The ideal age to start braces is 10-14. That’s when the bones and jaws are in the growing stage and can be easily molded to the desired aesthetics.
Recently invisible braces are available wherein a series of transparent trays are used. That corrects the minor changes in the alignment of the teeth called clear aligners. These are more comfortable to use by the patient but are often expensive.
It takes 1 to 2 years to achieve movement of the teeth without causing any damage. The dentist has to replace them every couple of weeks and the cost is significantly higher than other types available in India.
There are ceramic braces, lingual braces, and invisible braces to choose from apart from the traditional metal braces. The cost for each is different.
You should avoid eating sticky and extremely hard or hot substances since they can damage the braces. An important part of this treatment is maintaining a very good oral routine since braces tend to be difficult to clean. There are special toothbrushes for patients with braces that you must use twice a day with your regular toothpaste. It is important to brush your teeth and get a professional cleaning at the dentist regularly. It is difficult to treat the dental disease if you already wear braces.
The metal brackets and the wires are put by your dentist at a particular angle and alignment. These then apply pressure on the teeth and make them move in the desired position.
Yes. Adults can have braces too. However, it may take more time to get your teeth into alignment than at a younger age. You can choose from metal, ceramic or clear aligners to get that perfect smile you always wanted.
Yes. Just like our hair keeps growing every day and we notice the change in the length of our hair one fine day, similarly, braces do move our teeth every day. Significant changes are seen within the first 6 months to 1 year from when you start your braces treatment.
It very much depends on how severely mal-aligned your teeth are. Metal braces show faster results as they are able to apply more pressure, but also they are very high maintenance. Clear aligners are good for milder cases. These are very easy to use and have less maintenance but are also costly as compared to metal and ceramic ones.
After your treatment is completed and the teeth are aligned in the desired shape, it’s very important to wear your retainers. The teeth that are moved to their new positions have a tendency to go back to their original positions as they have memory fibers. Wearing your retainers will help keep the teeth in the desired positions until the tooth is adapted to the new position.
Failing to wear the retainers will cause a relapse of the treatment. The teeth which have been moved to their new positions will start shifting back to their original positions. So it is advised to wear your retainers sincerely to prevent the relapse of the treatment.
Yes. Clear aligners do take more time to straighten your teeth than the traditional metal and ceramic braces.
Clear aligners apply less force on teeth as compared to the others.
Food particles and other bacteria get accumulated in and around the wires and brackets of the whole braces assembly. There is more plaque and tartar buildup around the brackets as compared to when there are no braces. Regular tooth brushing techniques with a regular toothbrush do not suffice as the toothbrush bristles do not reach very small areas. As a result, poor oral hygiene during this time can cause bad breath, gum infections and make your teeth more prone to decay.