Braces

Braces are a device used by an orthodontist to straighten patient’s teeth. These dental appliances date way back to the year 1819. Since then, orthodontics and braces have gone through many processes and changes. It is now one of the widely used dental practices world wide.

Orthodontics is a dental practice that specializes in correcting a patient’s oral bite. An orthodontist is trained in this field of dental study and is constantly researching new procedures. There are many appliances that an orthodontist can use for this process. Braces are one of those dental appliances that all orthodontists use in their practice. These dental appliances can be made of metal, ceramic or plastic. Some are removable while others are adhered to the teeth with the use of brackets. They work by using constant, gentle pressure on the teeth and will slowly cause them to move into their correct position. These devices not only help to straighten even the extremely crooked teeth in patients but also help with other malformations of the mouth and jaw. The type of braces that an orthodontist will use on their patient will depend on the severity of the patients bite and extent of space between the patient’s teeth. Tooth health will also often be a factor into which dental braces an orthodontist will use.

The use of metal in braces is one of the more common types of materials used. They are usually made up of stainless steel type metal that uses brackets on each tooth. Today, the metal braces are often used in more severe cases. In some cases, a patient may even need surgery to correct jaw alignment problems so that braces can be used to straighten teeth correctly.

Headgear is often used in conjunction with metal braces. It is often worn by the patient to keep back teeth in place while the front teeth are moved into their new positions. This headgear is always removed when the patient eats, drinks and brushes their teeth.

Braces are a common occurrence in many children. Today, even adults are opting to have braces placed onto their teeth. Clear braces are one option that adults choose when having their teeth straightened. Another name for these clear braces is Invisalign. These types of dental appliances are removable and can barely be seen when worn. The inventors of this device made them removable so that patients could eat, chew gum and brush their teeth without plastic or metal interfering.

The use of retainers will often be recommended after the patient’s braces are removed. This helps to keep teeth from drifting back from the desired location.