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Metal
Braces
 Gaps,
overlaps, crowding, rotated teeth—these
are just some of the things your teeth
can do to ruin your smile. Fortunately,
all these conditions are curable thanks
to orthodontic appliances, or braces.
Braces are metal, plastic or ceramic
devices that put tension on your teeth
to shift them into a more desirable
position. Braces can also correct maloccusion,
or bad bites. Braces worn in conjunction
with headgear can level out an overbite
(when your top jaw is larger than your
lower jaw) or an underbite (when your
lower jaw is larger than your top jaw).
Metal
braces consist of metal wires and metal
brackets. These brackets are glued to
the front of your teeth. The wire is
shaped into the ideal position of your
teeth, then threaded through the brackets.
As the wires struggle to get back to
their original shape, they gradually
pressure your teeth into that shape
as well. Dr Phillip F. Ajaje will tighten
the wires every four to six weeks. You
should see a nice, straight smile within
two or two and a half years (though
this time period can be shorter or longer,
depending on the severity of your problem).
Once your braces come off, you will
likely wear a retainer for six months
to a year to keep your teeth from shifting
and your new smile in place.
Though
braces are most commonly seen on children
and adolescents—at these ages, bones
are still growing, making it easier
to shift teeth and jaws into place—they
can be worn at any age. If you feel
you (or your child) may be a candidate
for braces, talk to Dr Phillipo Ajaje.
He can recommend the type orthodontic
treatment that you or your child will
require,
Braces
can be unpleasant at times. Initially,
the brackets can irritate the back of
the lips (though you will get used to
them within a few days). Braces require
special brushing and flossing techniques,
as food can collect around the brackets,
causing bacteria buildup and bad breath.
They can also hurt at times, especially
immediately after wire-tightening visits
to the orthodontist. This hurt, too,
will go away in a day or two. Keep an
eye out for the many, many people in
the media and on the street who have
worn braces. Their straight, beautiful,
hard-earned smiles should motivate you
to stick to your treatment.
Unlike
other types of braces, such as Invisalign,
metal braces can treat just about every
type of orthodontic problem imaginable
(though sometimes, in more complicated
cases, they work alongside other procedures,
such as tooth extraction or periodontal
work). Their main drawback is their
highly conspicuous appearance. Luckily,
it's possible to make braces fun. Young
orthodontic patients can spice up their
"tin grins" with coloured
elastics. Orthodontists can colour-coordinate
these elastics according to themes (for
example, red and white for Valentine's
day, red and green for Christmas) or
to the patient's mood. These elastics
can be changed with each visit to the
orthodontist, so the patient can look
forward to a new look every month. If
you really cannot stand the thought
of a metal mouth, talk to your othrodontist
about other options, such as ceramic
braces.
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Pros
- Metal brackets tend to be the least
expensive of all the types of braces.
- They tend to
take the least amount of time among
all the types of braces.
- You can choose
a darker ligature, which will not show
curry, smoking, or black coffee stains.
- Self-ligating
brackets do not contain rubber ligatures,
so staining will never be a problem.
- They are strong
and rarely break.
- The golden
brackets are different, novel, and generally
look nice.
- Viazis Brackets
and self-ligating brackets can complete
treatment in a shorter time with less
pain; however orthodontists need special
training in these systems, and they
not available everywhere.
Cons
- They
are more visible than ceramic and Invisalign
(the traditional "metal mouth.")
- They tend to
be a bit less comfortable at first,
(but that feeling wears off after a
couple of weeks).
- When you have
a canker sore, they tend to irritate
your gums more than ceramic brackets.
>>Click
here to visit our Smiles Gallery of
Orthodontic Treatments
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