Fixed Metal Braces

Braces are a way of moving crooked teeth to a more desirable position. For very simple movements they may be removable but are quite often fixed to the teeth. Individual metal or ceramic brackets are bonded to each tooth and a wire passed in between them. This wire puts a gentle force on the teeth gradually encouraging the teeth to align with the bone supporting the teeth adapting to the new position as the tooth moves.

This pressure will usually be enough to make the teeth a little tender and for the first few days with a new wire you may take a headache tablet but any sensitivity is mild usually. It also takes some time for your cheek and tongue/lips to get used to the appliance so these can be tender. Occasionally a wire can poke the cheek and some orthodontic wax can be used to cover rough areas on the brace. Having the braces placed does not hurt in any way.

The duration of treatment depends on the goals. For an adult patient who would like to straighten their front teeth only treatment may take 4-6 months. For an adolescent that requires four teeth out to make space for their teeth treatment may take two years or more. After your free orthodontic assessment, a better estimation of the length of treatment is possible. Braces are going to improve your bite and the overall function of your teeth. They may even improve how easy it is to clean your teeth.

For the most part, however, braces are about aesthetics for most people. That is not to say aesthetics are not super important. Teeth are consistently ranked alongside eyes as the most important feature of a beautiful face and a nice smile does wonders for confidence overall.

There are many different variables that go into how much braces cost. Which type of brace- train tracks or Invisalign? Which type of bracket, ceramic or metal? Is it to be a short course of treatment or extensive orthodontics? Rest assured after a free orthodontic consultation and assessment of the records taken a full written quotation will be available and explained. However, if you looking for a ballpark figure initially please review our price list here.

With train-track braces floss will not pass between the teeth like normal because the wire will be in the way. Other tools may be used such as air flossers or water pik. Also, interdental brushes or superfloss will be necessary. Detailed instructions will be provided once your appliance is fitted. For Invisalign treatment, the aligners are removable so regular flossing can be continued.

There are two elements to forbidden food with braces. 1) What will damage my brace, 2) what will get so impossibly stuck to my brace it will not be worth eating?

Damaging foods are harder foods such as toffee, chocolate from the fridge, carrots sticks, crusty baguettes and the like. Particularly any food that will require powerful chewing especially if there a lateral element to that chewing. For example, almost turning your head to tear some nice crusty bread may place too much pressure on your appliance. Nuts and seeds can be too hard and again will lodge extensively. Popcorn is one food type that may have hard kernels that can knock a bracket off or bend the archwire but also have pieces that will get stuck everywhere. Popcorn can be eaten with care and a big clean up afterwards- likewise pizza. (Cutting the pizza with a knife and fork may help.) Chewing gum can be used lightly but is likely to be an unpleasant experience as again it will stick to everything.

With traditional braces, it is quite difficult to whiten teeth until they are removed. Whilst the braces are in place your dentist can polish whatever stain is apparent. It is sensible also to avoid very staining food, for example, dark curries or black coffee. When ceramic brackets are used it is often excess cement that is the problem and this can be smoothened off.

If your treatment is with Invisalign then, fortunately, it is very easy to whiten your teeth as the aligners themselves can be used as whitening trays. Alternatively, the aligners can be removed for a brief session of laser whitening. Because the aligners are removable for cleaning there tends to be less discolouration in the first place.

Braces can certainly change the appearance of your face for the better. However, in the absence of jaw surgery, the bone structure will not change dramatically. What may change is how and where the jaws meet each other. An example of this would be a child where the lower jaw didn’t grow at the same pace as the upper jaw which can make the chin appear small. This is a very common occurrence and is considered unaesthetic especially in boys. Treatment of this condition in early adolescence encourages the lower jaw forward and has a dramatic effect on the faces profile. People who have a deep bite may be a little over closed with a trapped lower jaw leading to grinding, tooth wear and headaches. Treatment of this bite can increase the height of the lower face back to normal and allow the jaw to reach its correct, unstressed position.

Some children will have the opposite problem where the upper jaw fails to keep pace with the lower leading to a chin that appears prominent. This also can be treated with a high degree of success leading to a positive face change. Most of the conditions where your dentist will try to direct growth favourably require you to be growing rapidly which is usually just as adolescence is ramping up- 11-12yrs in girls, 12-13 in boys. Alternatively, there are some bite types where it is better to wait until growth is completed around 17years old. That being said orthodontics may be conducted at any age with a high degree of success. All that’s required is good oral hygiene and patience!

Upon receiving braces initially the soft tissues of your mouth are not used to coming into persistent contact with the hard angular surfaces. Sore spots are common whether from the brackets attached to the teeth or the wire in between. Orthodontic wax is designed to cover the sharp area as the mouth acclimatizes. The area should be dried with cotton wool and a piece of wax kneaded lightly between thumb and finger to soften.

The wax should then be placed directly on the offending part of the appliance. If a piece of wire is dramatically sticking out or will not retain wax then a trip to the surgery is in order. In a real emergency, the wire may be snipped with clean toenail clippers. It is obviously better to have the dentist help but if you can’t make it in it’s the last resort.

Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that concerns itself with the position and alignment of teeth and jaws and their correct development. Orthodontists study for three further years full time after their dental degree and are real experts. A lot of dentists perform orthodontics with very brief weekend courses under their belt.

At Cork City Dentist we felt that was not fair or right which is why Michael has studied for three further years to offer orthodontics to a higher standard. Ask your dentist what their qualifications are. There will still be some cases that we will consider too difficult for our training and in that circumstance Michael will usually refer to a specialist orthodontist Ms. AnnMarie Owens in cork city.

Yes braces are very good at closing gaps. If the gap is due to a recent extraction then so much the better. Longer standing gaps from missing teeth are a little more troublesome and slower to close. Natural spacing between teeth can also be closed usually without too much trouble. Occasionally there may be too much space and consideration may be given to moving several spaces into one larger space and adding an extra tooth by bridging or an implant.

Six month smiles are a form of orthodontics using brackets and wires that attempt to align the teeth in under six months. This type of braces is called short term orthodontics and in general concentrates on the lineup and appearance of the front teeth only. These teeth are sometimes known as the ‘social six’ and are often the most important teeth from an appearance point of view.