What Are My Rubber Bands Even Doing?

If you ever sucked your finger or thumbs, you may have an overbite or an underbite, which means you may need braces. There are two types of rubber bands for braces. The first is called ligatures, which are the smaller rubber bands placed around your brackets. However, today we are focusing on inter-arch elastics, usually just called rubber bands. These rubber bands are made of a stretchy elastic material and are larger than ligatures. They are used to apply pressure to one’s jaw through force and tension created by the elasticity of the bands. In turn, the bands help to correct overbites and underbites. Rubber bands can be placed on teeth in a multitude of ways, but the most common is inter-arch, connecting the top of the mouth to the bottom.

How Do They Work?

Rubber bands pull the jaw forward or backwards, in order to align the top and bottom rows of teeth but can also be used to make the straightening process faster for individual teeth. When receiving rubber bands, brackets with hooks are put on either side of one’s mouth, one on the top and one on the bottom of both the left and right side. A band is then attached to the bottom and top teeth, connecting the upper and lower part of your mouth. The angle of the rubber band depends on how bad the overbite or underbite is, the bigger the problem, the wider the angle.

The Dos and Don’ts

• DO follow the directions of your orthodontist or dentist.
• DO try to wear your bands as much as possible. While you should wear your rubber bands 24 hours a day, we realize that is an unrealistic request. Many orthodontists suggest taking them out to brush your teeth, floss, and eat. Although it may be easier to eat without the bands, studies have shown that wearing them as you chew can actually shorten the process.
• DO wear your bands while you sleep.
• DO replace your rubber bands each time you take them out with new ones.
• DON’T double up on rubber bands. Although it may seem to work faster because more pressure is being applied, it may actually slow down the movement of your teeth.
• DON’T forget to wear your bands. Wearing them intermittently may actually cause more pain and soreness than wearing them all the time.

Remembering to wear your rubber bands may be a pain, but the more you do it, the less you will actually have to wear them in the long run. Rubber bands use force and tension to pressure your jaw into the correct position while speeding up the straightening process of your teeth in general. Rubber bands will help you more than they hurt you.