Elastics

Elastics

To ensure the success of your orthodontic treatment please read the following carefully.

What are elastics?

Elastics are simply special orthodontic elastic bands, which your orthodontist will advise you to use in combination with your brace. They move your teeth in a certain way to cor – rect your bite.

What if I am allergic to latex?

If you allergic to latex please inform your orthodontist who will be able to provide you with non-latex alternatives.

Why do I need to wear elastics?

You need to wear elastics as advised by your orthodontist. Failure to do so will not only prolong your treatment time, but because your teeth will not move as they should, your re – sult will be compromised.

How often do I need to wear elastics?

Your orthodontist will advise you how often you need to wear them and this may vary from just at night through to full time wear. Sometimes your orthodontist may advise you to re – move them when eating, but if you need to increase the wear time to move your teeth suf – ficiently, you may be asked to eat with them in. They usually need to be worn everyday, but again your orthodontist will advise on this. Quite often your orthodontist will ask you to monitor how your teeth are moving and show you at what point you can stop wearing your elastics, as this may occur before your next appointment.

How do I know where to place my elastics?

Elastics can be worn in many different ways, depending on what tooth movements are re – quired. Your orthodontist will explain and show you where to place your elastics and give you tips on how to place and remove them easily. You will be given a plastic placer to help you attach them onto your brace. Alternatively, once you get familiar with wearing them, you may be able to just use your fingers. A useful tip, if you have been asked to wear elastics full time, is to carry a packet on you during the day and keep a spare packet at home. It is helpful to carry a pocket mirror to help you see where you are placing them, to check this is in the correct position, as it is tricky to do this by feel.

Please note that it is important that you are wearing your elastics in the correct position. In- correct placement of your elastics can lead to unwanted tooth movement which can pro- long your treatment time and compromise your result. Another useful tip is to take a close up selfie photo of yourself wearing your elastics, shortly after your appointment, so that you can refer to this if you forget.

If in doubt, please contact our practice and a member of our team will be happy to offer ad- vice accordingly.

What to expect after having elastics fitted?

It will take some time to get used to your elastics and during the first few days you may ex- perience some discomfort. If necessary, please take some painkillers, (the usual ones you would take for a headache), over the first few days and on a regular basis. The discomfort will ease off over time. Please do not let the discomfort put you off wearing your elastics because the sooner you get used to wearing your elastics the sooner the discomfort will wear away. However, if your teeth are unusually painful or throbbing, please do NOT wear your elastics and call our practice for advice on what to do.

How often do I need to change my elastics?

You will need to change your elastics at least once a day as elastics can become unhy- gienic and also loose their elasticity and strength. If an elastic snaps or falls off replace it with a new one.

What if I do not feel much pressure from my elastics?

At your appointment, your orthodontist will check the tension of your elastics and advise accordingly. If however you do not feel much tension, please do NOT increase the tension by altering the way you wear your elastics or adding more elastics eg. wear double your elastics, unless your orthodontist has advised you to do so. If in doubt, please contact our practice for further advice.

What happens if I run out or loose my elastics?

Your orthodontist will give you a packet, which usually contains about 100 elastics inside them. You should therefore have enough to last you until your next appointment. How- ever, if you run out of them or loose them, please return to our practice and a member of our team will be able to give you some more. It would be helpful if you make a note of the name of your elastics, if possible, to make it easier to replace.