Orthodontic bands, popularly known as elastics, rubber bands, or simply bands, are commonly worn as accessories to braces. They are crucial to the treatment of teeth and jaw irregularities. However, not everyone with braces needs to wear them.

Your orthodontist is in the best position to tell you if you must wear bands or not. If your dental healthcare provider insists you wear these accessories, you should listen. This article sheds more light on how important bands are in your orthodontic treatment.

Why You Should Wear Your Orthodontic Bands

You may fall into the category of people who wonder why they have to wear bands despite already having braces on. Depending on the condition of your teeth, elastics provide additional support during your orthodontic treatment. They are applied to certain parts of your teeth in need of extra force to achieve the desired alignment. Bands work with dental braces to help straighten out your teeth and keep them in proper shape. They come in handy for teeth spacing and position adjustments.

Most times, brace bands are recommended for people with an overbite, underbite, crossbite, or underbite problem. An underbite is a lower jaw misalignment problem that makes your lower teeth stick out farther than normal. It is commonly associated with speech problems, difficulty chewing food, and sometimes pain. In a situation where it is the upper jaw that protrudes out, the condition is referred to as an overbite. These teeth alignment issues may lead to tooth decay, headaches, and jaw pain. For open bites, the teeth slant outwards, causing your teeth to wear off.

Some of these problems are hereditary. Genetic or not, orthodontic bands will help you correct these abnormalities in no time, especially when you wear them correctly. During treatment, they also alleviate the symptoms associated with teeth and jaw misalignment. You may be required to wear a single rubber band or multiple ones depending on the severity of the problem. No matter the number your orthodontist recommends to you, it is best you wear them for rapid results and to save yourself from avoidable discomfort.

Common Classification of Bands and Their Uses

Bands come in diverse forms and types depending on the amount of force they supply, their sizes, and the material type (latex or synthetic). Synthetic rubbers would be ideal for patients who are allergic to latex.

There are two main categories of braces bands: orthodontic rubber bands and ligatures. Rubber bands attach to the small hooks of your brackets for bite and jaw position adjustments. Typically, you will see one end of a rubber band connected to the bracket on the lower jaw and the other end to the bracket on the upper jaw. The ligatures are basically smaller rubber bands usually installed around brackets to hold the archwire in place. In kids, you are more likely to observe them in different bright colors.

Orthodontic bands can also be grouped based on their exact purpose of use. For example, class 1 bands are used to close extra spaces between the teeth. Class 2 bands correct overbites, and class 3 bands are used in the treatment of underbites. There are vertical and cross bands too. While vertical bands are used for open bite correction, cross bands, as their name implies, are best for correcting crossbites.

How Often Should You Replace Your Bands?

The right time to wear bands and length of wear time is different for everyone. It varies according to various patients and the severity of the condition. Some patients are required to start wearing bands for a short period after getting their braces installed. For others, the bands would be administered at a later stage of treatment.

While some patients need to wear them only for a few weeks, others may have to wear them longer. If your treatment requires bands, your OMG Smiles orthodontic specialist will let you know the best time to add them to your braces, how often you should replace them and other relevant information.

Patients should always keep their bands on, even when going to bed. You may only remove them temporarily anytime you want to eat, brush, or floss. It is expected that these bands lose their elastic properties as time passes.

The additional force they support your teeth and jaws with starts to decline, implying that treatment becomes ineffective if you keep the same bands on for too long. On average, you should replace them with new ones three to five times daily. To avoid confusion, consult your orthodontists to know the appropriate times to replace them.

What To Expect While You Wear Your Bands

Your orthodontic treatment with rubber bands won’t be entirely smooth. Although they are made from stretchy material and are easy to wear, you should expect to face some minor unpleasant effects while wearing them correctly. This should not be scary as you will gradually get used to wearing them.

One of the major things you are likely to experience is temporary discomfort, especially after you have just started applying them to your braces. They can make your teeth and jaw sensitive since they add extra pressure to your braces. Nonetheless, the pain is usually very mild and can easily be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers.

It is not unusual for your bands to break or get lost. To deal with this, you should always carry extras with you even when you are not home. You can keep a couple of additional bands in your bags or car. Even if nothing happens to them, you are still expected to replace them frequently. There are days you may not remember to wear them — and we understand that might be unintentional. Consult your orthodontist if you forget to wear them for too long to administer the right correction procedures.

Conclusion

Note that it is not enough to wear bands; you have to wear them the right way and do so frequently as your orthodontist recommends. This is important for your treatment to go on without complications.

Failure to do this increases the original length of your treatment. It may also mean not getting the best results. To learn more about bands and other aspects of your orthodontist treatment, call us or contact us online to talk to an expert.