Do you suffer from improper teeth alignment?? Do crowded teeth compromise your oral health? Fret not! Orthodontics has tremendously evolved over the past decades in correcting a wide range of dental issues, including crowding, rotated, or crooked teeth.
The dentist in Salida, CO, and their team of aesthetic specialists provide dental braces to correct your orthodontic imperfections and enhance your smile and oral health.
What are dental braces?
Dental braces are specialized oral appliances fixed to your teeth or worn for a specific time. These appliances straighten your teeth and correct a wide range of dental issues like:
- Crooked teeth
- Crowded teeth
- Teeth with gaps (diastema)
- Malocclusion
Dental braces use mild, firm, and constant pressure to shift your teeth to the desired position over time. Different braces use a unique way of working to get effective and optimal results.
What are the types of dental braces?
There are several types of braces, which depend on the material used and the severity of your condition. These include:
- Metal braces
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- Metal braces use traditional steel bands, brackets, and wires to gently shift the teeth.
- Each bracket is bonded to the front surfaces of the teeth and connected by an archwire.
- These braces are aesthetically unappealing and may also harm the soft tissues, making eating and brushing challenging.
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- Ceramic braces
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- Here, the wires and brackets are tooth-colored and seemingly blend with your teeth.
- Though they are visible, they are still less noticeable.
- But the ceramic braces are more fragile.
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- Lingual braces
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- These are similar to traditional metal braces but are bonded to the back surfaces of your teeth.
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- Self-ligating braces
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- Self-ligating braces are similar to traditional braces, but they do not use elastic bands.
- These braces use a built-in system to hold the archwire in place.
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- Clear aligners
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- Also known as invisible braces.
- Instead of brackets and wires, clear aligners use a series of custom-made trays to straighten your teeth.
- Popular brands include Invisalign and ClearCorrect.
- These are changed over a few weeks and are meant to be worn for 20 to 22 hours per day.
Bottom line
Dental braces not only enhance your smile but also improve oral health and function. Your dentist or orthodontist can help determine the type of braces that work best for your oral needs. Braces are a fruitful investment that can give you a healthy, beautiful smile for years to come.
