Dental rubber bands are used by dentists to help maintain the position of braces placed in a patient's mouth to correct a problem with the proper alignment of teeth. They are just a normal rubber band of a very small size that helps hold the braces in place. This helps to gain symmetry in the patient's teeth, retracting and adding pressure to the braces to assist in the gradual movement of teeth in the mouth.



You should remove them when you eat and replace with new ones after brushing and flossing. They should not be re-used. Since you can buy them at most discount stores and pharmacies, and they are not expensive, do not try to save money on the rubber bands. Just buy them and make sure you have an ample supply so that you can change them whenever needed.



You can also get dental rubber bands online through several online distributors and manufacturers. Orthodontic elastics, as they are called, are size 16, which is 2 1/2 inches by 1/32 inches by 1/16 inches, these are the only size used for dental braces. But you do not have to spend the money on a product by a particular manufacturer, there are options available. As long as you get the right size, the rubber bands will work. It is not like you are buying a rubber belt that will run a machine; you simply need a rubber band that will apply the proper amount of tension on your braces. They are sold by weight, not by quantity, in this size. You will usually find a one pound box at around five dollars. There are a lot of these rubber bands in a one pound box. There's no need to buy more than one box at a time, but when you realize you are getting low, it's smart to pick up another box so you don't end up running out of new ones when you need to change them.

To add a little fun to your life, if braces can be fun, you can buy them in colors at some discount stores. Then you can show a little personality with your braces. The tension is provided as the braces work against each other in providing the resistance needed to pull teeth into the proper alignment in the jaw.