Most people would require orthodontics for various reasons at puberty. This method is used to treat crooked and crowding teeth and to adjust the position of the teeth, and of course, the presence of braces is always used for the health of the individual teeth. Orthodontic elastic bands will usually be used with orthodontic braces, which is of particular importance.
Orthodontic elastic bands to modify the jaws’ relationships
An orthodontic elastic band is a small elastic band that adjusts the teeth based on the pressure imposed on them. The bands are placed between the upper and lower or between the front or rear brackets. In this way, they help modify the relationships between the upper and lower jaws and achieve better orthodontics results.
What exactly do the orthodontic elastic bands do?
Sometimes these bands seem not to affect the teeth’ conditions. But the orthodontic bands are used for greater purposes. Some orthodontics treatments require correction phases in which the bands perform a better role. Although this phase takes more time and is more complicated than other treatment phases, the use of these bands is worth it to enjoy a proper jaw position and aligned teeth.
Cooperation of patients regarding the orthodontics elastic band is essential because they should use it according to the dentist’s guidelines. Cooperation and regular use are keys to achieve the best result. The bands should be placed regularly on special brackets and replaced for their effectiveness. According to the dental conditions, they may be placed in an effective position or a particular form or configuration.
Different parts of the orthodontic elastic bands
The characteristics of these bands vary according to their size. The elasticity of different sizes can affect their elastic power. The orthodontic elastic bands have three important components:
Strength
The band strength is expressed in ounces and has different levels, including light (2.5 ounces), medium (3.5 ounces), heavy (6.0 ounces), and XX heavy (6.6 ounces); the elasticity strength increases gradually.
Diameter
Diameter refers to the elastic band width and varies based on the distance required to pull two brackets. The smallest and the largest diameter pertain to 1.8 and 3.8 orthodontic bands, respectively.
Band name
The band name helps patients recognize the type of band they use and is a good sign to follow their treatment. Labeling of the orthodontic elastic bands is important because the use of bands that are not relevant to the treatment can impose severe damages. Most orthodontic companies provide unique names for these products.
The ingredients of orthodontic elastic bands
The orthodontic elastic bands are made of latex or non-latex materials. The latex bands are used more, but since some people are sensitive to latex, the non-latex bands are also available. Orthodontic elastic bands made of natural latex are yellow, while the non-latex bands are transparent.
Daily life with orthodontic elastic bands
People with orthodontic elastic bands should know that maintenance of these bands is a part of their life because they should be aware of and sensitive to them throughout the day except when eating. This may annoy some people; however, they will get used to them gradually.