Metal Mouth Message Board

After 10 months in braces, they finally started me on elastics. I am supposed to wear them 24 hours a day taking them out only to eat. My question is, does the pain ever go away? I had my adjustment on Thursday and they are STILL hurting, badly! Usually its 2 days or so that my teeth are sore after an adjustment.

Anyone else experience this and if so, how long does it last?

I also had pain when I started elastics. Ugh!! I think it was the worse part for me so far.
I cant tell you exactly how long it lasted, 3-5 days?? It was pretty sore and intense for a couple days though. Just remember to keep wearing them, it does get better!!
I have been wearing them for quite a while now, and I totally forget that I am wearing them. They cause me no pain, soreness, or discomfort now. Good Luck and hang in there!!

Hi ronni,
Glad to hear someone else is going through the pain! I've been braced since Feb 06, and was just introduced to my new elastic friends yesterday. I woke up about 3am this morning feeling like I'd been hit in the mouth with a brick! I took some strong pain-killers and went back to bed, and today there has been some soreness, but I seem to be managing.
I also got a new, bigger wire on the bottom, and powerchains on the upper molars to close some extraction gaps, so it's been a fun 24 hours! Try taking some pain killers, but i imagine the pain will fade. Think back to the first week you got braces on, it seemed like the pain would never go away!
I guess some things just take some getting used to

jaynage,I had the exact same problems! elastics+powerchains and a bigger wire all at the same time...
it's been over a month now that I wear elastics and I got really used to them... I wear them only 8 hrs per day (when I sleep) and despite that the progress is great!
my extraction gaps are completely closed,after only 4 months and bottom teeth are almost completely aligned after 2 months...
orto is extremly happy and so am I!!!!
hang in there!!!!

Thanks for all your encouragement. They are starting to feel a little better, but I guess its just taking me a lot longer to get used to these than any other part of my treatment so far

I am sorry to hear that things aren't going very well right now. I don't have elastics yet, but know it is part of my treatment plan and I am not looking forward to it!

24 hours/day is alot to wear elastics....or at least it feels like it.....but if you follow your ortho's instructions your treatment should stay on track!

Good luck,

Even if the elastics hurt, don't give up! The pain will ease in a week or so....if you stop wearing the elastics now, and try again later, you will just have to go through all that pain again. Good luck and happy elasticing!! :D

Hang in there! Those rotten little elastics will produce amazing results! I think I'm actually 'addicted' to mine--if they are out for too long while I'm eating, I get nervous and I'm not happy until they are back in there. Weird, huh?

Vonster