What are braces?
Braces are dental tools or appliances that help move teeth into the desired position, thus aligning them. They are fixed onto your upper and lower teeth. They hold together all the teeth in their respective jaws with the help of a wire. They apply a constant pressure onto the teeth throughout the time period of the treatment to shift the position of the teeth in the jaw.
An orthodontic braces system has the following parts
- Brackets: the tiny squares that go on each individual teeth
- Arch wire: this is a thin wire shaped like a U which is designed to connect all the teeth in each of your jaws. This is placed into the brackets.
- Ligation rings: these are small o shaped rings, individual or come in a chain. They hold the bracket and the wire together
Benefits of getting orthodontic braces correction
- Proclined or forwardly placed upper teeth - sometimes your upper front teeth can be too forwardly placed giving a very awkward look. In such cases the lips won't be able to seal together properly and the teeth look very big. Due to the proclination and inability to close lips, conditions like mouth breathing, dry mouth, gingivitis and more can be born. Braces are a great option to get rid of the unpleasant cosmetic and hygiene issues
- Forwardly placed lower teeth or cross bite - the ideal scenario is to have your upper front teeth forward to and covering the lower front teeth. But in some cases the lower jaw or the lower teeth are placed forward. This causes an improper bite or cross bite which can again lead to hygiene and functional issues.
- Deep bite issues - did you know that the ideal bite is where the back of your upper front teeth should slightly touch or cover your lower front teeth? Any more contact or coverage than that can put your lower teeth at risk of breakage or mobility. Orthodontics can correct this too
- Rotated or crowded teeth - are you someone who has the 2nd teeth in your arch placed a bit forwardly? Or one or two teeth poking out while the others seem good? Did you know that crowded teeth can make it difficult to clean/brush thus increasing the risk of gum problems and decay? Braces can be a permanent solution for such issues.
How are braces placed
- With the help of a setting cement, each bracket is placed onto your individual tooth and set in position.
- The arch wire is then placed into the slots of the brackets and fixed by ligation rings or self ligation systems
- Regular followups are scheduled every month to monitor the movement of the teeth and to exert more pressure if needed.
- If extra force is needed, elastics might be advised
- Sometimes extraction of additional premolars might be advised if there is no space
- Other appliances like expansion tubes, bite blocks and more might be suggested based on the intensity of your case
Time period of the treatment
Based on the case and type of braces used, the treatment period might last anywhere from 8 to 18 months. After the treatment, you will be given the option of fixed or removable Retainers. These need to be used properly after the treatment to avoid relapse.
Braces treatment gives the best results when started early into your teenage or young adulthood. Also preventive measures may help reduce the time period of the treatment. To know more, contact our specialists at Sri Sathya Dental Hospital today.
