Straighten
Today's braces have changed from a generation ago with a more aesthetic look, more efficiency and better comfort. Orthodontic devices have so many variations they are being used at earlier ages to simplify treatment later on. Adults make up about 20 percent of orthodontic patients for better and healthier teeth. Braces are used to correct crooked teeth, overcrowding of teeth and severe bite problems. These problems become worse later on by creating tooth loss and gum disease. Crowded, crooked or damaged teeth make them harder to brush and clean causing decay. This can also cause problems with the jawbone and pain. Straightened teeth function better, are easier to clean and can last a lifetime, according to the American Association of Orthodontists. Braces correct and straighten misshapen teeth by putting pressure against the teeth and moving them gradually over time for a better smile and overall healthy teeth.
Wired
The pressure is applied by a metal wire, or archwire, that is placed on the outside of the teeth. The archwires are made from a heat-activated, nickel-titanium mixture. The wires are very flexible and can be attached easily to the teeth. Surgical latex or rubber bands are used to put additional pressure on the teeth to help the archwire, which cannot do it alone. Metal bands were once used, but they were uncomfortable and often painful to be put on and adjusted. Today, the archwire is attached to tiny metal or ceramic brackets. The brackets are bonded to the teeth with a glue-like substance at the front of the teeth. Some brackets contain fluoride to be released and protect the enamel of the teeth underneath the brackets. Tiny metal bands are sometimes used on the back teeth, but they are smaller and lighter than metal bands of the past.
Options
Braces still need to be adjusted by the orthodontist periodically, but not as often as years ago because newer archwires are active over longer periods of time. This has cut the time for patients from coming in every 3 or 4 weeks to visiting the specialist every 6 to 8 weeks. Patients can choose from a variety of ceramic or metal braces. Ceramic braces may be more expensive, but some people say they are more comfortable than metal braces, according to ArchWired.com, a website for adults in braces. Options also include invisible braces that are fit onto the inside of the teeth. But they can be uncomfortable and treatment may last longer than with standard types. Braces are normally left on for between 20 and 24 months. When the braces are removed, plastic retainers are given to the patients to hold the teeth in their corrected positions until bone grows around the teeth and stabilizes them. Some people will wear retainers periodically throughout life because the teeth tend to shift as people age.
