Elastic bands

Onward to the home stretch! The finishing rubber bands should always be attached exactly as instructed by orthodontist Dr. Sebastian Krause in Munich. At the beginning, this can be a bit cumbersome. Additionally, teeth may be somewhat sensitive to this type of rubber bands.

The good news: At the end of your orthodontic treatment, you'll be allowed to chew plenty of sugar-free gum, so that the finishing rubber bands can help move your teeth into the correct final position - towards your desired smile! After successfully completing the last phase of orthodontic treatment at our specialized orthodontic practice in Munich with Dr. Krause, we will remove the fixed braces from you or your child after six weeks.

The therapeutic success of orthodontic treatment depends on the cooperation of the patient. Ideally, the rubber bands should be worn throughout the day and only unhooked for eating and intensive dental care. Since rubber bands lose their elasticity relatively quickly, your orthodontist in Munich, Dr. Sebastian Krause, advises you to replace them daily.

An open bite is a dental misalignment where some of the upper and lower teeth do not make contact when biting, resulting in a visible gap between the upper and lower jaw. There can be many causes of an open bite. Skeletal causes may include factors such as a vitamin D deficiency or genetic predisposition. Another primary cause of an open bite is the tendency for enlargement of lymphatic organs, which are meant to protect the individual. For instance, enlarged tonsils or adenoids can obstruct natural breathing. This type of malocclusion, also known as a pacifier bite, often occurs during the time of tooth eruption. Typically, this problem corrects itself and does not persist into adulthood. However, orthodontic therapy by your orthodontist in Munich, Dr. Sebastian Krause, may be necessary if a child continues to have an open bite in the front teeth area as they grow older, to prevent potential long-term consequences. Additionally, it is common for an open bite to coexist with other bite problems such as an overbite, underbite, or crossbite.

During orthodontic therapy at our specialized dental practice for orthodontics in Munich, rubber bands are attached to a fixed brace to apply specific traction to individual teeth in addition to correcting the open bite.

A underbite can involve both hereditary and developmental components, where the lower teeth are positioned in front of the upper teeth when the jaws are closed. Often, externally, there's a prominent chin and thin upper lips. To determine the severity of an underbite, the largest gap between the central incisors of the upper and lower jaws is measured. A value of zero millimeters indicates that the upper and lower incisors bite together. If the upper jaw is pushed forward, causing the upper incisors to be in front of the lower ones, a positive value is obtained - indicating an overbite. In a typical underbite, the lower jaw protrudes in front of the upper jaw, resulting in a negative measurement in millimeters.

Depending on the type and severity, during childhood and adolescence, the growth of the upper jaw can be promoted, or the growth of the lower jaw can be restricted with the help of an appropriate orthodontic appliance such as a brace. Additionally, with orthodontic appliances like fixed braces, rubber bands are often used from the upper to the lower jaw to help correct an underbite.

One of the most common jaw misalignments is mandibular retrognathia, also known as a retrusive lower jaw. Patients with mandibular retrognathia often find the so-called "receding chin" to be bothersome. This condition involves not only the incorrect position of the lower jaw but also improper dental alignment. In our specialized orthodontic practice in Munich, a retrusive lower jaw can be treated with the help of fixed braces and the use of elastics between the upper and lower jaws.