Braces and Appliances

Braces

How do braces straighten crooked teeth?

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Braces use constant, gentle pressure, which, over time, move teeth into their proper positions. Your braces are at work every moment of your orthodontic treatment. The two main components of your braces are: the brackets that are placed on your teeth and the main archwire that connects them. The bracket is a piece of shaped metal or composite material that we affix to each tooth. It is, in effect, the handle that we use to move the teeth. The archwire is the motor that moves the teeth. It is bent to reflect your "ideal" bite. In other words, it reflects the way we want you to look after treatment.

The wire threads through the brackets and, as the wire tries to return to its original shape, it applies pressure to move your teeth. Picture your tooth resting in your jawbone. With pressure on one side from the archwire, the bone in front of the tooth melts away. The tooth moves and new bone grows in behind.

Elastics (rubber bands) may be used to change the way that teeth occlude. They exert the proper force to move teeth in between the jaws. In order for this force to remain constant, elastics must be worn all the time and changed every day. There may be a tendency not to wear them as they have been prescribed. For this reason rubber bands may not move teeth as efficiently as fixed appliances. Research has shown us that it takes 6-8 hours of constant force before the bone remodeling process begins. This process is responsible for the changes seen during orthodontics and is usually marked initially by tooth soreness. If elastics are worn intermittently then the teeth will remain sore and tooth movement will be minimized. After 2-3 days of constant wear the soreness usually subsides and tooth movement is maximized.

We need your help with elastics and your cooperation is the best way that you can assure that your treatment will be finished on time.

Different Types of Braces

Self-ligation technology is offered by Dr. McInnis in both metal and translucent brackets. The choice is yours!

Metal braces are the most popular with kids and teenagers. These braces are much smaller than ever before. New technology has been introduced with these appliances that can significantly shorten treatment time for many patients. These self-ligating brackets are much easier to clean around, thus improving oral health. They reduce friction during the early stages of tooth movement, which increases efficiency and speed. If cutting treatment time is important, then the metal Innovation^® bracket is the answer you’re looking for.

Translucent clear braces are the most popular with adults. Even up-close, they are very difficult to see. The Damon 3^® appliance offers the advantages of the self-ligating metal brackets, but with the clear advantage of reduced visibility. Furthermore; the advantage of reduced friction means that lighter forces can be used to move teeth which translates to less soreness and a better tissue response.

Additional Appliances

Clear Aligners enable some patients to be treated without fixed appliances. These removable aligners are worn in sequence to move teeth. Unfortunately, these appliances don’t offer as much control as conventional braces and are reserved for patients whose treatment is more limited in nature. If you are a candidate, rest assured that no one would know that you are undergoing orthodontic treatment. These aligners are the pinnacle of aesthetic appliances. The aligners that Dr McInnis offers are: Invisialign^®, Orthoclear^®, and Red White and Blue^®.