TRADITIONAL BRACES
Straighter, healthier smiles with braces in Summerville and Moncks Corner
Straighten Your Smile With Braces
Braces are a cornerstone of orthodontic care. The most common orthodontic treatment offered today is traditional metal braces. Traditional braces have successfully been used for over 50 years to straighten smiles and help patients achieve a healthy, functional bite that lasts a lifetime. With advancements in materials and computer integrated technologies, modern orthodontics are more efficient, lighter-weight and lower-profile than ever before. These advancements offer patients greater comfort during treatment as well as a shortened treatment duration.
Parts of Braces
When you first get braces, it can seem overwhelming as there are a lot of new terms that you will hear the orthodontist and technicians use. Grosso Orthodontics offers a few of the most common terms you will hear when getting braces below. There are four main components used in traditional orthodontic treatment including:
- Separator – Often called spacers, these small rubber bands are placed in between the back molars and used to make space for about a week or two before getting braces. The space allows the bands to fit securely over the molar.
- Brackets – Sleek, stainless steel brackets are smaller and are bonded to the front of the teeth to hold the archwires in place. Brackets can also be clear or tooth-colored.
- Bands – Thin, stainless steel rings are placed on the back molars to provide an anchor for the archwires.
- Archwires – Flexible, thin wire that is placed in the brackets and stretches around the arch from one band to the other. Archwires come in a variety of sizes and will be changed at each orthodontic visit.
- Elastics – Colorful and stretchy ties that hold the archwire in place. Your elastics will be changed at each orthodontic visit and you can choose any colors you wish.
Clear Braces
Grosso Orthodontics is pleased to offer clear braces for adult and teen patients looking for a more aesthetic option during orthodontic treatment. Clear brackets are made of plastic or ceramic and are bonded to the front of the teeth just like traditional metal brackets. They are much less noticeable than metal brackets; however, the archwire is still made of the same metal material. Patients can choose from a variety of colored elastic ties or pearl or neutral-colored ties for an even more discreet look. Clear brackets tend to be slightly more brittle than metal brackets. If you are interested in clear braces, Dr. Grosso can determine if your clear brackets are right for your unique orthodontic needs.
Types of Malocclusion
There are several types of bite irregularities or malocclusion that can affect the function of the bite as well as the health of your teeth. Some common bite irregularities include:
- Crowding – when teeth are too close together or overlapping. The condition occurs when teeth are large or the jaw is smaller than normal.
- Spacing – when there are large and uneven spaces between the teeth. Gapped teeth are usually caused by missing teeth or smaller than normal teeth in relation to the size of the jaw.
- Rotation – when a tooth turns or tips out of its normal position.
- Crossbite – occurs when any or all of the upper teeth are positioned significantly inside or outside the lower teeth. A crossbite can cause chewing problems.
- Open bite – when the upper and lower front teeth don’t meet, creating an opening on one or both sides of the mouth. Because the front teeth don’t share equally in the biting force, the condition may lead to premature wear of the back teeth.
- Misplaced midline – when the front centerline between the upper front teeth doesn’t match up with the centerline of the lower front teeth.
- Overjet – when the upper front teeth angle horizontally outwards. This type of malocclusion is usually referred to as “buck teeth.”
Reveal a Brand New Smile
At Grosso Orthodontics, we love de-band day! The day we get to take off your braces and reveal your brand new smile is such a special moment and we are so grateful to be part of your journey to achieving a healthy, beautiful smile! Watch this video of one of our patients on de-band day to see this moment in action!