[-charmed.]

Im not sure how long you're suppose to wear elastics on with braces but when I wore them from when I first got them to the next appointment (skipped a few days since I lost some) My orthodontist made me do it all over again of course cause it didn't make a difference. So its been since March since I had the last appointment and I've been wearing them EVERYDAY and I still don't see much of a change. The spaces from my extracted teeth hasn't closed up that much and I don't want to get in trouble again cause they might think I haven't beeen wearing them even though I do. =\. How long does this usually take ?

[random koohkie]

It all depends on your case.
Honestly, your orthodontist is supposed to tell you how many hours you're supposed to wear them, or wear them all day except when eating.
Usually they'll tell you to stop wearing the elastics for a short while, then slowly change you to thicker elastics.

[MIS0HAPPY]

i cheated a few times and doubled up on my bands. :x my teeth hurt like when i first got braces, but my ortho didn't notice that i hadn't been wearing them. that i wasn't wearing them. he said "wow! teeth are looking great!" hahaha. i usually did this 3-5 days in advanced. mostly when i slept.


all in all, just go along with what your ortho is saying.
they're smart people.

[tiffanitrix]

^
does doubling up really work??
omg i should do that
i just need to close this REALLY TEENSY small gap then i'm done.

[Darling__]

I would assume if your trying to close up a gap that you wear it 24/7 and if you can't manange while eating then take it off. Thats what they tell me. And change the elastics after you eat or every so often cause it looses its elasticity. But i've skipped a few times and it was fine. : ) Maybe double it up while your sleeping so it wouldn't be as painful as wearing them while talking.

[cherii2007]

Haha...when I had braces, I was so lazy with putting elastics in. Most of the time, I didn't. Only when my family started bugging me about it and had to constantly remind me about it. In the end, I was probably...half a year later than I should've been. It hasn't really mattered to me though, because having braces didn't change my life that much.

I guess, if I could go back, I'd wear elastics more often than I did. ^^;;

[jolie pomme]

^
does doubling up really work??
omg i should do that
i just need to close this REALLY TEENSY small gap then i'm done.

Don't double your bands!

"If the tooth moves too fast, it might sever the nerves and blood vessels in the tooth and cause problems later. Elastic bands are used to help move crowded or spaced teeth. It also helps with the alignment of the jaw which is common with an overbite.
Doubling bands may cause an excessive amount of pressure to the gum as well as the teeth which could result in damage. Tooth movement is faster with light, constant force. "

[akira53]

I remember when I had braces I wore elastics for about 2 years. They would change the position of it about every 3-4 months or something.

[LunaDiviner]

The orthodontist should tell you how to put them on. There are a number of various ways and reasons for the elastics. Sometimes it's to close gaps, but I had to use them to realign my teeth.