Do we know how much force we apply with latex intermaxillary elastics?

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the variation of the forces provided by different branded elastics and to compare the force diminution that occurs after 24-h of use in wet environment. Materials and Methods: Elastics from four different manufacturer (American Orthodontics [AO], USA; Dentaurum [DENT], Germany; Ormco, USA; RMO, USA) with 3/16-inch (4.8 mm) lumen diameter, and two different force degrees (medium/heavy) were included in the study with a total of eight groups of elastics. First force measurements were performed with 50 elastics of each group at various stretching distances; lumen diameter x2 (9.52 mm), x3 (14.28 mm), the average canine-first molar length (22.3 mm), and the canine-second molar length (38.7 mm) under room temperature and dry air conditions. In addition, ten the elastics from each group were stretched at 22.3 mm distance in a custom-made plate and kept in 37 degrees C distilled water. Twenty-four hours later, the force measurements were repeated. Results: Regardless of the brand and type (medium-heavy), all the tested elastics showed variations in matter of generated forces at different stretching distances. The variation amount increased as the length of elongation increased. The lowest standard deviation values were observed for both medium and heavy DENT elastic groups. When stretched to 3 times of their lumen size, the medium and heavy elastics both produced either lower or higher forces compared to the levels of force indicated by the manufacturers. The closest mean force to the force level stated by the manufacturer was provided with medium AO (3.6 g difference) elastics and heavy RMO counterparts (7.9 g difference). A significant 20-23% reduction of force was observed in all brands, both in medium and heavy elastics after passing 24-h in aqueous environment. No significant difference was observed in matter of force degradation between groups for both medium and heavy elastics (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The forces exerted by intermaxillary elastics were not found to be standard and the force stated on the package is not always provided precisely. A significant force loss around 20% was observed with all the elastics after 24-h of use in wet environment at 37 degrees C.