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I just got a job in a sales position...which means I must approach people and strike up conversation, etc. Anyways, I have two "rubber-bands" in my mouth that I have to wear. However, I find that when I talk alot, laugh, yawn, even when I smile widely... they tend to snap off, sometimes flying across the room. I cannot have that happen while I'm trying to make a sale...that would be utterly embarrassing. So, do you think it would be okay for me to go without wearing my elastics while I'm at my job. My job is from 9-6...9 hours total each day.
By not wearing them during that time, are my teeth going to shift back? I'm wearing the elastics to close up a very minor "open bite". I'll wear them the rest of the day, when I sleep etc...it's just that at work I really don't want to wear them. The way I figure it...it can't hurt too much to go without wearing them temporarily through the day, because once my bite is completely closed, I won't even have to wear the elastics anymore...and they wouldn't move back to the open bite position at that point, correct? Hopefully you understand what I'm saying.
I'd follow your ortho's instructions on this one. If you've been instructed to wear elastics 24/7, then that is what you should do. If you do not, this will only add to the time it takes to close your bite.
Having had an open bite closed with elastics, I can also say that once my bite was closed - and it took 4 months of 24/7 wear - I continued with elastics for many months afterwards to avoid a relapse.
As to elastics breaking, etc. I certainly found that box elastics tended to shred when I was eating (so I replaced them as they did), but this was all.
If in doubt, speak to your ortho and clarify his/her instructions.
I just got my elastics today (June 5) and I have to wear them 24/7 as well. It was a bit odd today, but my colleagues are now accustomed to me in braces, so they did not even bat an eyelid. I even droll and spit a bit now .
People are cool about it, so although you are in sales, your treatment is your treatment and as professionals it should not make a difference whether you are in braces or not when you go on a sales call.
My Ortho says if I don't wear as prescribed then my arches won't align properly.
If you don't wear as prescribed, then it lengthens your treatment, sadly...So wear as prescribed.
Good luck, it is tough.
http://bracesafter40.blogspot.com
Bridge Sectioned: Feb. 14, 2007
Last Pre-braces cleaning: Feb. 20, 2007
#21 Extraction: Feb. 20, 2007
Sentenced: 32 months
Top Braced: Feb 28, 2007
Bottom Braced: Apr. 4, 2007
New Ortho on Apr. 25, 2008
May 6; fluorescent blue ligs incl. upper powerchains. 2 elastics; Sept. 2, 2008.
Next Adj.: July 7, 2009 at 8:30a
I think it was 6 hours of progress is lost when not wearing them for 1 hour. I can't remember where I read that, when I find it, I will post it. I just wore mine as instructed, 24/7, and I did not ever have a problem speaking to executives at work. I've had some fling off while speaking but there has not been a person who has said anything about it. It's like telling the person on crutches that one of his crutches fell from under his arm. It's a medical necessity for your treatment.
Upper and lower 1st premolars extracted
Uppers braced 4/6/07 & Lowers braced 4/20/07
ceramic brackets and rectangular arch wires
Est. term: 30-36 months
De-banded: 3/04/09 w/ LBR and U&L Essix
At one point I was wearing class II elastics 24/7 on my right side and during the night on both sides. This was because they were correcting my midline. In the mornings my bite felt very good, but there was a noticable relapse during the day. But I got the instructions from ortho to do so, and my midline shifted to the right direction.
I can understand where you coming from...
I had a biteplate to wear 24/7, but I just wore it during the nights, because it was so awful. I did not tell my ortho, and I dont know if not wearing it as directed affected my treatment... But I asked my ortho why I had to wear it, an the answer was that it is just there to prevent me biting my lower brackets off.
I am new here, but I got elastics this past Tuesday.
Mine are really annoying because I have one that crosses just in front of my tongue! I teach English, and my job is talking all day long. How embarrassing would it be if, in the middle of the class, a band flew off and hit a student in the eye!
I talked to my ortho about this, and he told me that it was fine to just wear the two that I need to wear on the sides during the day. Then as soon as I get off work, all evening, and all night to wear the one that stretches in across my tongue. It's SUPER annoying, but I know that my ortho has a good reason (correcting my crossbite), and not wearing them could cause a HUGE lapse in treatment.
I suggest that you talk to your ortho. I don't think (not sure) if it's normal to have bands snap off regularly.
Like everyone else has said, WEAR THEM 24/7. The longer they're off, the longer your treatment will be. Teeth/bones move so fast. Even leaving them off for just one hour will set you back a bit.
June 2006: Upper and Lower braces -- July 2006: RPE installed -- December 2006: RPE removed. April 2007: 4 wisdom teeth extracted & had Frenum b/t 2 front teeth clipped. Powerchain added. January 2008: All gaps closed. March 2010: Began wearing elastics January 2012: Braces finally off!
I used to have this problem, so my ortho asked me to "double" the elastics that were breaking/ popping off due to my excessive talking. I would literally SHRED my elastics because I also had springs in the same area of my mouth.
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