Why Braces Might Have Two Colored Rubber Bands Around Them


Why Braces Have Two Colored Bands Around Them
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A few weeks ago, Emily asked the following question:
For some reason I just noticed that one of brackets has two elastic bands on it. One one One side of the bracket and the other on the other side of the bracket. Not one just going around the whole bracket like the rest. Is this normal?  Or just a mistake?
Here’s a picture showing what I think Emily was getting at:Two Rubber Ligatures on One Bracket with BracesTo answer Emily’s question — it probably wasn’t a mistake.  If you look in the photo above, you can see (aside from the great choice of colored braces) that there are some spaces present the upper first and second teeth from the middle.  In my opinion, the orthodontist is using the extra band to make sure that a big space doesn’t open up between the front two teeth. Another way that orthodontists can keep teeth together while they move them is through the use of a power chain.
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