# Elastic Weight and Sizing

**Weight of Elastics:**

* Weight determines how much the elastic stretches (3 times its original size).
* Examples:
  * 8-ounce elastic: suitable for strong, hypo-divergent patients.
  * 2-ounce elastic: suitable for very young children.
  * 4-ounce elastic: common medium size used.
*   
  ![](https://outline-production-attachments.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/uploads/8f97baea-86a5-47b1-80b4-644870fdb7cf/2014006e-106c-4485-80a9-12f6e4eaf1df/Slide2.JPG?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4EOUDTOVUICLPZ4P%2F20260920%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260920T213000Z&X-Amz-Expires=86400&X-Amz-Signature=3d61a7c8bc85d950e1f01fc2346839503c29f1776a19e171bd03384ba4d531fb&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject " =960x540")

  

**Size of Elastics:**

* Measured by diameter when laid flat.
* Common sizes range from 1/8 inch to 5/16 inch.

  

 ![](https://outline-production-attachments.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/uploads/8f97baea-86a5-47b1-80b4-644870fdb7cf/0d2abb46-d4e9-486c-8b3d-3fc6cf85603f/Slide3.JPG?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4EOUDTOVUICLPZ4P%2F20260920%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260920T213000Z&X-Amz-Expires=86400&X-Amz-Signature=46a31c569f8516a720789fa9ca09f76d310aed98ff264ee65f99040006a990ea&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject " =960x540")

  

**Practical Applications:**

* **1/4 inch elastic:** Often used from canine to first molar.
* **5/16 inch elastic:** For second molar to canine.
* **3/16 inch elastic:** Smaller size adjustment.
* **1/8 inch elastic:** For even smaller adjustments like bootstrap elastics


  
 ![](https://outline-production-attachments.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/uploads/8f97baea-86a5-47b1-80b4-644870fdb7cf/1d194896-b74d-4712-bfd5-0e23f7b3146b/Slide4.JPG?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4EOUDTOVUICLPZ4P%2F20260920%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260920T213000Z&X-Amz-Expires=86400&X-Amz-Signature=70d756b10aa7232ef3c94f5b9667cae126f0feaa2ddff1de8afb2e362dd6a60d&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject " =960x540")

 ![](https://outline-production-attachments.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/uploads/8f97baea-86a5-47b1-80b4-644870fdb7cf/907e7ff3-f549-43e1-a0ff-5828c7dc320a/Slide5.JPG?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4EOUDTOVUICLPZ4P%2F20260920%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260920T213000Z&X-Amz-Expires=86400&X-Amz-Signature=0facdc1669f3adf1e0fd6d18397477a8f72438e28a5d7b28f4ae4fc452a56896&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject " =960x540")

 ![](https://outline-production-attachments.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/uploads/8f97baea-86a5-47b1-80b4-644870fdb7cf/ed9a5a3e-9733-47df-884a-7ca3cdf0921d/Slide6.JPG?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4EOUDTOVUICLPZ4P%2F20260920%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260920T213000Z&X-Amz-Expires=86400&X-Amz-Signature=31d3ee0c4732c2f967459bc391933b180f163158f51a2e412243bc5e66b513d5&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject " =960x540")


[https://www.loom.com/share/05a7c85ee4424cacaa561febfb328312?sid=0f546434-93ae-4aca-b208-cdd03856ad93](https://www.loom.com/share/05a7c85ee4424cacaa561febfb328312?sid=0f546434-93ae-4aca-b208-cdd03856ad93)