BracesWhile orthodontic work that begins while a child is growing helps produce optimal results, that doesn’t mean that adults can’t have braces. Thanks to advances in orthodontic treatments, metal brackets are not your only option. Removable aligners, or invisible braces,î or clear plastic brackets can all be used to straighten crooked or crowded teeth.
The above article is from: MouthHealthy.org
Engineering Straighter Teeth with Physiologic Orthodontics
Regular orthodontics can include straightening teeth and aligning the smile; however, it can be somewhat limiting if there are other problems to be corrected. Physiologic orthodontics can correct what regular orthodontics can fix, and also correct other conditions such as airway and breathing problems, tongue habits, gummy smiles, flat and retruded faces, poor lip support, posture problems, head and neck pain and other health problems. Physiologic orthodontics treats the big picture of the bite, facial development, posture, and airway to give a long-lasting, stable smile and a beautiful face. Please see "Can mouth breathing hurt my health?" in our FAQ.
Orthodontics normally entails the use of metal or possibly ceramic braces. Constant, stable pressure in the direction of required change alters the position of teeth over time. Here's what happens: Stainless steel, titanium, or ceramic brackets are attached to the tooth. These brackets act as handles to which other components are joined to shift your tooth in various directions. A thin metal wire known as an archwire links each bracket. Using tension, the archwire exerts pressure on your teeth to move them into position. Colorful (or clear) elastic bands are stretched to secure the archwires to the brackets. As adjustments are made, archwires of assorted diameters are tensioned and ligature elastics are swapped.
These days even traditional braces offer a variety of choices. For example, self-ligating braces require no elastic ligature bands. Instead, a special type of bracket is used that holds the archwires in place. Lingual braces are applied to the back side of teeth to render them invisible to observation. Yet another option is clear braces. These brackets are made of clear or tooth-colored ceramic with tensioning provided by similarly colored archwires and ligature elastics.
Regardless of the particular style, orthodontics permit Dr. de Bruin to employ more control over how your teeth are straightened. More intricate corrections can be done using this method. Because these types of braces can't be readily removed and are continually monitored, there is less chance of problems developing by failure to wear the right aligner for the specified amount of time. Each person is unique and will require a different amount of correction, so the total time needed will vary by patient.
de Bruin Dental Center
Tomas G. de Bruin, DDS
631 Sierra Rose Drive,
Suite A
Reno, NV 89511
(775) 826-1838
deBruinSmiles.com
