Crooked Teeth Before and After Braces
If you’re faced with the prospect of getting braces, this may lead you to ask the question -how do braces work? Can braces for teeth really help? What will teeth before and after braces be like? Is there a difference between adult braces before and after? Is there the cost of a fast brace versus a slower option? And are braces for your teeth the only option? Will they be comfortable? Of course, these questions are all perfectly natural for individuals who simply do not know how to fix crooked teeth or even what the different parts are.
Fortunately, through technological advances and education, these answers can be easily answered. We know that orthodontic appliances such as metal wires or metal bands were wrapped around individual teeth in ancient Egyptian times(Haris Khan, 2015). Thankfully, through education, orthodontists today do not need to wrap braces around each tooth.
How do braces work?
Let’s start off with some of the more common questions. How do braces work to straighten your teeth anyway?
Braces, in the most simple explanation, help to pull your teeth into the correct position. This is accomplished with several different but important parts that make up the braces. There are brackets that are affixed to the teeth with a binding agent, usually a type of safe cement or glue designed for use in orthodontics which can be easily removed by your orthodontist at the end of your braces procedure.
How do braces work to Straighten Your Teeth Photo by C Technical from Pexels
Orthodontic brackets are an essential part of braces. They are temporarily attached to the teeth during the course of orthodontic treatment (Haris Khan, 2015).
The brackets are designed to actually hold the tension wire in place. These wires can be made of different materials but it is highly recommended that you get one of the new styles of memory metals. Like all braces wires, they are stainless and so will not rust or corrode. The benefit of the memory metal is that it utilizes the heat from your own mouth to help maintain the tension on the wire longer, meaning that your treatments are actually faster as you do not need to visit the orthodontist as often and so your braces treatment continues at a faster rate.
Braces for teeth
The next major part is the o-rings. These ones are by far the most popular part of the braces as well because you can actually choose the different color braces you would like. These rings help provide additional tension on the teeth and do a lot of the hard work when it comes to pulling them into the correct positions. Since your teeth are actually a part of your skeleton and are very firmly connected to your jaws, pulling them into a new position can take time and no style of braces can offer a fix overnight.
However, by maintaining constant tension with the o-rings and your wire, the teeth will over the course of months be able to shift into the correct positions, allowing you to have that beautiful smile you’ve always wanted as well as correcting any bite issues that you might be facing.
Another part of the braces the individuals may or may not need depending on their individual orthodontic needs is spacers. Spacers actually go in between teeth which allows for the bands to fit comfortably. These are most often used for crowded teeth braces. They can oftentimes be less comfortable than other parts of the braces but like with everything else, when it comes to orthodontics, you will eventually get used to them and forget they are even there.
The last major part of braces is the orthodontic bands. Orthodontic bands are most often used in cases that require significant remedial braces work. If you happen to only need minor correction, you may never even come in contact with these. The job of orthodontic bands is to connect the archwire from the upper braces to the lower ones and is used as mentioned before for more advanced corrective measures.
Fast braces cost
After learning about all these parts some individuals may want to ask the question: are there other options? Is there a way that the treatment can be done faster or be less noticeable? Although these questions are best directed at your local orthodontic office as they will be the ones who will be able to give you the exact answers for your particular needs, generally speaking, if you want a faster treatment time then go with traditional braces. Whether you pick ceramic, lingual braces, or traditional metal braces, these will almost always be faster than other options. This is because the wires and the rings are always attached meaning that your braces treatment is continuing day and night. Plus, if you are using some of the more advanced metals that maintain wire tension longer, this can increase the speed of your treatment time even faster.
However, if you want to avoid these types of braces entirely then speak with your orthodontic office as another possible option is Invisalign. Invisalign is a clear plastic set of braces that attach to the teeth and like other braces help pull them into place. But, because they are not attached to the teeth, they can also be taken out at any time.
This also means that Invisalign can have a slower treatment time compared to the treatment times you would have with traditional braces. This happens when you forget to put the trays back in and you don’t wear them the necessary amount of time.
In addition, Invisalign cannot handle more severe corrective cases. So if you need extensive orthodontic work done, then your best option will definitely be traditional braces of some description. You may even be able to talk with your orthodontist about a hybrid system. There are some individuals who utilize braces until they’re to the stage where Invisalign can take over. This means they get the speed of the braces to get their teeth into enough of a corrective position that Invisalign can handle the rest.
However, only your orthodontic office will be able to know for sure what your individual needs are. By speaking with them about your desires and preferred treatment, you can help make sure you get the orthodontic treatment you need for the smile you deserve.
Summary:
Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with the alignment and harmony of the teeth and jaws. Those who have crooked teeth and have been prescribed braces may be interested to know about the history of orthodontics and specifically how technology has increased our understanding of oral health. You may also want to know how braces work and how they can help towards achieving a healthy desired smile.
People want to look good all the time, and crooked or mishappen teeth do not help that desire along. This is an age-old need. In fact, orthodontic appliances have been used for millennia to help correct misaligned teeth. The first written record to correct crowded or protruded teeth is from 3,000 years ago.
More recently, in the 1600s for example, Pierre Fauchard, a French dentist, was the first to attempt to correctly align irregular teeth. The appliance he used was made of precious metal and it was shaped like a horseshoe. He used this to align teeth by arch expansion. Fauchard also used to reposition irregular teeth with his Pelican forceps and then tied them to neighboring teeth until healing took place.
With advancements in technology, his work was further developed and modified by another French dentist. This scientific discovery has continued until today and will continue in subsequent generations. The field of orthodontics and dentistry is always changing. This article will give you a brief overview of how modern technology has contributed to better oral health and specifically how braces work.
Reference
Haris Khan. (2015). ORTHODONTIC BRACKETS Selection, Placement, and Debonding (1st ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275582644_ORTHODONTIC_BRACKETS_SelectionPlacement_and_Debonding
