Elastic wear is important during orthodontic treatment!
Elastics/rubber bands are often necessary for proper teeth movement during orthodontic treatment. Braces can not always move teeth into the proper place without an assist from elastics. It is often the case for a patient to wear the elastics to achieve a proper bite correction.
Elastics will connect from a top tooth/teeth to a lower tooth/teeth. They can be worn in many different ways and patterns depending on the movement that needs to occur. Your orthodontist will instruct the way that you need to wear elastics in order to move the teeth to the desired place. Be sure to wear the rubber bands as you have been showed to insure the most efficient and effective movement. If you have questions as to where the elastics, call and ask the office to be sure.
Elastics come in a variety of sizes. Your orthodontist will give you a particular size of rubber band depending on the force needed to be applied to the teeth. Be sure to always wear the correct size of elastic to also insure the most efficient teeth movement. Do not wear a friend’s bands because the force may not be what your teeth are needing.
In order for teeth to move properly and effectively, elastics must be worn for the time period instructed. If elastics are worn well for a period of time then stopped or inconsistent wear occurs, progress will be lost! Elastics are typically worn all day and night except while eating and brushing. They should also be changed, new ones put on, at least when you wake up and when you go to sleep. Rubber bands lose strength over time, so by changing them the force being applied is kept constant and consistent.
Thank you for your confidence and continued support in Reid and Reid!
