Curious how folks are fixing their off-center smiles—like, the whole “midline” thing? My ortho gave me the choice between those little rubber bands (elastics) that you hook onto your braces, or these coil spring things. I went with elastics because they seemed less intimidating, but honestly, they snap all the time and I keep losing them in my lunch (gross, sorry).
Quick poll: which do you all prefer for moving your midline—elastics, springs, or something else? Also, does anyone actually remember to change their elastics as often as the ortho says? I’m supposed to do it after every meal, but… yeah, that’s not happening.
Kinda curious if one is more comfortable or faster than the other, too. Anyone have a horror story or a surprise happy ending?
I totally get the elastics struggle—
—been there, done that. I tried both elastics and coil springs for my midline. Springs felt more “hardware-ish” but honestly, they were less hassle for me since I didn’t have to remember to swap them out. Elastics definitely moved things faster, but only when I was actually diligent (which… yeah, not always).they snap all the time and I keep losing them in my lunch (gross, sorry)
Comfort-wise, elastics win, but only if you’re good at keeping up with them. Springs were a little annoying at first but I got used to them. Never had a horror story, but once an elastic snapped mid-yawn and almost took my eye out. Not fun.
Totally relate to the elastic-in-lunch thing... mine always seemed to vanish during meals, and I’d find them in the weirdest places. Springs felt like having a tiny trampoline in my mouth, but at least I didn’t have to think about them all day. Did you ever get those little sore spots where the spring rubbed your cheek? I had that for a week or two but it faded. Honestly, I was way worse at remembering elastics than I thought I’d be—was anyone else surprised how much discipline it takes?
Funny thing, I thought springs would be the worst part, but those elastics were my real nemesis. I’d swear I’d put one in after lunch, then find it stuck to my sleeve or in my pocket hours later… no clue how it got there. The discipline bit totally caught me off guard too—I figured, “How hard can it be?” Turns out, very. Ended up setting reminders on my phone just to keep up.
About the sore spots from springs, yeah, I had a couple of rough weeks where it felt like my cheek was at war with the hardware. Wax helped a bit, but honestly, I mostly just toughed it out. Eventually my mouth seemed to toughen up—guess it’s true what they say about getting used to anything if you have to.
Never realized how much mental energy goes into orthodontics until I was in the thick of it. Makes me wonder how kids manage it better than adults sometimes... maybe they're just more adaptable?
Makes me wonder how kids manage it better than adults sometimes... maybe they're just more adaptable?
I can relate to the mental load—keeping up with elastics honestly felt like a full-time job. I ended up stashing extra packs everywhere: car, desk, even my jacket pockets. Springs hurt at first, but once that initial soreness faded, they were pretty much “set it and forget it.” Elastics, on the other hand, made me self-conscious about talking and eating, since I was always worried about one snapping mid-sentence. For me, springs were less hassle in the long run, but I think it really depends on how much you can tolerate the early discomfort versus the ongoing responsibility of elastics. The speed of results felt similar either way, though my ortho said compliance (or lack thereof) with elastics can slow things down.
