Elastics is ruining my life!

[megz0501]

Had an ortho appointment yesterday. He said thank you for taking such good care of your teeth! Of course I walked out with my head held high. They had me start wearing elastics starting yesterday and my top teeth hurt so bad. I'm miserable. How long til this pain goes away? They have my elastics going around two brackets on each side top and bottom! is that normal? Also, it takes me forever to get these tiny things on..any easier ways?

[djspeece]

No doubt about it, elastics are not fun. The discomfort does lessen but you will feel the discomfort if you miss a day -- that was the main reason I tried to adhere to the plan, because if I left them out too long after a meal (say for 4-5 hours) I really felt the discomfort. For me they were the worst things about orthodontics. You'll get more facile with applying them as time goes on. Just keep at it! And best of luck to you!

[littlething]

My first few days in elastics were by far the worst part of this whole braces ordeal (so far, anyhow). It felt like someone had punched me in the mouth! It got MUCH better after 3 days or so. They definitely get better the more you wear them. I had a temporary reprieve from them, and I had a bit of discomfort once I restarted them, but still nowhere as bad as those first few days! Still in elastics, but these days they are just annoying. And I had trouble getting them on in the beginning, but you'll get better and faster at it once you get used to it. Good luck!

[Snowglobe32]

The key to wearing elastics (like someone else mentioned) is consistency. If you don't wear them as instructed, it will just make things worse.
The more you wear them, the quicker your jaw will get used to it and it won't hurt as much.
You can also use hot/cold pads to help with the pain.

[SingleJawMelb]

Take some pain relief and man up. Unless you are in pain that above 7/10 it's normal and will ease the more you wear the elastics.
I look forward to another dramatic post haha.

[LisainTX]

I agree with those above. Especially in that it makes my teeth sore for 3-5 days but then its gone. I was happily thinking braces were a breeze until they added elastics.

I used the little plastic tool they include in the bag to put them on for quite some time but then found that I can apply/remove them much faster just by using my fingers (after washing hands, of course). This has lessened my stress.

Sometimes when I sneak my elastics out before a meal I would quietly sit them at the edge of my plate. After accidentally eating about 6 so far, I stopped that. Now I put them on the little handle of my "Christmas Tree" brush that I keep with me until my meal is over!!

[annamariefranco]

Oh gosh, I get my elastics in a week and these comments scare me. :(

[cjtramont]

Phew, my ortho said I might be one of the lucky ones that don't need elastics. I've got a bit of an overbite so no idea how she is going to fix it.

[SingleJawMelb]

Oh gosh, I get my elastics in a week and these comments scare me.

Well they shouldn't. Because I've been in elastics pre and post op and they haven't been an issue.

[Carie]

You defiantely get used to them quickly. Mine go from very back to front, one side top to bottom the other vice versa. They're quite visible when I talk but it's only a nuisance now when trying to eat something stringy, like cooked spinach! Sometimes they ping off or snap, but it's not painful. The only pain for me is if I leave them off. After a couple of hours it starts to get sore. Always carry a spare bag with you. The one time I didn't have a packet in my bag I ended up being without for a whole day and by the end it got to very sore. But my goodness are they making a difference, it's well worth it!

[megz0501]

You're not supposed to wear them when you eat. Lol

[Carie]

Heh. Well my ortho made a point of telling me to... so I'm going along with that for now! Only ever supposed to come of for brushing in my case.

[JCloNY]

I agree with those above. Especially in that it makes my teeth sore for 3-5 days but then its gone. I was happily thinking braces were a breeze until they added elastics.

I used the little plastic tool they include in the bag to put them on for quite some time but then found that I can apply/remove them much faster just by using my fingers (after washing hands, of course). This has lessened my stress.

Sometimes when I sneak my elastics out before a meal I would quietly sit them at the edge of my plate. After accidentally eating about 6 so far, I stopped that. Now I put them on the little handle of my "Christmas Tree" brush that I keep with me until my meal is over!!

I completely thought braces were a breeze until I was surprised with them today. As soon as she showed them to me I thought back to this forum and prepped myself for moments of not so pleasant language when one pops in my mouth.

[Lovespain5]

My pain with the elastics lasted around one week after each appointment. I had never eaten with them because they hurt so much. But the funniest part with the elastics is the configuration. Some of them make you completly mad lol. Good luck with your treatment!

[cocomacd]

Eventually, I will be wearing elastics. I am curious, why is there pain if you don't put them back in a few hours later? Did I read that correctly?