Braces and Aligners – Implant Centre

What are BRACES?

Dental braces are appliances which are used to align or straighten the teeth and guide the teeth to the corrected position. They are made up of wires, brackets, and bands. Braces aid to correct irregular teeth positioning, jaw correction, improvement in chewing and smile aesthetics. Your dentist is the best person to guide on treatment options and modalities depending upon dentition.

What are Braces used for?

The major reason for getting Braces on is to improve the facial appearance, what people do not know is that there are any other implications which require orthodontic treatment like open bite, jaw structure, crossbite etc.

What types of Braces are available?

Metal Conventional Braces

These are the traditional and most common type of braces. The metal braces used today are much more comfortable and smaller in size. These require elastics which come in a variety of colors to tie the wire to the braces. The wires use your body heat to move teeth more quickly and less painfully. There is no age limit attached to these, as patients of all ages can choose to straighten their teeth using metal braces.

Metal Self Ligating Braces

These are metal Brackets with a shutter or lock system and do not require the use of elastic to tie the wire. In comparison to traditional metal braces, metal self-ligating braces are more comfortable and smaller in size. These are helpful in achieving arch expansion and minimize the need for extraction.

Ceramic Conventional Braces

Ceramic braces are the ones with clear brackets. They use tooth color and blends more naturally with your teeth. The shape and size are the same as metal braces. These are less visible on the teeth and as a result, are preferred by older teenagers and adults who might have aesthetic concerns. Sometimes, even the wires used are of tooth color which makes them less noticeable. Being less prominent, they require more care and protection compared to metal braces as they are larger and more brittle. They require extra protection, hence, are used more in upper teeth than lower.

Lingual Braces

Lingual Braces are heavy metal braces which are placed behind the teeth. These metallic braces can be made even of silver or gold. The individual Bracket is customized using CAD-CAM / 3D Designing. The treatment is highly aesthetic and less visible. This, however, can cause mild speech difficulties during the course of the treatment.

Aligners

Clear Aligners are medical grade plastic trays that do not require any braces or wire. They are totally invisible hence; the aesthetic concerns are duly met and make them very appealing with adults who need orthodontic treatment. Though placed inside they do not have any food restrictions associated. People believe that being placed on the inside, they might face speech difficulties; which is a myth. On the other hand, transparent braces are highly comfortable and hygienic. Clear Aligners also hide existing gaps.