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If you’ve visited Kuhlberg Orthodontics, then there’s a good chance you’re looking to perfect your smile by straightening your teeth with braces. At some point during your treatment, you may need to use elastics, otherwise known as rubber bands, for a certain period. These are used to apply additional pressure that will move your teeth in the right direction.

Placement of the elastics is specific to each patient’s teeth. These small rubber bands stretch over the tiny loops on both the top and bottom brackets. At first, Dr. Kuhlberg may recommend you wear the elastics both day and night for an extended time.

You may be told to switch only to nighttime wear once the teeth are set in the correct position. By consistently wearing the elastics, you can shorten the overall time your braces will have to be on.

The elastics are made from medical-grade latex. If you have an allergy to latex, make sure to let Dr. Kuhlberg know, so you can be given an alternate material. We will show you how to take elastics on and off when they’re given to you at your appointment.

You should remove them when you eat so they don’t become overstretched or break. It’s important not to overstretch the bands, and always to replace them if they break. Eventually it will become a familiar habit to carry the bands around with you for times when this might happen.

The Do’s and the Don’ts

• DO … always wash your hands before removing or replacing the rubber bands.
• DO … call us if you run out of elastics.
• DO … get in the habit of carrying around extra rubber bands as replacements.
• DON’T … double up on elastics because this can exert too much pressure on your teeth and could actually harm the roots.
• DON’T … overstretch the rubber bands or they will lose strength and become ineffective.

If you were recently given elastics as well as your braces, feel free to ask any questions during your appointment, or call our Avon, Connecticut office any time. Using elastics correctly is one more step in your journey to a perfect smile!

Exercise, sports and adventurous activities are key elements of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, many sports and activities increase the risk of accidents or injuries to the mouth, jaws or teeth. Sports mouthgaurds help provide protection from many of these injuries. Braces are especially important to protect, as they may break or cause cuts to lips and cheeks.

Mouthguards are valuable in many activities:

• Contact sports, including but not limited to: Baseball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Football, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer
• High impact sports: Skateboarding, Mountain Biking, Skiing, Snowboarding, even Sledding!
• Sparring: Martial Arts, Wrestling, Boxing

While in orthodontic treatment, one of the mouthguards our patients have found comfortable and easy to wear is the SISU Mouthguard (www.sisuguard.com). This is a reformable mouthguard that fits well with braces and can be refit as the teeth straighten. We recommend that we help fit the SISU mouthguard while you have braces.

No matter what type of sport you participate in, a mouthguard can protect your braces. Even an activity as seemingly harmless as table tennis can result in a contact injury. The Academy for Sports Dentistry states that a properly fitted mouthguard should not interfere with any athletic activity.

Kuhlberg Orthodontics will provide you with properly-fitting mouth protection to ensure the safety of your braces and your teeth. We will be glad to answer any questions you have so you can continue the activities you enjoy with little concern. If you do suffer any injuries to your mouth or braces during sporting activities, please contact us immediately. The sooner we can care for your mouth, the better the results will be.

Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog. Please check back often for weekly updates on fun and exciting events happening at our office, important and interesting information about orthodontics, and the latest news about our practice.

Feel free to leave a comment or question for our doctor and staff – we hope this will be a valuable resource for our patients, their families, and friends!