How Braces Work
Are you interested in improving your smile, or the smile of someone you love? If so, you may be wondering how braces work to straighten your teeth and improve your smile. In the following post, you’ll learn how braces work from the perspective of our dedicated Buffalo orthodontists who have a combined 50+ years of experience helping Western New York residents achieve healthy and beautiful smiles. Keep reading to get a better understanding of how braces can help you. Still have questions? Contact us today to arrange a free consultation.
The Basic Mechanics of How Braces Work
When getting traditional braces put on you will see what is called a bracket placed on the teeth that are being prepared for treatment. Your orthodontist will cement these brackets to the teeth. Sometimes these brackets can be placed behind the teeth. Brackets can be made of traditional steel, plastic, or ceramic. Plastic and ceramic are used if you so choose for them to be less noticeable. These are often called clear braces. In some patients, a band will also be cemented to the tooth.
Attached to these brackets is a wire that will actually be doing the work to move the teeth into proper alignment. These wires are affixed to the brackets with rubber bands. These rubber bands are often offered in whatever color the patient chooses. For instance, many of our patients are Bills fans and opt for their rubber bands to reflect the teams signature red, white and blue colors. We also see many Sabres fans opt for blue, white and gold. The possibilities are endless and totally up to the patient. Some patients will have springs placed on this wire to further control the movement and alignment of teeth. In some cases, there will be rubber bands that are placed on an tooth from the top and bottom of the jaw that will fix the bite.
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How Braces Work & Issues They Can Fix
- Closing a gap between teeth for aesthetic purposes
- Correcting the misaligned bite of the patient to improve the chewing and function of the jaw
- Straightening the teeth for aesthetic and functional purposes
What Are Retainers?
After patients have undergone braces treatment, when it is finally time to take the braces off, your child might feel like they are done with the treatment. However, that is not necessarily the case. Retainers are provided to keep that hard work the braces just did in place. Most patients are required to wear them overnight, possibly more often than that.
You can encourage your child to wear their retainers in whatever way you see fit. Wearing them routinely will be a benefit to them for years to come as straight teeth are easier to keep in good condition and will therefore present less health problems in the future. Wearing a retainer can even help with snoring issues by keeping everything where it needs to be. Braces can also help those with speech impediments for that same reason.
If you or someone you love has any questions about how braces work, or if they are the right solution for you, please contact one of our five convenient locations to schedule a free consultation with a dedicated Buffalo orthodontist. We welcome the opportunity to put a smile on your face!
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