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Tips for inserting orthodontic elastic bands

3 replies

TennisMum75 · 22/05/2026 14:18

My daughter has had fixed braces for about 9 months. Yesterday she went for her six weekly adjustment, and she’s had hooks and elastic bands added to her bottom and top very back molars. She needs to take them out for eating and teeth cleaning and then put them back on. She’s really struggling to get them back on and is getting super frustrated and overwhelmed with it all. She’s tried using a hook device. She has autism and anxiety and gets overwhelmed really easily. If she’s had no luck by Tuesday I’ll have to call the orthodontist, but I wondered if anyone had any tips in the meantime? Or success stories of struggles to start with and then getting to grips with it? Many thanks.

OP posts:
Sheldon333 · 22/05/2026 23:57

Hi, many years ago, I had a fixed brace with tiny elastic bands on each side. Was never told to remove them to clean teeth, which is probably why I swallowed one on the Big Dipper at Blackpool!!

TennisMum75 · 23/05/2026 12:58

I can see that would easily happen! The bands are tiny. My daughter hasn’t managed to get her bands in yet…she gets it hooked onto the bottom molar and then it pings off!!

OP posts:
Selkie33 · 23/05/2026 13:04

@TennisMum75 this youtube short vid may help?

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