Braces are the orthodontist’s tool to deal with several alignment issues, like misaligned jaw, crooked teeth, or crowded teeth. Braces are usually applied at a young age, but adult braces are more popular than ever. Therefore, when getting braces for personal use or for your child, it’s natural to question, ” how do braces work?” We innately assume that teeth are rigid pieces of dental tissue anchored firmly in their places. However, braces prove this intuition wrong.
How Do Braces Work:
Our teeth might not be as rigid as we thought earlier. Soft tissue, known as periodontal ligaments, surrounds teeth and bone. These soft tissues are flexible, so they can compress and stretch when teeth move. Therefore, if the tooth moves slightly to the left, it presses the left ligaments and a bone forms in the space on the right. In this way, teeth can adjust their position, and braces help us to make precise adjustments.
The phenomenon of braces is simple: it applies constant force for a specific time frame. During this time, the teeth move to the required position. Orthodontists using braces can thus solve multiple issues, like crowded teeth, overbite, and underbite.
Components Of Braces:
Brackets: Brackets are applied directly to your teeth using a special adhesive, and they can be either stainless steel, ceramic, or plastic. Ceramic and plastic have colors resembling the enamel, making them less visible. These brackets make it possible to apply even pressure on teeth.
Bands: These are elastic bands usually attached around the bracket to add slightly more force. They are typical for most treatments, but the orthodontist may skip them if your treatment doesn’t require them.
Spacers: They are usually rubber rings but can be metal too. Your dentist will use spacers to fill in any gap between teeth. On the other hand, the orthodontist may place them between molars to create extra room at the back of your mouth.
Wires: These are the arms of your braces, running along brackets linking them to each other. Tightening them applies pressure on the jaw, while loosening them up releases pressure.
Types Of braces:
- Standard metal braces that we are all familiar with.
- Ceramic ones match the color of your teeth, so they are less visible.
- Lingual braces are placed behind your teeth.
- Invisible braces or aligners are plastic trays tailored for your teeth. They are not visible, making them ideal for adults and teens.
Problems With Braces:
While with braces, you may have to encounter minor inconveniences. For example, you feel tenderness in your gums and mouth due to teeth realignment. However, this soreness lasts only a few days after each realignment session. Furthermore, every other problem regarding braces is avoidable if you follow good oral hygiene and take good care of your braces.
With this article, we have covered the essentials of braces, yet there are many stones left unturned. Hence, for further inquiries and to learn more about how we can help, you can call Bayside Dental at 979-330-4113.