Can You Reuse Rubber Bands for Braces? ANSWERED

Rubber bands play a very important role in terms of orthodontic treatment. Especially in the phase while fixing your bite. The fact is this is the difficult and longest part of the entire process. Now that this phase takes a long time, many users have a common question about whether they can reuse rubber bands for braces. 

According to expert orthodontists, rubber bands shouldn’t reuse and should be relinquished after each use. Wondering why you can’t reuse them? Read the article till the end and get your proper answer!

Are Rubber Bands Appropriate to Reuse for Braces?

As you know, rubber bands are elastic. And a basic property of elasticity is it loses its strength over time. The major reason behind using rubber bands is to provide additional pressure to move and realign your teeth and jaws. Therefore, it’s suggested to replace your bands three to four times per day, or every 12 hours at least. 

If you wear them for a long, even if they aren’t broken, they’ll surely lose their elasticity strength eventually. So, the required pressure will also get decreased. And it’s quite understandable that without proper pressure the alignment won’t work as it should and you won’t get the expected result. In the worst-case scenario, the irregularities in the teeth and jaws can be more negative.

Moreover, it seems so unsanitary to reuse rubber bands. Isn’t it? This is why most orthodontists recommend not doing so. For your information, they’re supposed to provide you with rubber bands as you need. But in case you’re out of new bands and there’s no other option to get them asap, you can apply the bands for a maximum of 48 hours. If you cross this limit, most likely, the effect won’t be good.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do rubber bands make braces faster?

Yes, they do. Rubber bands help to speed up the moving and aligning process based on the required motion to get into the perfect alignment. It’s far better to install the bands by expert orthodontists.

How fast do rubber bands move teeth?

Actually, putting on the braces with rubber bands, teeth take time to move accordingly. In the beginning stage, you shouldn’t try to move your teeth faster, otherwise, the roots can get damaged. You must wait for 5-8 months so that your teeth get aligned and strong.

Are rubber bands the last stage of braces?

The simplest answer is yes. If your rubber bands in braces are to improve your bite correction, then yeah, you can consider it as the last stage. But in terms of moving your teeth, you may have to start using the bands in the earlier phases.

Conclusion

At this point, hopefully, you’ve understood the negative impact of reusing rubber bands for braces, and the maximum period of wearing the same band. If you still have further questions or find this post useful, don’t forget to knock us in the comment section.