Interach Elastics

Hi, My son had some interarch elastics put on today. The right side elastic is attached from the bottom front canine to the back top molar. The left side elastic is attached to the top canine tooth then the bottom back molar. When I did research online, the elastics for underbites attached to the front lower teeth and stretched to the upper back. The elastics for overbites attached to the top canines and went to the lower molars on both sides. An assistant,not ortho,put them on?? Did she do it correctly? He did have one upper molar removed before he had braces. Could that be the reason?

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Answer: Interarch elastics

By Sarah h
Dental Professional

Orthodontic assistants are instructed by the Orthodontist on which gauge of elastics and where to place them.  Because I am unsure of the orthodontists recommended treatment, it is hard to say if she placed them correctly.  However, the orthodontist would not allow an assistant to instruct a patient if he/she was not confident in their skills.  Many times the left and right malocclusion can be different.  For example, your son could be a Class I molar occlusion on the right, but a cross bite on the left.  This would require two different patterns for the elastics.  The best thing to do is to call and ask the orthodontist, or schedule an additional appointment to be sure both you and your son are confident in the instruction and placement of the elastics.  It is better to be safe than to wear the elastics incorrectly.  This will only add unnecessary time to his treatment.  

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