Dental braces are devices with a wire base that orthodontists use to help position(align and straighten)crowded and misaligned teeth or jaws and fix/close gaps.
Dental braces offer corrective treatment for:
• Overcrowded or crooked teeth.
• abnormal spaces between teeth.
• Horizontal or vertical overlapping of the front upper teeth and the lower teeth.
• Underbite cases, where upper front teeth bite behind the lower ones.
• Uneven bite cases, where teeth or jaws are in misalignment.
After proper alignment of your teeth and jaws, you will notice the improvement in the appearance of your teeth, the health of your mouth, and the way you bite, chew, and speak.
- Invisalign (clear removable aligners)
- Conventional metal braces
- Self-ligating brackets (Damon and speed systems)
- Lingual (inside) braces
- Surgical (orthognathic)
- Accelerated orthodontics (Acceledent and Propel)
Dental braces are not only for children with baby teeth (growing teeth) and growing jaws. There are many cases where adults can also benefit from dental braces.
Braces work by properly aligning your teeth and jaws to give the even bite and pleasing smile you need.
It might take adults longer to see the final result(for adults using braces) than young ones because their facial bones are no longer growing, but they can still produce similar results.
However, in some cases, your orthodontist can’t correct/fix the problem with braces alone.
Preparation for braces generally involves:
• Oral exam.
Your orthodontist will perform an overall checkup for your teeth, jaws, and mouth conditions.
• X-rays.
You’ll get examined by X-rays to determine the position of your teeth before the procedure.
Usually, the most needed type of x-rays is the panoramic x-ray, as it puts the entire upper and lowers dents in biting position and any teeth still developing inside the jaws.
Special head X-rays may also determine the size, position, and relationship of jaws to teeth and give a better idea of the actual position of the teeth to each other.
• Plaster models.
To create a plaster model(dental cast) of your teeth, You will bite into soft material and leave it on your teeth for a few minutes, forming an impression(needed to create the dental cast)
Sometimes, your orthodontist might scan this dental cast into a digital format for further evaluation or treatment decisions.
• Potential tooth extraction.
Sometimes there might be limited or no room in the jaw for all the existing teeth to fit well due to overcrowding. In such cases, your orthodontist may have to remove one or more permanent teeth allowing teeth to work together better and providing adequate cleaning space.
• Other procedures.
Surgical intervention is necessary in some severe cases where the patient’s bite is significantly out of alignment. Your orthodontist will recommend jaw repositioning surgery in combination with orthodontics.
Braces are very effective, and their results are mostly very satisfying for the patients.
After braces, you will have a pleasant smile, healthy mouth, properly positioned jaw, and the perfect bite you want.
Most patients wear full braces for one to three years to get the best results.
In some cases, the patients must wear retainers indefinitely to ensure stable final results.
It’s not the orthodontist’s job alone. The patient wearing the braces has a vital role to play in the success of the treatment.
Ensure you follow the orthodontist’s instructions(especially during the retention period).
Finally, you should wear the retainer if advised to avoid the risk of losing the benefits gained while wearing braces.