What is the purpose of placing elastic between teeth?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Tien Dat - Doctor of Odonto-Stomatology - Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

When carrying out braces, the brackets will be attached to the teeth to create traction on the teeth and help the teeth move as desired. However, before attaching brackets to the teeth, the doctors will place elastic bands between the teeth to create a gap between the teeth. This aids the attachment of sutures to the molars. It can be said that this is the first procedure when performing braces, most patients have to undergo.

Interstitial elastics are small, slightly hard rubber circles. When using, the doctor will use specialized dental tools to put the elastic band between the patient's teeth. Interstitial elastic will widen the two teeth, creating enough space to place sutures or bend back brackets on the teeth.

There are 2 ways to put the elastic between the teeth as follows:
Method 1 The dentist will perform the operation of threading the elastic through a stretchable piece of floss, then put the floss in between your teeth. For the patient, slowly stretch the floss to one side until the elastic is inserted between the teeth, then pull the floss out.
Method 2 Use a dental splitter to clamp the two elastic ends, separate the alkali to stretch the elastic to the two sides, making the elastic band thinner and easier to thread between the teeth.

Manipulation of placing spandex is done quite quickly. Placing an elastic device between teeth takes only a few seconds. Usually put elastic for both upper and lower jaw, checking the elastic after placing usually only takes about 5 minutes. People preparing for braces need to wear elastic bands between the teeth for at least 5-7 days to ensure that the teeth are separated.
However, the structure and condition of each person's teeth is different. In case, after 5-7 days, the teeth have separated as expected, the dentist will remove the interstitial elastic. However, if the tooth is too hard and slow to move, after 1 week, the dentist will remove the old elastic and put another elastic in its place, until the desired distance between the teeth will be removed.

This is a problem that many people are concerned about before placing an elastic band and ask a question with the dentist. As described above, an interstitial elastic is a foreign object that, when inserted between two closely spaced teeth, causes immediate discomfort after insertion. The feeling of "aching" is similar to when food is stuck between two teeth.
However, the majority of patients said that although it was uncomfortable, the nature of the elastic split did not cause damage to the teeth or mucous membranes - gums. When the teeth are gradually spaced, the discomfort (like getting food between the teeth) of the interstitial elastic will gradually decrease.

When placing the elastic band, the pain at the place where the elastic is placed is unavoidable. Patients can apply ice or use more pain relievers as prescribed by the doctor to reduce discomfort and feel more comfortable.

After placing the elastic between the teeth, the user should only eat soft foods, easy to swallow, do not lead or stick food to the teeth. Absolutely do not use dental floss during the process of placing the interstitial elastic. Normal oral hygiene but need to be done gently, do not rub too hard, easy to cause splinter and slip.

Attach the elastic separately for the purpose of attaching the braces, the stitches will act as the bearing point to pull the teeth evenly. However, the method of braces without putting elastic is still performed, the patient can attach a minivis on the gums, then use the elastic to pull the teeth with the fulcrum of the attached minivis. On the other hand, in cases where the patient's molars are already sparse, and the distance between the molars is enough to attach the braces, it may not be necessary to use braces.
Specializing in Dentistry - jaw - face, Vinmec hospital is equipped with KAVO dental chair system (Germany), camera in dental chair, panorama machine of Gendex, X-ray machine of in situ, Phosphorus film scanner of Gendex brand. , Dently ultrasound machine, Radii Plus Australia teeth whitening forging, endodontic machine, root canal length meter.... help provide maximum support in the examination and implementation of all dental and maxillofacial techniques.
In addition, Vinmec gathers a team of experts, leading doctors with high qualifications, experience, dedication and devotion to the health of patients.
Master, Doctor Dang Tien Dat graduated with a master's degree in Odonto-Stomatology from Hanoi Medical University. Dr. Dat has strengths in: performing wisdom tooth extraction procedures, root canal treatment, tartar removal, gentle tooth filling, minimal trauma, helping patients to minimize pain; Design and make beautiful porcelain teeth. Currently, dentist Dat is working at the Department of Odonto-Stomatology, Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital.
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