Embracing change: time to be flexible
Caring for braces and the importance of being flexible
Okay, you’ve made the important decision to get braces. Now you need to maintain them to ensure the best treatment.
In part one we looked at cleaning your braces and how maintaining a meticulous oral hygiene routine is not only good for your teeth and gums, but also good for your braces.
In part two we looked at what you can and can’t eat when wearing braces. Luckily it’s winter, and there’s no better season for soups and stews. Soups and stews don’t require a great deal of chewing and so won’t put a lot of pressure on your braces.
In part three we take a look at elastics (get excited…) and why they are a vital part of successful treatment. Changing your elastics as prescribed and wearing them all the time will keep your treatment on track. Fail to do so and you run the risk of prolonging treatment.
Elastic wear
For orthodontic treatment to be successful your teeth and jaws can only move toward their corrected positions if you consistently wear your rubber bands and appliances.
Elastics are a vital part of treatment
Except for while brushing your teeth, you should be wearing elastics at all times. You also need to change them at least once a day.
Changing your elastics every 24 hours is necessary as elastics lose their elasticity and wear out. Replacing elastics daily helps to ensure that your orthodontic treatment stays on track. An elastic may seem like such a small component in context to the braces on your teeth, however they play a vital role.
Just how important are elastics?
To put it simply, leaving off your elastics for even an hour could lose you all the movement gained in the last 24 hours: essentially you’re back to where you started. Not only can you lose all movement but it can create additional setbacks.
Four key things to remember:
- Always wear your elastics (even when you’re asleep)
- Change your elastics once a day (or how often your Orthosmile Orthodontist has recommended)
- Always, always make sure elastics are placed on both sides
- Never place more elastics than is recommended. Putting more on won’t help, it’ll only damage your teeth
We’re happy to mail out new elastics
Don’t run out: ever. It’s just not worth it. If an elastic breaks, put a new one on immediately. Running low? Let us know. We are always happy to mail you out more.
Thank you for reading; we’ll be posting part four and five of caring for braces in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, or would like to know more, please contact Orthosmile Orthodontics. Alternatively we have four locations across Brisbane if you’d like to come in and talk with one of our friendly team members.