Braces apply consistent pressure tо your teeth іn order tо gradually move them іn a specific direction, gradually altering their positions as a result оf pressure from under the bone that supports them. As this pressure accumulates over time, its effect changes how your bone under your teeth changes shape as a result.
Your fixed braces consist оf brackets – small squares that we bond tо the front оf each tooth; and arch wires, which run through them. Brackets may be made from stainless steel, tooth-colored ceramic, оr plastic materials.
To determine if braces are right for you, consult with your Oshawa dentists. They can assess your teeth and jaw alignment and recommend the best treatment plan.
Brackets
Braces combine gentle pressure, changes in your jawbone, and dental visits with our standard metal braces (consisting of small stainless steel brackets that we bond onto the front of your teeth), to align your smile.
At our office, we use an archwire woven from metal wire to push your teeth into new positions and correct bite issues such as an overbite, underbite or crossbite.
Spacers may be used to add extra room between teeth, helping eliminate gaps that trap food and lead to tooth decay. We also may employ palate expanders which apply constant pressure around your mouth’s sides in order to widen its upper arch for easier placement of permanent teeth.
Archwires
Arch wires are essential in moving and straightening your teeth. By applying constant pressure to them, they allow them to gradually shift into their proper positions over the course of treatment.
Arch wires can range in flexibility, from being very pliable at the start to becoming stiffer as your treatment progresses for more precise shifting at its conclusion. Modern arch wires also often contain shape memory properties.
Braces come complete with other components that provide support, including ligatures (also referred to as “orthodontic ties”) and bands cemented directly onto your back teeth molars or molars – these provide anchor points for elastics or similar devices and come in an assortment of colors to show your personality or coordinate with appliances.
Rubber Bands
Rubber bands or elastics are an indispensable component of many orthodontic treatment plans, providing extra force that helps correct bite issues and teeth misalignments that brackets and archwire alone cannot address.
Elastics come in various sizes and strengths, each serving its own distinct purpose. For instance, box elastics can be placed across four teeth to apply pressure in order to close gaps or spaces between them and exert force to help close them off.
Be sure to follow your orthodontist’s instructions when placing elastics. Regular adjustments will help ensure they stay tight, creating tension that helps fine-tune your smile. Allowing too long between adjustments could prevent elastics from doing their job effectively – delaying treatment times!
Power Chains
Power chains are chains formed of elastic O-rings similar to elastic ligatures but linked together like links on a chain. Sometimes these metal twists provide additional pressure and force needed to close gaps and align teeth faster than just using brackets and wires alone.
Dental braces are typically employed during the middle to late stages of treatment, once your teeth have settled into their final positions. They help correct remaining gaps, rotated or misalignments of teeth, or bite issues that remain.
Power chains can help achieve the results that you require for any specific problem or movement expediency. Their length depends on your problem’s specifics as well as any additional pressure required to close gaps, adjust rotations or facilitate movement.
Appliances
Braces apply gradual pressure over time to gradually move teeth. This forces alters both bone structure and ligament attachment points beneath each tooth.
Stainless steel brackets function as handles to support an archwire composed of nickel and titanium wire (although clear or tooth-colored options are also available). A metal band wraps around one of your back molars to provide an anchor point for its end and provide additional security against accidental dislodgments of your archwire.
At your adjustment visits, an orthodontist will use various sizes and shapes of archwires inserted into your brackets to push, pull, open or close any gaps between your teeth. They may also use elastic ties – small rubber bands – to help guide them into new positions.
