What Are Dental Braces?

The main purpose of braces is to straighten the teeth and align the crowded teeth. Braces treatment not only helps improve the appearance but also your dental health. 

You might need to allocate 12 months to 24 months of your time for getting braces treatment. It definitely requires a lot of patience and commitment but the efforts will get 100% results for the lifetime. People usually prefer getting their braces done as early as possible. This is why you might notice braces mostly in teens. 

Nowadays adults too have started to realize the importance of having good dental health. Teeth that are not properly aligned, hamper the normal functioning of the teeth. It’s a condition found in about 75% of individuals naturally from birth. 

If not treated can increase the risk of dental problems like tooth decay, gingivitis, cavities, etc. 

Braces Procedure

The 10% of the effort depends on the dentist you prefer for the treatment and the rest 90% is on you. You need to put effort into making time for checkups, eating right, flossing and cleaning teeth properly.

After discussing with your dentist about the braces treatment you will get allocated the procedure day. Your dentist will instruct you about the aftercare and how to prepare yourself on the day of the procedure. Every dentist has a different style and technique so it might vary a little depending on the dentist. 

With the help of the cheek retractor, your mouth is fully opened so your teeth are clearly visible. This is done so they remain dry when the dental braces will be placed. To prepare the teeth for placing braces first a liquid is applied on the surface of the teeth for half a minute. 

After cleaning your teeth, a liquid for bonding is applied to your teeth. 

Then comes the time to finally place the brackets. For this purpose, cement is used to make the bracket stick on your teeth surface. After the brackets start hardening the extra cement is removed from the edges to make it look clean. A high-intensity light is used further to strengthen the cement. The retractor is removed from your mouth after placing the brackets. Now the dental archwires are placed and then adjusted to properly align your teeth. This is not at all painful but after the procedure, the patient might experience sore gums. It can be observed only for 6 to 8 hours after the procedure. Your dentist might recommend some painkillers to relieve you from the soreness of your gums. 

That’s all about the procedure which takes about 20 mins to 30 mins. The time might vary spending on how much time the brackets take to settle and the adjustment of wire.

Types Of Braces

Earlier only metal braces were available for the braces treatment. But having a heavy object like metal inside your mouth made it inconvenient for the patients. Also for those who are concerned about the appearance after getting the braces treatment were bothered with the metal braces. All these things lead to an increase in demand for the variety in materials for the braces treatment.

 The different types of braces available today are as follows:

Conventional braces - In this type of braces, normal metal braces are available but with tooth-coloured ceramic options. This solves the problem of the ugly appearance of the metal braces. The total time required for the treatment is less with conventional braces.

Aligners - These are types of transparent trays which need to be switched every two weeks. If not done so, it might take longer for the braces treatment than usual. Aligners can be removed while eating and cleaning this gives convenience for the user. Also, it ensures good dental hygiene is maintained during the whole treatment, unlike other options.

Self-ligating braces - They are similar to conventional braces but a wire is passed through a small metal chip on the brackets. 

Lingual braces - In lingual braces, the brackets are placed on the backside of the teeth. They are invisible and do not affect the overall appearance. It can also be customised according to the needs of the patient.

These are all the options you get today for the braces treatment. You can ask the dentist and select the type of braces according to your needs. He would suggest something suiting your needs, requirements and costs.

Braces Treatment Stages

There are four stages of the dental braces treatment procedure. They are as follows:

Initial Braces Procedure - The braces treatment procedure is all about the first dentist visit to get your braces. We have already mentioned the whole procedure above. 

Maintaining the Braces - The braces treatment is not just limited to getting the braces but maintaining them later is of utmost importance. You need to go for follow-ups, the dentist might adjust the wire of your braces. Sometimes these wires become loose or weaken and might need replacement. All these things regarding tightening of the wire from time to time will be taken care of.

 This is why you need to do regular follow-ups during your braces treatment. You will be also informed about the progress of the treatment so far. 

During the treatment, you need to ensure good oral hygiene is maintained. Avoid certain foods which might spoil the enamel of your teeth. Food with high sugar content and acids.

Braces Removal - The time when your teeth get properly aligned is when your braces will be removed. It is a simple procedure and might not take much time. You might experience slight inflation on your gums after the process. But it will get back to normal within 2-3 days.

Braces Treatment Cost

The cost of the braces treatment generally varies from dentist to dentist. This is because of the type of technique used and the braces you select for your treatment. 

If you have other dental diseases like tooth decay or discolouration those will be treated first. This might add up the costs. The location of the dentist also is a factor in terms of cost which you need to consider.