All You Need To Know About Dental Braces – Types, Pros, Cons, & More

The world has changed miraculously over the years and so has changed the preferences of the people. People have become very particular about how they look and how they appear. Hence, they want everything to be perfect starting with a perfect smile. 

When we talk about beautiful smiles, most people don’t let their teeth remain crooked or unaligned anymore and that’s where the dental braces come in.

What Are Dental Braces?

You must be familiar with dental braces. Braces are dental tools that help correct problems with your teeth, like crowding, crooked teeth, or teeth that are out of alignment. 

Although they were invented some two hundred years back, they are not like the ones we see nowadays. Just like any other invention dental braces also saw a great change over the years in regards to how they look and how they feel. 

From the very first horseshoe-shaped iron braces called “bandeau” to the ultramodern branded invisible aligners called “Invisalign,” these orthodontic devices have been fixing the dental issues of the people for a very long time. 

They come in a number of types depending upon their material and usage. There are a number of things you need to know about these orthodontic devices which we’ll discuss in this blog.

When Do You Need Braces?

There are a number of conditions that may require an orthodontic intervention including crooked and crowded teeth, disorders of the jaw, incorrect positioning, underbites, and overbites. 

Most people with these conditions are advised to go for braces. If you also have any one of these conditions, your dentist will most probably ask you to go for braces. 

 However, there are some other conditions as well that may require braces. Some of them are speech issues, difficulty chewing or biting, and cross-bites. Some people having pain in their jaws are also advised to go for dental braces.

Types of Braces:

You might have noticed different people wearing different types of braces around you. That’s because different types of dental conditions require different types of braces. 

Below given are some of the types of dental braces :

Traditional Metal Braces :

The metal braces are the ones that come to your mind when you think of dental braces. These are the ones you probably would have seen a lot of times. 

These are made of high-quality stainless steel. In these braces, metal brackets are connected using a series of wires and elastic bands. These bands are later used to tighten the braces in order to align the teeth correctly.

Self-Ligating Braces :

These are very similar to the traditional metal braces however there is a little difference which is that they use clips instead of elastic bands to hold the brace’s wire in place. Brackets and wires are used in these braces also but there is a plus point in these braces which is that they are available in both metal and ceramic variants.

Lingual Braces : 

These braces also look and function like traditional braces using brackets and wires to gradually move your teeth. However, the brackets are cemented to the backside of the tooth which makes them different from the traditional braces. The wire joins the brackets together pulling the teeth into position from the inside.  These braces function effectively like other braces but take longer to fit as each bracket needs to be custom-made.

Ceramic Braces : 

These braces are preferred by people who don’t want their braces to look prominent but prefer a subtle look. These braces possess the shape and size of the traditional metal braces but what makes them a better choice is that the brackets of ceramic braces camouflage themselves over the teeth hence giving a subtle look. If you are looking for braces that won’t look prominent, ceramic braces are a better choice for you.

Clear Aligners (Invisible Braces) :

These braces are the most advanced option available nowadays. These braces are separately custom-made for every patient. Each one of these moves the teeth a little. These braces are almost invisible and are more comfortable than the other braces when it comes to installing them.  Flash aligners are the leading clear aligners available for us in the market.

Dental braces have been very useful and effective in treating different orthodontic conditions. But like they say everything has its pros and cons attached to it. Let’s go through them one by one:

Pros of Braces : 

• The first and the most important thing about braces is that they help the patients get rid of their conditions which makes them feel healthy and confident.
• Helps the patient to smile once again which otherwise used to be a dream for them.
• Straighter and properly aligned teeth are easier to maintain and clean and eventually, the loss of teeth at an earlier age can be avoided.
• Natural reflex while biting which means that you feel the pressure, heat, etc while you bite something which can’t be given by a fake tooth.
• Braces help improve your overall oral health.

Cons of Braces:

• One of the biggest disadvantages of the braces is that the duration of treatment is very long. You need to invest your months and even years for the treatment.
•  If not diagnosed and treated properly can cause problems later on.
• Pain and discomfort after every appointment often irritate patients with braces.  Difficulty eating hard food throughout the course of treatment, always picking out food from between the braces adds to it.
• Treatment costs are usually high.
•  Chances of getting tooth decays, gum diseases, decalcification, etc.

Now that we have briefed you a lot about the braces, we hope that you’ll be able to make a better choice if needed. Remember, never take your oral health for granted, it is equally as important as anything else.