I'm not having elastics, so why do I have hooks?

[parsleysage]

Other than Damons, do all brackets come with hooks already on them? I was told by the ortho assistant today my treatment will not include elastics. If so, why the heck do I need to deal with these pokey hooks?!

[Nozzelnut]

They wanted you to have the "full experience" of having braces; poking hooks included.

Who knows; your orthodontist might change his mind during your treatment and use the hooks too.

[sirwired]

The plan doesn't include hooks now, but it might in the future, and it's not free for the ortho to swap in brackets with hooks.

[djspeece]

I wouldn't put much stock in what the assistant says, so why not just ask the ortho directly?

[parsleysage]

The plan doesn't include hooks now, but it might in the future, and it's not free for the ortho to swap in brackets with hooks.

That's kind of why I was wondering if Damons are the only ones you can add hooks to later. Mine are self-ligating with the little doors (I actually thought I was getting Damons) so I wasn't expecting them to have hooks on.

I will need hooks on all my brackets for my surgery next year but only the ones in the back have them so there must be a way to add hooks and/or the ortho will be swapping out the brackets. (With the surcharge added to my fee for being a surgical patient I'm pretty sure I could get a new set of brackets at each adjustment and not impact his margin too greatly ) If so, I'm not sure why I needed the ones with hooks now. That's all.

[parsleysage]

I wouldn't put much stock in what the assistant says, so why not just ask the ortho directly?

Good point. I'll try to do that next time. My ortho is one of those absentee orthodontists, lol. I think out of the 1.5 hours I was there yesterday he was at my chair for 7 or 8 minutes.

[sirwired]

That's kind of why I was wondering if Damons are the only ones you can add hooks to later. Mine are self-ligating with the little doors (I actually thought I was getting Damons) so I wasn't expecting them to have hooks on.

I will need hooks on all my brackets for my surgery next year but only the ones in the back have them so there must be a way to add hooks and/or the ortho will be swapping out the brackets. (With the surcharge added to my fee for being a surgical patient I'm pretty sure I could get a new set of brackets at each adjustment and not impact his margin too greatly ) If so, I'm not sure why I needed the ones with hooks now. That's all.

A few days before surgery, you'll stop by your ortho and get "surgical hooks" clamped directly to your archwire between a bunch of the teeth that don't have hooks, and on any especially long inter-bracket distances.

[parsleysage]

So, turns out that I don't know anything about my own treatment because I was installed in class 3 elastics at my most recent adjustment! I'm glad these hooks have something to do now

[mollycat]

I've wondered the same thing about my hooks. I also have self-ligating, so maybe they do come with them? I'm 5 months in, and no discussion of elastics yet. However, I haven't asked, because I don't want the answer to be "yes"! I remember elastics from my first time in braces and really hope I can avoid them. (Aren't surgery patients put through enough?)

I hope your experience with elastics isn't too bad. At least your hooks aren't lonely anymore.
m

[sirwired]

If you are up for surgery, you WILL have elastics, if not before treatment, certainly as part of the fixation afterwards.

Some patients get put on several really heavy elastics so they practically feel wired shut. Some (myself included) are put on really mild ones just to remind the lower jaw that it should rest in a position to fit in the upper splint. (In fact, my post-surgical elastics were lighter than my pre-surgical elastics!)

[djspeece]

I have Damons and got the hooks too and did not start with elastics, and being in denial thought that I might not need elastics. My denial persisted for about 8 weeks when my ortho gleefully announced that it was time for elastics (class II).