Elastics were more fiddly, though. Springs just kind of... did their thing.
That’s exactly what my wallet liked about springs—less “fiddly” means fewer lost pieces, right? My kid was always dropping elastics, and I swear I found them in the laundry, the car, everywhere. With springs, it was just the pain the first week and then they forgot about it. Did you notice any difference in the number of appointments, or was it about the same? I’m always thinking about what’s going to be less hassle (and fewer copays) in the long run.
Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the elastics ending up everywhere. My daughter used to take them out when she ate and then—poof—one’s in her backpack, another one’s under the couch. It got to the point where I was buying extra packs just to keep up. Springs, on the other hand, were a “set it and forget it” situation for us too. The initial discomfort was rough (she said it felt like a constant pressure for a few days), but after that, neither of us really thought about them much.
As far as appointments go, I actually noticed fewer “emergency” visits with springs. With elastics, we had a couple of times where she lost enough of them that we had to swing by the ortho just to get more, or check if the movement was still on track because she’d forgotten to wear them. Springs seemed more predictable, at least for us. Maybe it’s different depending on the kind of movement they’re trying to achieve? I know some people swear elastics work faster, but honestly, if you’re not wearing them 100% as directed (and let’s be real—kids are kids), it probably balances out.
I can’t say our regular checkups changed much—still every 6-8 weeks—but the “extras” definitely dropped off with springs. Less hassle, less nagging, and yeah, fewer copays. The only downside was that if a spring did pop out (which happened once), it was a bit more of a panic than just losing an elastic. But that was rare.
For me, anything that means less chasing after little rubber bands is a win. I’d take a week of cranky kid over months of “Did you remember your elastics?” any day.
Rubber bands have a way of multiplying and disappearing at the same time, don’t they? I remember the days when I’d find them stuck to laundry, hiding in shoes, or just lurking in the car. It’s like they had a secret life outside of orthodontics. Springs, on the other hand, really are more “out of sight, out of mind” once you get through that initial rough patch. My niece had springs for a while and after she got used to them (there was a lot of ice cream involved for those first couple days), it was almost too easy to forget she was even in treatment.
I do think you’re right about the predictability factor. Elastics depend so much on the person remembering to wear them exactly as directed, which is tough for adults—never mind kids or teens who’ve got a million other things on their minds. We had our fair share of “uh oh, where did all the elastics go?” moments, followed by some creative scavenger hunts around the house. Springs just seemed less stressful overall because there wasn’t that constant reminder (or nagging, let’s be honest).
That said, I’ve heard from a few friends that elastics can work faster if you’re super diligent. But like you said, it’s a big “if.” And I’d rather have steady progress than the guilt trip every night over missing hours with elastics...
The one time my niece’s spring popped out, it was definitely a little more dramatic than losing an elastic—lots of panic texting and some frantic Googling until we got her in to see the ortho. But once it was fixed, it didn’t happen again.
Honestly, anything that cuts down on extra appointments and last-minute runs to the office is a win in my book. Less stress for everyone—and fewer tiny rubber bands stuck to the bottom of my purse.
