What do elastics do when you have braces

Further, your child's orthodontist will likely recommend staying away from hard, sticky, and crunchy foods as well as soft or acidic drinks. Your orthodontist should provide you with everything you need to know about having the healthiest oral hygiene while using rubber bands. Not every child or teenager with braces needs rubber bands, as it depends on your child's teeth and jaw alignment. But if your orthodontist recommends them, you and your child don't need to worry.

While having rubber bands in your mouth may seem daunting or uncomfortable, they're easy to insert, remove and, above all, help align your child's teeth aligned so that they can have more confident smiles faster. This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

Shop Now. Our Mission. Contact Us. United States US English. Submit an Idea. Depending on the instructions from your orthodontist, you generally should be wearing your elastics for upwards of 22 hours. Elastics should be swapped out for new ones every time you eat or brush your teeth. DO: Wear your elastics as often as possible The more you wear your elastics, the better it is for your teeth.

By wearing your elastics properly it will help shift your teeth sometimes even faster! Follow all your orthodontist's instructions for putting your elastics. Invisalign and braces both offer unique advantages and disadvantages. South Edmonton: 91 St SW. Sherwood Park: , Premier Way. Leduc: Rollyview Rd They do so by spanning across the top and bottom arches. However, it is not as simple as just taking any rubber band and placing it on the brackets. Rather, there are specific types of bands, as well as different sizes that must be used to obtain the desired results.

There are four different types of interarch rubber bands and each different type is designed to correct a specific type of malocclusion. Depending on the type of malocclusion present, your dentist may opt to use one or more of the following types:.

Class II rubber bands are used to treat overbites. One end of the band is placed on the upper canine tooth, while the other end is placed on the lower first molar.

This creates a force that brings the upper jaw back towards the rest of the mouth to reduce the overbite. Class III rubber bands are used to treat underbites. One end of the bad is placed on the upper first molar and the other is placed on the lower canine. They are basically arranged in the opposite direction of Class II rubber bands. This arrangement pulls the lower jaw backwards to correct an underbite. Like their name suggests, front cross elastics span across the front of the mouth and are used to correct midline alignment.

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