Updated Technology
Braces are placed on teeth to correct alignment, make room for new teeth (in children's cases) and ensure a proper bite when the jaw comes together. Today's technology makes braces both quicker and more effective than the previous bracket-on-the-teeth and wire technology. Nowadays, brackets are glued onto teeth, with only rear molars occasionally requiring the fully surrounding metal brackets. And the arch wire that helps move teeth uses space-age technology in which the wire stiffens in response to your body's heat to ensure the wire enables swift correction.
Tooth Movement
Once braces are glued onto teeth, a system of arch wires and rubber bands moves the teeth into position. This occurs as gentle and steady pressure stretch the periodontal membrane on one side of the tooth and compress it on the other. This change in the periodontal membrane causes the tooth to loosen in its position. As the arch wire and bands continue their steady pressure, bone grows to support the tooth in the position to which it has been moved in the jaw. Bone regrowth is often called bone remodeling.
Keep Teeth in Place
Bone remodeling is part of the body's natural response to changes in pressure and load on a bone. The osteoclasts and osteoblasts that make up your bones respond to change in pressure exerted by the arch wire and bands. In simple terms, when the arch wire and bands exert force on a tooth, the periodontal membrane loosens and osteoclasts enable the tooth to move in the jaw. When the tooth is resettled in its new position, osteoblasts rebuild the bone to stabilize the tooth and ensure it remains in its orthodontically correct position. This not only results in properly aligned teeth, but also denser bone structure, ensuring a healthy, long-lived smile.
