ELASTICS INSTRUCTIONS

Elastics Instructions

TEETH HAVE NEVER FAILED TO MOVE WHEN ELASTICS ARE WORN CONSISTENTLY AS INSTRUCTED.

You have been instructed to wear your retainers according to one of the following instructions:

• Wear elastics 20–22 hours a day. They must be worn while sleeping. Remove them only when eating or for sports, when a mouthguard is required. It’s important to wear them as much as possible, especially while sleeping.
• Wear elastics only at night. Put on after supper and wear several hours before bedtime, then sleep in elastics all night. Try to average 12–14 hours every night.

Elastics are worn at various phases in treatment. They are a gentle, continuous force to help individual tooth movement and the alignment of one arch to another.

When they are worn incorrectly, your treatment slows to a standstill or stops. They should not be worn one day and left off the next; this back-and-forth movement sets up a resistance that will virtually prevent normal tooth movement.

The amount of elastic wear is directly related to the length of time you wear your braces. The more you wear them, the sooner your braces come off.

Any discomfort from the elastics should disappear in 2–3 days. Follow instructions exactly, and you will get better, faster, and more comfortable results.