Elastics

Not going to lie, life with elastics is NOT fun. The excitement and buzz with Invisalign is definitely over! Haha, no just kidding, but since getting elastics I have been in a little bit of pain.

What are elastics?

Firstly, I’ll tell you what they are. Elastics are usually associated with metal braces, but they are an accommodation for Invisalign cases as well. The hooks on Invisalign aligners are designed for attachment with small elastic bands. They supplement the improvement of your teeth as they are positioned into the correct alignment, helping to restore an effective bite.

To correct my 5mm overbite my orthodontist said it was necessary to wear elastics between the upper and lower teeth. My top elastics are attached to little hooks on the Invisalign plastic itself like this (see the incision on the third tooth along):

Then on the bottom my orthodontist attached tiny metal hooks to my lower back teeth like this:

Just like my aligners, elastics must be removed for eating and cleaning but then need to be in place for 22 out of 24 hours.

My first week wearing Invisalign elastics

I said to myself I wasn’t going to glamorise this treatment and be completely honest, so I will. I have been in pain over the last week unfortunately. These are the problems I’m experiencing:

• The metal hooks at the back teeth are digging into my cheeks and causing pain! My mouth is white, cut and ulcer-like at the moment.

• The front hooks on the Invisalign plastic are really sharp and pointy and are cutting my upper mouth.

• The elastics themselves are slicing my mouth and rubbing! I have big white slices/lines on the inside of my mouth.

Coping with pain from elastics

After a lot of research I have found a few tips to help cope and deal with the pain of first getting elastics.

1. To help with the metal hooks – A friend gave me some Orthodontic wax which is designed to soothe and protect against the discomfort. You tear of a tiny piece, roll it up in a ball and pop it on any sharp bits. It really helps!!! It is super cheap and can be bought from Boots for £3.20.

2. To help with the plastic hooks – I read that you can file down any sharp bits of plastic gently with a nail file. I grabbed a couple of really cheap ones from Savers and smoothed down the spiky part so it would sit better on my gums.

3. To help with the elastics slicing - Firstly I got some Bonjela to rub on my mouth as I read this will soothe the ulcers/cuts and keep them clean. Additionally I figured out that the longer I was wearing the same elastics the thinner and sharper they were becoming so I am trying to change them daily and use new ones.

This blog entry does sound like I’m whinging a lot (and yes I am), but I think I’ve just had a bad first week. On a positive note I am feeling a little better as the week goes on and the pain is easing. I feel/hope my mouth becomes used to it and toughens up! As always, don’t let this put you off, as the good does outweigh the bad and I just keep thinking of the bigger picture and how fab my teeth are going to look in the end!