Self-reported pain associated with the use of intermaxillary elastics compared to pain experienced after initial archwire placement.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the pain during the use of intermaxillary elastics and to compare it with that of initial archwire placement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixteen orthodontic patients who underwent initial bonding (7 girls, 13 boys; mean age 16.75 ± 2.61 years) and 19 patients who would be using intermaxillary elastics for the first time (13 girls, 7 boys; mean age 16.21 ± 3.01 years) were enrolled in this prospective study. A visual analog scale form was given to each patient to measure the pain levels, and these were measured by the same investigator using a digital caliper. Data were evaluated using Mann Whitney U-test.

RESULTS

The pain started to increase 2 hours after the application of elastics. The highest levels were achieved at the sixth hour and the same night. The pain levels started to decrease at day 2. Although the pain levels of the elastic group started to decrease after the second day, the pain levels of the initial bonding group were still significantly high.

CONCLUSIONS

Intermaxillary elastics cause similar amounts of pain compared with initial archwire placement, but the pain of the elastics did not last as long as the pain felt after initial bonding.