Article
We always look forward to the ‘Technique Tip’ section of Dental Update. Elastic wear is an important part of orthodontic treatment and we present a simplified method of elastic wear.
Configurations of inter-arch elastics range from quite simple (such as Class II) to rather complex (such as triangular) elastics. Some configurations are learned easily by patients, while others require a great deal of practice and co-operation. Quite often, patients seem to understand the elastic wearing instructions and demonstrate proper placement of the elastics before leaving the practice, but then forget the configuration only to return 4–6 weeks later with disastrous tooth movements or, sometimes, they call for further instructions, book a return visit, or end up being non-compliant.
Elastic wear can be reinforced with a photographic reminder which can be advantageous for patients. Standard elastic wear photos can be circulated to the patient in print format. And now, with the leap of this century into the electronic world, smart phone use has become commonplace among patients, and photos can be circulated via multimedia services to respective patients1 (Figure 1).
For patients who do not have a smart phone or other electronic gadgets, especially young children, a simple visual aid can be fabricated to reinforce the elastic configuration to the patients. A clinician can utilize the box which is used to dispense the brackets. The elastic wear can be shown in triangular fashion, for settling, or oblique fashion, for Class II and III wear (Figure 2). Even the colour of the elastic can be shown if different colour elastics are to be used in different quadrants. The elastics can also be dispensed in the box (Figure 3).
