About Braces
What Are Braces?
Braces are probably the most common dental appliance today. Braces are used to help straighten crooked teeth by applying constant pressure to slowly move the teeth into proper position. Specifically, they are a combination of bands around the molar teeth and brackets cemented to the front of the other teeth and all connected by arch wires. With modern technology, they have become quite a cool fashionable accessory for the pre-teens and the teenagers with a vast array of colours to choose from. Braces are one of the proactive steps you can take for your child or for yourself to insure excellent health!
Surveys have indicated that people who have benefited from the use of braces look and feel better about themselves.
Benefits Of Braces
- Better appearance of teeth, smile and face
- Improved self-esteem, confidence, well-being and feeling of acceptance
- A more even bite
- Easier to clean teeth
- Reduce risk of injury to protruding front teeth
- Improve growth in a positive manner
- Correct harmful habits
- Better jaw alignment, proportion and function
- Better chewing and digestion
Getting braces is one of the most common procedures sought by dental patients. You can get braces at any age, although braces alone may not be enough for adults depending on the type of correction required. Healthy teeth can be moved at almost any age. Many orthodontic problems can be corrected as easily and as well for adults as children. Orthodontic forces move the teeth in the same way for both a 75-year-old adult and a 12-year-old child. Complicating factors, such as lack of jaw growth, may create special treatment planning needs for the adult.
It is recommended that every child receive an orthodontic evaluation at the age of seven to determine whether braces or any other care is needed. Today, braces are less obtrusive for adults, and you can have the option of metal, clear, or tooth-coloured brackets. Modern wires are also less noticeable and more effective, and treatment averages around 24 months.
The Benefits
We take enormous pride in the relationships we build with our patients and families. See some of the benefits of choosing us.
A more attractive smile
Better function of the teeth
Increase in self-confidence
Increased ability to clean the teeth
Improved wear patterns of the teeth
Better long term health of teeth and gums
Guide permanent teeth into more favorable positions
Reduce the risk of injury to protruded front teeth
Adult Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment can be successful at any age, especially adults who appreciate the benefits of a beautiful smile. One out of every four patients in orthodontic treatment is over 21. Depending upon the degree of difficulty of each case, adults have a wide range of options available to them to straighten their teeth and correct alignment. The options include Invisalign, clear braces, self-ligating braces by request, lingual (behind the teeth) braces and sometimes removable appliances.
Occasionally, if an adult has not had orthodontic treatment they may have experienced some breakdown or loss of their teeth and bone that supports the teeth and may require periodontal treatment before, during and/or after orthodontic treatment. Bone loss can also limit the amount and direction of tooth movement that is advisable. On rare occasions jaw surgery may be necessary if the jaws have not grown in proper relationship to each other.
