put the elastic on without using it.

[alexa]

I had a plastic hook....until my brother in law thought it was garbage and THREW IT OUT!

[londonchick]

i've been in elastics 4 weeks now (10 months into treatment). I was told to wear them 24/7 ESPECIALLY when eating and to change them once a day. Well thats all well and good but i haven't had 1 single day yet when they havne't snapped at least once (usually while eating). I have to admit to being a bit of chaterbox and having braces hasn't changed that so i wonder it thats why they are snapping so readily. I too have swallowed 1 or 2.

I have my first adjustment since getting them tomorrow so looking forward to hearing if changing them more often has actually been a good thing.