Jaw popping with braces elastics?
I've had braces for 10 months now, and I have been wearing one elastic on my right side for the whole time to fix my overbite/crossbite. I never wore them like I should have (24/7) until now. I have worn them 24/7 for 3 weeks now, along with a powerchain on both top and bottom. Today while I was eating lunch the right side of my jaw kept popping and clicking, but never locked. Some teeth on the right side feel a little sore too. Should I be worried about TMJ? Or will this go away on its own?
What do Class 2 rubber bands mean in orthodontics (for fixing an overbite)?
Class 2 elastics are actually for fixing an overjet. This is when your top arch is too far in front of your bottom arch (also called buck teeth). The class 2 elastics hook to a forward tooth on the top arch (typically your canine tooth) and to a back molar (typically second molar) on the bottom arch to bring your top teeth back and lower teeth forward. They also seem to help retrain your jaw muscles so that your mandible comes forward a bit, though they can only do so much, depending on how bad your class 2 malocclusion is. More severe class 2 bites will typically require jaw surgery in addition to braces.
How do rubber bands correct an overbite?
I use what is called reverse curve wire. It is used toward the end of treatment when the teeth are relatively straight. This wire is pre-bent. When it is tied in, it exerts upward forces to the upper anterior teeth. It can also been used on the lowers as needed.
How long does it take for your rubberbands to make a drastic change in your teeth?
Sweet Pea, you are being given the correct advice from MC, not Mr. Dental. Here are the instructions from the handout sheet I give my patients regarding wearing their elastics: Elastics move the teeth in a direction which cannot be accomplished with braces alone. They must be worn constantly to be effective -- 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Part-time wear does NOT move teeth, but it does cause them to constantly be sore. You may remove the elastics only when eating your meals or brushing your teeth. Leave them in during snacking. It may seem hard for you to put on the elastics at first. However, it will become easier with practice. Your teeth and jaws may be tender the first few days of wearing the elastics. This is normal and should begin to disappear within a week. If it persists longer, please call our office. Change elastics routinely, even if they are not broken. After a while, elastics lose their strength. It is preferable to change them in the morning, at the very least. If one elastic breaks, replace both sides. Carry extra elastics with you at all times. If you don't have enough elastics to last until your next appointment, please stop by our office and pick more up. We don't want you to run out. Elastic wear is an important key to the speed of your treatment and the final results we can achieve. Please call the office if you have any questions or concerns. Good luck with your elastics!
Elastics didn't fix my weak chin.?
You have a Class II jaw (aka retruded/receded chin) which is a skeletal problem and traditional orthodontists do not know how to correct skeletal problems (jaws alignments). Instead they disguise the problem to make it look less obvious by extracting perfectly good teeth (premolars) and moving front teeth back. This is called a dental "correction" and is a basically a shuffling around of teeth which does not correct the original problem at all. The mandible will still be retruded when treatment is completed. Another myth traditional orthodontists are taught to believe is elastics can move the mandible forward and keep it there. This is not true because whenever there is a battle between muscle and elastics, muscles always win. Muscles are just too strong for elastics to overcome. Elastics can move a lower jaw forward but once the elastics are off the jaw will simply go back to where it was from the beginning. So that is why you still have a retruded mandible (aka weak chin, crappy chin). You are not alone because elastics will not permanently move a lower jaw forward in anyone yet traditional orthodontists continue trying and failing miserably. If you want to really correct your Class II jaw you need to see an orthodontist who knows functional orthodontics. If you continue seeing traditional orthodontists you will always get the same answer because they are all trained the same way. You are living proof that the type of treatment you received does not work so what is there to ask about whether elastics can move mandibles forward PERMANENTLY? To find a functional orthodontist near you check this site out: www.iaortho.org. The proper way to correct a skeletal Class II is with functional appliances. Wearing these will move the mandible forward and keep it there but only an orthodontist who knows functional orthodontic technique can accomplish this.
Can overbites be fixed using braces without the elastics?
Many people confuse the terms OVERBITE and OVERJET and both are completely different. In your case you really mean OVERJET (a horizontal discrepancy) rather than OVERBITE (a vertical discrepancy). If your overjet is due to a skeletal problem (the lower jaw is not properly lined up with the maxilla), then NO, braces cannot correct the problem and only a functional appliance will (along with braces, if necessary). However, if your overjet is due to a dental problem (the jaws are aligned properly but the teeth are not), then YES, elastics and/or heavier wire can correct the problem. Since your orthodontist told you his objective is to push front teeth back there are two possible scenarios - you have a skeletal problem or you have a dental problem. Unfortunately, a traditional orthodontist will use the same technique to correct both scenarios while a functional orthodontist will not. Since traditional orthodontists do not know how to move mandibles forward to correct a skeletal problem, they do so dentally by shuffling teeth around. The skeletal problem will remain but the appearance will look as if a correction was done or made to look less obvious without actually correcting the problem. A functional orthodontist, on the other hand, will actually line up the upper and lower jaws properly to correct a skeletal problem. Traditional orthodontists also believe that elastics can correct Class II or retruded mandibles - NOT.
Are braces able to move (correctly) your lower jaw forward (it is a goal in my case)?
Yes. The myofunctional appliances can jump the bite, meaning they can bring your jaw bones forward or stop it from further growth. Some of the appliances which are frequently used to bring the jaw forward are, twin block, activator, Frankel etc. While these are removable appliances, there are fixed type of appliances such as Herbst or Mara .There are still some more appliances that can be worn in conjunction with traditional braces For example; Herbst 2, Forsus, Powerscope etc.
Rubber Bands Helped but what about Herbst Appliance?
A Herbst is a fixed functional appliance and functional appliances will work on adults as well as children. Rubber bands will NOT work but many traditional orthodontic specialists erroneously believe they do. Rubber elastics will move the lower jaw forward but not permanently as a functional appliance will. The best outcome with elastics is called a dual bite. That means the patient can still voluntarily move the mandible forwards AND backwards giving 2 bites instead of one. With functional appliances there will be only one bite - the correct one. And don't even think about surgery especially when the condition can be corrected without. You just need to go to an orthodontist who knows functional orthodontics.
I heard that braces can ruin your face. How long does that last until your face is back to normal?
Seems like there are many misconceptions that make your question.Braces dont ruin faces, they are designed to help you improve your smile and help you chew food better(improve your bite).There are situations in which your face will undergo a slight alteration, which will usually improve your overall look.Orthodontics is a very established branch of dentistry and is backed by solid science and rigorous analysis and techniques. It is very important that you always always consult an orthodontic specialist for your treatment needs and expectations.You have to express your expectations on treatment outcomes clearly, and be totally under an orthodontist care.Sometimes things can go wrong, like with everything in life and that is noone’s fault. The vast majority of patients under a qualified orthodontist’s care are happy with the results.