While brackets, arch wires and ligatures are responsible for moving teeth along the gumline and the angle at which they point away from the gums, rubber bands pull the jaw forward or backward in order to line up your top and bottom rows of teeth to improve your smile and make your teeth fit together comfortably when you bite down. They can also be used to speed up the process of moving or straightening a tooth or teeth.

To accomplish this, brackets with hooks are placed along the side of the mouth – one or more on both the left and right side of the top and bottom set of teeth (see below). A band is attached on each side of the mouth – from one hook/bracket to the other. The angle of the band depends on how much pressure needs to be applied to fix the over or underbite. A typical patient in need of elastics is someone with an excessive overbite. When the overbite exceeds the acceptable measurement (2-3 millimeters or around 1-2 sixteenths of an inch), an orthodontist may decide to implement rubber bands. There are two types of ligatures that an orthodontist may use. Single elastic ligatures apply force to the teeth at varying degrees.

This depends on how the bands are tied onto the teeth. The second type is connected elastic ligatures. These are used to close spaces between teeth or to move a specific group of teeth together in the same direction. Also known as a “power chain”, it is basically several ligatures connected in a row (picture below). Both single and connected ligatures are available in different strengths and colors. The orthodontist will change ligatures during each follow-up visit.