Metal Mouth Message Board

My ortho has told me that at my next adjustment (next month), I should be ready for rubber bands. At that point, I will have been in braces for 9 1/2 months. I've been told that rubber bands typically come in the latter stages of treatment. I was just wondering, for those of you who got rubber bands during treatment, at what point did you get rubber bands and how long did you end up wearing them?

I got rubber bands at about 10 months into my treatment. I wore them religously for 5 weeks and that was it. I recommend wearing them all the time as well as changing them after every meal-or however your ortho prescribes! Now I am at the end. It seems I will be getting my braces off about one year from when I finished rubber bands.

I've had mine since day one. Don't know how long I'll be wearing them though...

I've had mine since my third adjustment, about 4 months into treatment. I'm not sure how long I have to wear them, but they certainly do the trick!

Elastics can come at the end of treatment....but they can also come at the start or the middle. Elastics are no sign that your treatment is almost done.

I've had elastics since my first adjustment (read: one month in braces) and I still have them now, 19 months later. I've had them the entire time in different configuration and strengths, and I've been fairly decent about remembering to wear them.

I have class III on one side and a midline across the front. I am supposed to wear them at night and whenever else possible. I pretty much wear them all of the time. Except for now. I think I already went through this once....posting about my elastic wear while not using them!!!

I believe I got them at 5 months??? Maybe earlier....I don't remember. I keep waiting to see if I get more as I was told that elastic wear was a major part of the treatment. Personally, I am happy where I am at....I don't want any more!

As a general rule, it seems as if elastics are a "tweaking" tool used at the end. In my case, they are fairly heavy ones used to yank my whole arch around like a string of pearls. (As she puts it)

I think they will also be used later to correct a slight crossbite. I am told that they need to attach little buttons on the inside of the molar bands for this....I am pretty sure this will suck. (Pardon me) Maybe I will escape this as well.

I just went for my second adjustment and was told I would be getting elastics the next adjustment.

I got elastics at 6 months to close my bite. I'm still wearing them 3 months later.

i got my class 3 elastic on my right side at about 9 months and i have been wearing it for 7 months

I am told that they need to attach little buttons on the inside of the molar bands for this....I am pretty sure this will suck. (Pardon me) Maybe I will escape this as well.

As a former "button" wearer, its not that bad. Actually, it feels more comfortable when you wear the elastic because the button is not so
"pokey" on your tongue. The elastic makes it more tolerable.

I got elastics at the same time as my braces went on... just a few weeks after my SARPE. I needed to get my lower molars uprighted quickly and it did the trick in just a few weeks.

I've been off them since January, but expect to have them back for some adjustments to the uppers. Like everyone says, they're just another tool in the toolchest... they can be used anytime. But they're hard to shoot with your fingers with any accuracy...

I got my elastics the day I got braced. Up until my first adjustment, they were only on at night. Since then, they're on 24 hours a day.

Not sure how long I'll be wearing them... but it doesn't worry me. I got used to them very quickly and now my mouth feels "naked" (but not the good kind of naked- ie no braces!!) without them!

I got elastics at my 2nd adjustment. they were attached to by lower back molar band up to the 3 tooth along from the molar band at the top (if that maks sense). After my 3rd adjustment on Tuesday i am now wearing one elastic from my two top front teeth, down to my two bottom front teeth, in a kind of box formation. I dont know how long I will be in elastics.

Lau xx

I got elastics after about a year in braces, when alignment of the teeth was pretty much finished. It seems that my ortho likes to get the teeth all in their right places before working on the bite.

I will be getting elastics on wednesday after 20 months of treatment.