Braces rubber bands what is it for

Rubber Bands are a larger form of elastic that are employed to apply pressure to the jaw to help achieve proper alignment of your bite. Rubber bands can be inserted in several different configurations to meet the connective force requirements you need.

The most common configuration is the inter-arch, or top-to-bottom, configuration. Rubber bands also come in a variety of colors to spice up your smile! Orthodontic elastic bands pull your jaw forward or backward depending on what movement you need to achieve proper alignment.

Your upper teeth and lower teeth should line up and fit together comfortably when you bite down. Some patients get overly excited about the power of rubber bands and mistakenly think that by doubling up on their bands they can move their teeth more quickly and shorten treatment times.

Too much force, too quickly can damage tooth roots and actually stretch-out the amount of time it takes to move your teeth. Wear your orthodontic elastic bands how you are instructed and you will move along without any problems. To help you with this, before you leave we will give you a handout that has a diagram indicating what teeth you need to hook the rubber bands to.

If you ever have any questions on how to wear your elastics or may have lost the handout with the diagram that we gave you, please do not hesitate to call, email, or just stop by the office and ask us. Wearing rubber bands, especially at first, can be confusing! This is an important phase of your therapy. Failure to wear your elastics full time or as instructed will lengthen your treatment time and will make it more difficult to achieve an optimal result.

Wearing your elastics for several hours, and then taking them off for awhile, then putting them back on, etc. In addition to NOT moving the teeth, this part-time wear will keep your teeth constantly sore. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

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