Should I stop using elastics?
A little bit of backstory: I started Invisalign to correct a unilateral posterior crossbite. During my initial set of trays I had elastics on one side to correct the crossbite and my ortho said to only wear the elastics at night. I followed instructions to a tee but the elastics ended up overcorrecting and flaring those teeth outward too much.
I’m on my first set of refinements now and my ortho removed the crossbite elastics since it had been corrected (although corrected a little too much) and added class 3 elastics (so button on top back inside molar to precision cut hook on bottom front teeth). I don’t have an underbite at all but she said it was basically insurance to make sure my bottom teeth stay behind my top teeth and was instructed to only wear at night again.
I have been following those instructions for the past 10 weeks but at my checkup appointment today she said I am having the same issue of the tooth with the elastics button being pushed outward too far. She said to continue wearing the elastics but I only have check up appointments every 10 weeks so I’m afraid that tooth is going to get super out of whack in another 10 weeks of elastics.
I also don’t have attachments on my bottom front teeth and have the precision cut hooks so the trays get pulled off of my bottom teeth every night by the elastics. I’m constantly having to push the tray down all night just for it to pop back up again.
I know most people are probably going to say follow your orthos direction but I’m starting to grow skeptical since this could delay my treatment even further if we keep chasing the over correction of teeth with elastics on them…. And I don’t even think the elastics are necessary since I don’t have an underbite and my jaw naturally wants to sit in the correct position - my ortho said it’s basically just “insurance” anyways.
I’m considering just not wearing the elastics for the next few weeks and see how it goes? But want to get a sanity check on what others would do in my position.
Thanks!
Posted Aug 13, 2026, 4:54 PM UTC