How to place rubber bands (elastics) on my clear aligners (Invisalign)?

What are rubber bands?

Elastics or rubber bands are auxiliary tools that orthodontists use along with your braces or aligners to improve your bite. 

Rubber bands sometime are required to correct the front to the back position of your teeth. The rubber bands come with various colors. These green rubber bands were selected primarily for patient educational photos. This patient wears clear rubber bands.

Can I wear rubber bands with my Invisalign? 

The short answer is yes you might have rubber bands or elastics with your clear aligners. The above video shows you how to wear rubber bands with your aligners. This orthodontic treatment helps with overbite, underbite, or crossbite treatment. The rubber band can be hooked to the Invisalign aligners or bond on the molars or front teeth. 

Soreness of certain teeth might be because of the elastic working on a proper alignment of upper and lower jaws. The mechanism of fixing your bite with elastics and aligners is very similar to traditional braces. The amount of time and force by these elastics determine the treatment time.

The rubber bands lose their elasticity fairly quickly and needs to be changed regularly. You want to put a new set on your teeth 2-3 times a day. The pattern of these elastics depends on the treatment plan.