Elastics (orthodontics)

Elastics are rubber bands frequently used in the field of orthodontics to correct different types of malocclusions. The elastic wear is prescribed by an orthodontist or a dentist in an orthodontic treatment. The longevity of the elastic wear may vary from two weeks to several months. The elastic wear can be worn from 12 to 23 hours a day, either during the night or throughout the day depending on the requirements for each malocclusion. The many different types of elastics may produce different forces on teeth. Therefore, using elastics with specific forces is critical in achieving a good orthodontic occlusion. The term intermaxillary elastics is used when elastics can go from the maxillary to the mandibular arch. Intra-maxillary elastics are elastics used in one arch only, either mandibular or maxillary. People using elastics for orthodontic correction change their elastics three to four times during the day. Elastic wear is recommend to be used in a rectangular wire to minimize side effects. Elastic wear depends on the compliance of the patient. A non-compliant patient should never be instructed to continue wearing elastics, for whom other options may be considered. Natural rubber, used by the Incan and Mayan cultures, was the first known elastomer. Charles Goodyear developed the process of vulcanization, after which the use of natural rubber increased. Henry Albert Baker is the first person known to have used elastics to correct the position of teeth. In the late 1800s he named his elastic wear the Baker Anchorage. Others, including Edward Angle, the father of orthodontics, suggest that Calvin Case was the first to use intermaxillary elastics. Natural rubber is known to absorb water, and its elasticity deteriorates fairly quickly. Therefore, latex elastics became prominent in orthodontic usage in the early 1900s. Later synthetic elastics developed in the 1960s superseded other types of elastics for use in orthodontic correction. Elastics are available in many different type of forces.