Fun with elastics?

[kaylaa]

Okay, so I'm getting elastics in 4 days. I am a little nervous about them as I don't know what to expect. I decided to ask my orthodontist last time approximately when I should expect to see elastics and he said "well, since you're so excited, how about next visit we put you in class II elastics?" I'm like "hmmm okay". So the day is approaching and I have only read bad things about elastics. So maybe let's talk about the bright side of them, what are your elastics called? I know there are animals, countries, colours, names etc. So what are yours called?

Thanks for the positive vibes in advance

[farmboy]

Welcome to the club! I just graduated to elastics two days ago. I'm told I'll have to wear them for the rest of my treatment, probably about a year or so.

When I first had braces when I was a kid, I thought elastics were by far the worst part of the treatment--worse than even headgear.

Despite that, the past two days haven't been bad. Granted, I only have one class III elastic right now, and my orthodontist purposely started me with a light force.

As far as the names for elastics, my orthodontist gave me "sprites." She must have a lot of young female patients, because the elastics are all named after mythical creatures. I jokingly told her I was glad she didn't give me the "minotaur" elastics.

She said I'd get those later, that they're stronger, and like their namesake, they do hurt more!

Good luck with yours!

[yoginbraces]

I don't know what mine are called but I do know they work as long as you wear them faithfully. I did not for the first several weeks (or longer) but now that I am I can actually see and feel my bite changing and teeth shifting. Yay!! Whenever I don't want to wear them I just think about the progress I will lose and that usually motivates me to keep going. Good luck to you!

[GeenBug]

I've just been giving elastics last week. I haven't read anything bad about them...(so I'm wondering what the bad things are), then again I didn't know much about them till now, so I'm just... learning. I actually used to think they were the same thing as powerchains or that "elastics" were another name for powerchains. When I got my powerchains back in October, the hygienist called them "elastic chains," so that's where the confusion came in. I asked another hygienist at my next appointment after that one and she said that the previous hygienist had been working at another office before and perhaps they called powerchains "elastic chains" there. Anyoo, now I know they're two completely different things. I was told to always wear them; to only take them out when I want to eat, but apart from that to make sure I wear them all the time, overnight and everything. It was a little hard trying to hook the one on the right side at first, for some reason I had trouble with that side, but I'm now I've gotten the hang of it and it only takes me a few seconds to get them in now .

For some of you who've had/had elastics, when did you get them during the course of your treatment and do you wear them until the end of your treatment? I think the hygienist said I would likely wear mine until the end or something. I know treatment differs for everyone, but I'm curious about other people's experiences with them are. And what exactly do they do? What did they do for you/have they done for you? I know they fix overbites (one of the reasons I have them). That first hygienist I had went to see another patient (usually I get the same person, but last week I had two) and the other hygienist who showed me how to wear them said they would push my upper teeth back and my teeth would be straight and aligned (she was also talking about the overbite here) and that they would align my jaws... . What changes do they make to your jaws?