Braces are made up of a lot of different parts, all of which play important roles. They can also bear additional components as needed to fine-tune your smile. Our team at Dr. Melanie Orthodontics is going to focus on one of these today and tell you everything you need to know about wearing elastics with your braces.
What Can Elastics Do?
The whole objective of braces is to apply pressure to teeth and move them into new positions. Elastics are rubber bands that attach to tiny hooks on your brackets (the metal or ceramic squares affixed to your teeth) and adjust your bite by applying additional pressure in certain directions as needed.
These rubber bands focus on aligning your upper and lower teeth to ensure your lovely new smile functions as beautifully as it looks—though not everyone will need to wear them. Here are a few other functions of elastics:
- Improving jaw alignment
- Fixing overbites and underbites
- Correcting crossbites
- Closing gaps between teeth
- Speeding up treatment when worn consistently
Classes and Configurations
Elastics are rarely worn the same way by different patients. They are quite customizable based on the treatment goal. Dr. Melanie will prescribe specific configurations based on your needs, which can look something like this:
- Class I Elastics – Used to close gaps between teeth and improve overall alignment.
- Class II Elastics – Help correct an overbite by connecting the upper front teeth to the lower back teeth.
- Class III Elastics – Used to fix an underbite by linking the lower front teeth to the upper back teeth.
- Triangle Elastics – Form a triangle between three teeth to stabilize and refine the bite.
- Crossbite Elastics – Help correct a crossbite by pulling the upper and lower teeth into better alignment.
- Box Elastics – Create a box shape between upper and lower teeth to improve vertical alignment.
Proper Use
One important characteristic of elastics is that it’s entirely up to patients to wear and replace them as they should—adding an additional layer of compliance to orthodontic treatment. For this reason, there are some best practices to bear in mind:
- Follow Dr. Melanie’s instructions – Since various types of elastics are used to address a diverse range of bite issues, your placement and wear time will be specific to your treatment plan.
- Use the correct size and type – Never substitute with random rubber bands. Only use the exact type we provide you with.
- Wear them all the time (unless instructed otherwise) – Most patients need to wear their elastics 24/7, removing them only when eating or brushing.
- Replace them as needed – Rubber bands lose their elasticity over time, so swapping them out periodically is necessary to maintain the right amount of pressure on your teeth.
- Always carry extras – Keep a few spare elastics on hand so you can replace them if one breaks. This is a smart addition to your braces care kit, which can contain cleaning supplies and other tools on the go.
Words of Warning
We’ve talked about some of the best practices for wearing elastics, now, let’s review a few behaviors to avoid!
- Skipping days – It’s so important to stay on top of your wear schedule. If you forget or fail to wear your elastics over and over again, your treatment could be delayed or interfered with.
- Wearing only one side – If our team at Dr. Melanie Orthodontics has instructed you to wear elastics on both sides, this is to make sure your bite stays balanced.
- Doubling up on elastics – Wearing extra elastics won’t speed things up; it can actually cause too much force to be applied and lead to problems.
- Using old or incorrect elastics – Always use fresh elastics for the best results. Trying to reuse old ones may seem convenient, but they don’t work the same.
Will Wearing Elastics Hurt?
There’s a pretty serious distinction between discomfort and acute pain when it comes to having braces. There’s a possibility that you’ll feel some soreness when you switch to tight new elastics since your teeth are actively responding to the pressure. If you do experience this, the following can be helpful remedies:
- Over-the-counter pain relievers (if needed)
- Soft foods for the first few days
- Cold drinks or ice packs to reduce tenderness
- Staying consistent—wearing them as directed actually helps your mouth adjust faster!
Settling into Place
Don’t be intimidated if our team ar Dr. Melanie Orthodontics, tells you elastics are going to be a feature of your treatment plan. Patients of all ages successfully utilize those little rubber bands all the time! Remember that we’re always here to answer any questions you may have along the way. Schedule your free consultation today. We hope to see you soon in our San Diego or Rancho Santa Fe office!