Dental Braces and

Retainers

Jiga Stefania Carmen

Universitatea Ovidius, Facultatea de Medicina
Dentara
 Abstract

Dental braces allow teeth straightening and correct arcade positioning.

Crooked teeth can be family inherited but can be a consequence of
thumb sucking. Teeth can also modify their natural position if a lost
tooth wasnt replaced in time. In this situation the other teeth could have
moved in the missing ones direction causing tooth gap.

DENTAL BRACES ARE NECESSARY IN THE

FOLLOWING CASES:
teeth cramming

crooked teeth

dental-maxillary problems

teeth gaps (diastema)

problems caused by surplus or missing arcade teeth

Because of being embarrassed by your teeth appearance, in time you will

tend to smile less often or at all and to cover your mouth to hide them.

Orthodontic treatment straightens your teeth so they look better. Your

face will look different and your facial muscles will start functioning
correctly. This treatment uses dental braces or other instruments which
directly press cooked teeth until they reach their right position.

In most cases, dental braces components are made of metal and

esthetical ones of ceramic. The elastic and metal bands can be colored,
colorless or the same shade as the teeth. The dentist or orthodontist can
suggest other treatments before applying dental braces.

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 Summary

Introduction

What Types of Braces Are Available?

How Do Braces Work?

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 How Long Will I Have to Wear Braces?

Will Braces Be Painful?

Does the Age Affect the Success of Braces?

You will need to take good care of your teeth

Beware of allergies

Bibliography

Introduction

If you have crooked teeth and/or a misaligned bite (an underbite or

overbite), there are a variety of treatments that can help straighten teeth,
including braces and retainers.

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Many general dentists are doing basic alignment and orthodontics, but
orthodontists specialize in correcting irregularities of the teeth.

The dentist or orthodontist you choose will ask questions about your
health, conduct a clinical exam, take impressions of your teeth, take
photos of your face and teeth, and order X-rays of the mouth and head.
An appropriate treatment plan is made based on analysis of the gathered
information.

In some cases, a removable retainer will be all that's necessary. In other

rare cases (especially when there is an extreme overbite or underbite),
surgery may be necessary. In most cases, however, braces will be needed.

What Types of Braces Are Available?

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If braces are indeed the solution for you, the dentist or orthodontist will
prescribe an appliance specific for your needs. The braces may consist of
bands, wires, and other fixed or removable corrective appliances. No one
method works for everyone.

How Do Braces Work?

In their entirety, braces work by applying continuous pressure over a

period of time to slowly move teeth in a specific direction. As the teeth
move, the bone changes shape as pressure is applied.

Braces are made up of the following components:

o Brackets are the small squares that are bonded directly to the front
of each tooth with a special dental bonding agent or are attached to
orthodontic bands. Brackets act like handles, holding the arch
wires that move the teeth. There are several types of brackets,
including stainless steel and tooth-colored ceramic or plastic,
which are often selected because theyre less obvious. Occasionally,
brackets are cemented to the back of teeth, in order to hide them
from view.

o Orthodontic bands are stainless steel, clear, or tooth-colored

materials that are cemented to the teeth with dental bonding
agents. They wrap around each tooth to provide an anchor for the
brackets. The clear or tooth-colored bands are more cosmetically
appealing options but are more expensive than stainless steel.
They are not used in all patients. Some people have only brackets
and no bands.

o Spacers are separators that fit between teeth to create a small

space prior to placement of orthodontic bands.

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o Arch wires attach to the brackets and act as tracks to guide the
movement of the teeth. Arch wires can be made of metal or be clear
or tooth-colored.

o Ties are small rubber rings or fine wires that fasten the arch wire
to the brackets. They can be clear, metal, or colored.

o A buccal tube on the band of the last tooth holds the end of the
arch wire securely in place.

o Tiny elastic rubber bands, called ligatures, hold the arch wires to
the brackets.

o Springs may be placed on the arch wires between brackets to push,

pull, open, or close the spaces between teeth.

o Two bands on the upper teeth may have headgear tubes on them to
hold the facebow of the headgear in place. (A headgear is another
tool used by orthodontists to aid in correcting irregularities of the
teeth; see below)

o Elastics or rubber bands attach to hooks on brackets and are worn

between the upper and lower teeth in various ways. They apply
pressure to move the upper teeth against the lower teeth to achieve
a perfect fit of individual teeth.

o Facebow headgear is the wire gadget that is used to move the

upper molars back in the mouth to correct bite discrepancies and
also to create room for crowded teeth. The facebow consists of an
inner metal part shaped like a horseshoe that goes in the mouth,
attaching to buccal tubes, and an outer part that goes around the
outside of the face and is connected to a headgear strap.

How Long Will I Have to Wear Braces?

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The time required for braces varies from person to person, depending on
the severity of the problem; the amount of room available; the distance
the teeth must travel; the health of the teeth, gums, and supporting
bone; and how closely the patient follows instructions. On average,
however, once the braces are put on, they usually remain in place for one
to three years. After braces are removed, most patients will need to wear
a retainer all the time for the first six months, then only during sleep for
many years.

Will Braces Be Painful?

Some of the adjustments your orthodontist may make to your braces may
make your mouth feel sore or uncomfortable. When needed, over-the-
counter pain relievers like Motrin or Tylenol can help relieve the pain. If
you always experience a lot of pain after your braces are adjusted, talk to
your orthodontist about it; he or she may be able to make the
adjustments a bit differently.

Does the Age Affect the Success of Braces?

The mechanical process used to move teeth with braces is the same at
any age. So the benefits of orthodontic treatments are available to both
children and adults who wish to improve their appearance and bite. The
main differences between treatments in adults and children is that
certain corrections in adults may require more than braces alone and the
treatments may take longer because adult bones are no longer growing.

You will need to take good care of your teeth

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Why bother to spend thousands of dollars and years of your time on your
teeth, and then ignore your oral hygiene? When you have braces, you will
need to brush your teeth several times per day, ideally after every meal.
This may sound like a big pain, but you'll get used to it. In fact, you will
want to brush your teeth often, because food gets stuck between your
brackets, which can be really disgusting and cause bad breath and tooth
decay. At the very least, you should swish your mouth with water after
eating.

Beware of allergies
Some people are allergic to nickel, which is found in some brackets and
wires. Some people are allergic to latex, which is found in o-ring
ligatures, elastics, and exam gloves. And recently, it seems that some
people are allergic to something in the plastic of aligner trays and plastic
retainers.

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 Bibliography

http://www.webmd.com/oral-
health/guide/braces-and-retainers#3

http://citydent.ro/en/dental-braces/

http://www.archwired.com/12_Things_To_Kn
ow_Before_Getting_Dental_Braces.htm

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