Braces and rubber bands both are very effective in straightening your teeth and for the treatment of misaligned jaw. Commonly, wearing braces is enough but in some cases, orthodontist also provides you rubber bands with braces to wear. Rubber bands put extra tension on your teeth to move them in the right position or to the right place. Rubber bands work with the braces to provide you more constant force.
Braces:
Braces are small squares that are fitted at the front of your teeth through a wire. There are several types of braces in which train track braces are most common and some others are white braces, clear braces and black braces which are innovative but costly.
Working of Braces:
Working of braces is very simple, they apply force on your teeth to move or align them into the right position. But before applying braces orthodontist creates a whole plan that how and in which direction each tooth needs to be move, then he attach the brackets and insert the wire. Bends in wire help to provide different types of pressure. It is a slow process but putting constant pressure on your teeth can move them into the right position.
Rubber Bands:
Rubber bands are tiny and available in many colors, these are also called elastics. There are two types of rubber bands and both have different jobs to do. One is called ligature and second is interarch.
Working of Rubber Bands:
A Ligature is wrapped around each bracket and it helps in holding the wire in place. It stays in the place and can only be removed by the orthodontist. Another rubber band is interarch which is used to fix the alignment of the jaw.
Time Period:
Well, if you are thinking that for how long do you have to wear braces then, to be honest, there is no way to tell you the exact time but you can get an idea by determining yourself and by asking your orthodontist because it depends on the condition of your mouth, type of braces and your age. An average treatment takes 24 months but if a condition is not that bad and you are a teen then it can also take less than 12 months but in some cases, it also takes more than 3 years.
Hurting:
Does braces and rubber bands really hurt? It hurts a little when you first time get them on and each time you adjust them because they put pressure on your teeth to make them move. It is better to eat soft foods like bread because eating hard foods can make them hurt more.
Daily Life:
Another common question most of the people ask is do braces and rubber bands interfere with daily life? In the beginning, your mouth will feel weird but with the time you will get used to it. It puts a little impact on your diet because there are some foods that you will have to avoid like crunchy and chewy foods. However, in the end, everything will get settled down.