Rubber Bands Play A Vital Role in Orthodontics

They may be ‘low-tech’— but rubber bands, or elastics, can be an integral part of Orthodontic care. If one of our expert ARCH Orthodontic doctors has prescribed elastics as a part of your treatment, it’s the most important thing you can do to get a great result in the right time – so follow the directions and use them always!

Elastics help to align your bite and cause teeth to move in desired directions to straighten and correct your bite more quickly. We will instruct you how to hook one end at one place and the other to another location on your braces so the rubber band pressure can change tooth position. It is the tension of the rubber band that produces pressure on the bracket, which causes the teeth to move. This gentle tension over time is all that is needed in most cases to correct an overbite or an under bite and help make a beautiful face.

Here are a few things to remember about rubber bands:

• If asked to wear elastics, wear them all the time! – including during meals! When you open and close your mouth during eating, you get an extra tooth moving boost! It shortens treatment time and gives a better result.
• When you brush after meals, place them on your pinkie fingers and replace them in your mouth immediately.
• If you try to open your mouth too wide, your rubber bands might snap – so carry an extra bag (we give you two bags full) and replace immediately
• Failure or forgetting to wear them is not a good excuse – when you wear your elastics full time or as instructed your treatment time will be shorter and better. Failures in use of elastics will make it more difficult to achieve optimal results and take longer time to complete..

Few patients love their elastics, but everyone who follows their ARCH Orthodontist’s instructions loves the results. Your time in elastics will be soon gone and you will enjoy your perfect, new smile forever!

Tags: ARCH Orthodontics, Bridgewater MA orthodontist, Brockton MA orthodontist, Canton MA orthodontist, Dr. Robert Chavez, orthodontist Canton MA, orthodontist Westwood MA