Braces

Information About Braces

What Are Braces?

Braces are dental tools used to correct problems with your teeth including tooth crowding, misaligned teeth, or crooked teeth. Frequently our patients get braces when they are entering their tween or teen years. However, that’s not to exclude adults. Some people are able to get braces at an earlier age. Some patients’ families may not have been able to afford them at the time so they decide to get them later in life. Others may not have needed them but need them later on as further tooth crowding or issues develop or to beautify their smiles.

Who Needs Braces?

If you have crooked teeth or misaligned teeth, you may need braces. You may also benefit from a variety of other teeth straightening tools available at your nearest City Dental Centers location in Southern California.

The dentists at City Dental Centers specialize in straightening teeth, correcting misaligned bites, and jaw problems by creating, installing, and adjusting braces for both children and adults. When you come in for your visit, expect your dentist or orthodontist to ask you a variety of related questions about your health, to perform a dental exam, take a digital X-ray scan of your mouth and teeth, take photos of your face and teeth, and anything else that will help them determine if you or your child need braces.

What Types of Braces Are Available?

Braces are the most popular way to straighten teeth and correct misaligned bites in children. And again, even adults benefit from braces and it’s no shame for you to wear adult braces. This is especially true now that they’re not the shiny mouthfuls of metal you may have been used to seeing in the past. Now you have options for yourself and your children.

If braces are indeed the solution for you, the dentist or orthodontist will prescribe a dental appliance specific to your needs or your child’s needs. The braces may consist of bands, wires, and other fixed or removable corrective appliances. Remember that every mouth is different and not every method or style works for everyone.

Below, we’ll go over some of the most common types of braces and tooth straightening devices:

• Metal Braces: Traditional braces are made of metal. They include brackets that are attached to the front of your teeth or bands that fit around each tooth, as well as flexible wires or archwires that hold the brackets or bands together. Some braces also include rubber bands or metal ties that link the brackets to the wire. These bands create more pressure to help straighten and align your teeth. Sometimes, your orthodontist will have you wear a device called headgear at night. It provides added pressure to help straighten your teeth. You can put it on and take it off.
• Ceramic Braces: The brackets in traditional braces are now also made in tooth-colored ceramic, so you don’t notice them as much.
• Lingual Braces: The brackets on these braces are attached to the backs of your teeth, facing your tongue. Lingual braces are harder to see and therefore, many people prefer these to the metal braces that many of us are used to.
• Invisible Braces: These are clear plastic trays that fit snugly onto your teeth. They use pressure to gently move your teeth into the correct positions and straighten your smile. You remove the aligners to eat, brush, or floss, but you should keep them in at least 22 hours each day for them to work. The orthodontist may also place tooth-colored attachments onto your teeth to hold the aligners in place.