Why is elastic wear so important?

“Can I get my braces off this summer?”. 

This is the most popular question we hear lately! Most kids don’t want to go back to school with their braces on, but sometimes its not up to Dr. Spurrier…its up to the patient! Elastic wear is a big part of finishing most treatment. But here’s the catch…if don’t wear your elastics, you are prolonging your treatment.

Here are some important elastic FAQs:

-The final part of braces are interarch elastics, which are used to adjust bite and jaw position. These are connected to the brackets with hooks, often connecting the top tooth bracket with the bottom tooth bracket to help adjust the position of the teeth in the mouth and the position of the jaw. Interarch elastics help to ensure that your teeth will line up properly.

• If you have an over bite, under bite, open bite or midline discrepancy, you most likely will need to wear elastics.

• These must be removed during meals as well as when cleaning teeth and orthodontic brackets. In addition, they are typically replaced daily because of the wear they endure.

• Not everyone who gets braces will need interarch elastics, as it depends on the existing jaw alignment and what the orthodontist recommends to the patient based upon the models of the teeth and the recommended treatment.