This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!
New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.
DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.
I was doing really well at first - my elastics don't annoy me too much yet. But the last few days have been really stressful at work so I'll eat a meal and three hours later remember I didn't put my elastics back in. Bad, bad, bad. These puppies are supposed to be helping me avoid surgery! I'm not sure I can keep them in while eating b/c I can barely open my mouth with them in, but I'll definitely check in with updates about whether or not I am being the I need to be
I brushed my teeth at about 1:00 pm and didn't notice until 3:30 that I forgot to put the elastics back on. I'm not sure what I have to do to make up for that.
I have been so bad! My problem is I'll get a drink (a soda or a coffee or something), and I'll sip it for 30-45 minutes -_- And I can't keep my elastics in because I have Invisalign, and it has to come out when I drink. Argh. I'm pledging here and now to keep it to one non-water drink per day!
It's mad - I'm finding that just the thought of having to justify why I don't wear my elastics is working and making me wear them.
Who knew t'internet could be so powerful?!
I'm going to have to opt in on the elastics wearing challenge. I had elastics from December to August then the ortho decided to give me a 1 month break and then decided to put me back in elastics now I'm kicking, thrashing, whining and having trouble ending this sentence. Lol.
Sometimes I'll wake up in the morning and rip them out in disgust. It's seriously like trying to break a zebra this time.
I think my main problem isn't forgetting to wear them, it's forgetting to take spares along in case they break/ pop off. It's even worse when you're hyperaware of not having elastics in when you're out and about.
PineappleFish wrote:I think my main problem isn't forgetting to wear them, it's forgetting to take spares along in case they break/ pop off. It's even worse when you're hyperaware of not having elastics in when you're out and about.
I stash elastics everywhere! My purse, my commuter bag, my desk, the bathroom medicine cabinet. When winter arrives I'll put some in my ski jacket.
Because I have lingual braces, my elastics are on the inside and make my tongue hurt a lot of the time, as it can't rest where it wants to. I don't think my configuration helps with that (inverted triangles from upper 2 and 3s to lower 3s) but boy is it doing wonders for my open bite. Sigh.
OMG, this conversation concerns me. I'm only two weeks into this and haven't had the pleasure of the elastic experience. I can't imagine the difficulty of getting these things in place, it's already impossible to floss. When and if this does happen I'll use this thread as inspiration and will gladly take up the challenge those of you are throwing down. Lip snap...ouch!
I second the mouth harp idea. I was doing that with the elastics when I first started them (about 6 weeks ago). I was braced in Oct of 2013. I have powerchains on for the past 3-4months or so to close the spaces in my teeth due to extractions.