Traditional, Metal Braces
Braces can correct crooked teeth, a misaligned bite, and problems with the jaw. Braces also address difficulties with eating, talking correctly, or keeping your teeth clean. The metal braces of today are now sleeker, smaller, and more comfortable thanks to advances in dental technology. When applied to teeth, braces don’t typically hurt. The metal arch wire that is woven through the brackets, mild discomfort, and soreness is completely normal for a few days.
Traditional braces consist of standard metal brackets placed on your teeth with an adhesive and connected by wire. They require regular tightening so that your teeth can be gradually straightened, and your jaw aligned. Although metal bracelets are still common, different treatment options are available.
Self-Ligating Braces
Damon braces are self-ligating devices equipped in the same manner as traditional metal braces. But instead of having brackets that regularly tighten and adjust your braces, Damon braces use a slide mechanism that attaches wires to brackets to move with teeth naturally as they straighten. This makes for additional comfort, aesthetics, and delivering strong results in a shorter period.
The In-Ovation® L MTM System, with a special free-sliding technology, gently guides your teeth and jaw into place, with little to almost no pressure. These brackets are ideal for patients whose teeth are required to move small distances. These brackets are completely invisible and work in a few short months to create your perfect smile.
Aesthetic Braces and Clear Aligners
Six Month Smiles are clear braces designed in around six months to straighten your teeth. This system achieves quick results as it focuses on addressing cosmetic issues by straightening the most visible teeth of your smile. Six Month Smiles braces can treat a variety of orthodontic problems that affect the aesthetic appearance of your smile using clear brackets and tooth-colored titanium wires.
For straightening your teeth without wires, Invisalign is a modern solution. Clear, smooth, and durable plastic is custom-molded into an almost invisible set of trays that snap over your teeth. You exchange your aligners every two weeks for a new set that slowly straightens your teeth to the ideal position.
Better Results with SureSmile®
Our team takes pictures of your teeth using an OraScanner — a wand that works like a 3-D camera. The images are sent to a computer to create a detailed 3-D model. SureSmile software allows us to view your teeth from any angle and determine the best treatment plan.
The archwire is mechanically made according to your prescription. Once fitted to your teeth, the wire provides gentle, consistent force to move them to the desired position.
Handling Orthodontic Emergencies
When appliances are first put on, it’s not uncommon to experience a bit of soreness or some minor aches as teeth start moving into new positions. But knowing that orthodontic emergencies are rare is comforting.
However, if you think you may have an emergency, the first step is to determine the severity of the problem: is it an urgent situation that requires immediate attention, or is it a minor issue that you can temporarily take care of yourself until you can visit our office?
Orthodontic emergencies that need immediate care include:
- Traumatic injury to the teeth, face or mouth
- Infection or swelling of the gums, mouth or face
- Bleeding of the gums or mouth
- Severe, unmanageable discomfort or pain
Content our team at Best Dental Care right away if you or a loved one have experienced any of the above situations.
Minor Orthodontic Troubles
Fortunately, most orthodontic issues are minor compared to the situations mentioned above. However, they can still cause irritation, uneasiness, and discomfort. While emergencies are rare, our goal is to make your orthodontic treatment with us as comfortable as possible. Here are some of the more common orthodontic issues and how we can help you resolve them: