Consultant Specialist Orthodontist with over 25 years' experience
When most people think of braces, they think of the standard metal or orthodontic brace, which is usually seen in teenagers and children.
However, when it comes to orthodontic care in adults, the metal brace should still not be scoffed at. It is the best option to treat severe crowding, spacing, protrusion and other alignment issues, which can impact people of all ages.
When you come to see our orthodontist London, we can offer teeth straightening Marylebone to help you get the straighter smile that you want and deserve. We pride ourselves on being able to offer an array of different orthodontic treatments to our patients and will always be happy to answer any questions you have about the process, too.
At this stage, you may be curious to learn more about fitted braces, and in this article, this method of teeth straightening Marylebone is explored as our team breaks down what a brace is, as well as exploring its components in simple, jargon-free language.
What is a brace?
A brace is an orthodontic tool that is fitted to the teeth and is used to pull the teeth into a new position using a series of tightening appointments.
As mentioned before, in complex cases of orthodontic misalignment, this is the best option for teeth straightening Marylebone, and can straighten your teeth in as little as 2 years, depending on how your teeth react.
The archwire
The archwire on a brace is the wire that runs through the brackets.
The wires come in a range of thicknesses, with our team usually starting the brace treatment with the thinnest wire, which measures 0.14 inches, which then increases to around .20 inches when we really need to move stubborn teeth into alignment.
The elastic post
You may have heard of the use of elastic bands when it comes to braces, and an elastic post is a special kind of bracket that has a small, blunt hook, usually at the top.
You will use this to attach the elastic bands, which can be used when you need to correct a bite issue. This will be advised by our team, so don't panic!
The bracket
The bracket is the square part of the brace that is attached to your teeth, which has the wire running through it. You can opt for clear brackets, as well as colour-matched ones to blend in with your teeth, but this is a cosmetic issue.
The wire stop
This is a cylindrical add-on which is placed next to the brackets and is wrapped around the wire.
It is likely to be used when our team is tightening the wires or the brace to make sure that the wire stays where it needs to be, as well as helping with the separation of the teeth and areas of orthodontic work. In short, it allows us to target certain teeth for movement.
The colour dots
Colour dots are temporary markings that our team will use to select the correct bracket for each tooth. When you come to see us, we may need to change certain brackets to have different wires put in, and these dots will help us to map it out.
