Many teens and adults get braces to help straighten their teeth and correct other oral problems. But many new patients wonder how braces actually move your teeth. Some people get braces to straighten teeth, but they can also help avoid additional problems in the roots of teeth, gums, or jaw. Braces are made of metal or ceramic, wires, and bonding materials. The process of braces looks different for different patients and depends on the patient’s ability to follow the instructions of the orthodontists.
The whole goal of braces is to apply pressure to your jaw and teeth to help your smile appear straighter or smoother. At each appointment, your orthodontist tightens archwires, coiled springs, or wraps bands to apply controlled pressure to certain areas. Letting this pressure work for around 6 to 8 weeks will help your braces make the most progress and make your teeth stay in this place.
Broken brackets or wires need to be fixed as soon as possible for this reason. It is easy to lose progress quickly when your braces are not in proper condition.
We will discuss how the different components actually move your teeth and affect your overall oral health.
Types Of Braces
Depending on your oral issues, your orthodontist will recommend different options that can help improve your jawline, move your teeth, and improve your bite. Classic braces with brackets and wires help to put pressure on your teeth and jawline, and elastics help connect brackets to wires and help move your teeth and jaw into the correct positions.
The ligaments around your teeth can stretch and compress as your teeth adjust, so braces help to compress the ligaments and new bone fragments form to fill the gap that is left. Braces can help move teeth backward, forward, and to the side to avoid overcrowding, and correct an overbite or underbite.
Invisalign can also move the teeth and are much less visible than traditional braces. They help to shift your teeth by applying pressure and aligning them to the mold that is one step above your current teeth setting.
Brackets
These tiny squares are bonded to the front of your teeth which help to hold the archwire in place. Brackets are made of stainless steel or ceramic. This helps to make sure that the right teeth move and that your top and bottom teeth are moving simultaneously.
Bands
Small rubber bands connected to the brackets can help close gaps, or move groups of teeth in a specific direction. While bands are mostly used to help move your teeth, they come in different colors that can make your braces more fun.
Spacers
Spacers are made of rubber bands that are put between your molars to create a bit of space between teeth. Spacers (sometimes called separators) are typically used to create space between teeth for a band that would go around the tooth for an appliance that is used in addition to your braces. There are many different types of appliances and not all patients require them.
Springs
The springs for braces are coiled and placed on the archwire of your braces. They are placed between two teeth and moved them apart with heightened pressure to add more space. This creates space to allow unerupted teeth to grow into the correct position.
Archwires
The wires running horizontally across your teeth that connect all your brackets are called archwires. Orthodontists adjust these at appointments and apply pressure where it is required to move your teeth into the proper position. The archwires are usually made of nickel-titanium or stainless steel.
Quality Braces With Bailey Orthodontics
Bailey Orthodontics offers quality braces solutions to help you be more confident in your smile. Braces are the most effective method for helping your jaw and teeth remain in the best position. Braces help to align your jaw and teeth in order to make eating, talking, swallowing, and more as easy as possible.
Wearing braces can be uncomfortable, but in order to move your teeth pressure must be applied at a continuous rate to make sure they get to the appropriate position. Braces are a temporary procedure that has a lifetime of benefits when they are cared for properly. Our patients have seen beautiful smiles on the other side of orthodontic treatment and experience less jaw and teeth pain.
Bailey Orthodontics treats each patient’s individual needs and only gives you the adjustment and mechanisms you truly need. You will be able to have straighter teeth and more confidence when you are done in our office. Check out more about our orthodontists and how we help patients to feel comfortable in our office during each appointment.
Contact our Bountiful or Farmington office to start the consultation process.
