Orthodontics has changed a lot in the past years. We work with smaller brackets made out of metal or clear porcelain, and invisible aligners such as Invisalign®. We use mini-implants and fixed appliances to avoid noncompliance and help avoid extractions and surgery in more complicated cases. For our patients this means better esthetics, enhanced comfort, decreased treatment time, and fewer trips to the orthodontist. Below follows a broad description of some of the appliances that are used the most in our practice.

Braces

Also called brackets, braces are little square pieces of metal or translucent porcelain that are bonded directly to the teeth. They all have a horizontal slot designed to receive archwires. These are secured to the bracket slot using colored or clear elastics, or metal ties. By engaging flexible and rigid archwires in all brackets, we are able to move teeth in all three dimensions of space. Recent improvements in traditional braces have resulted in smaller, stronger, more efficient and less conspicuous brackets. Metal brackets are the most familiar; however, clear ceramic brackets are now available for older teenagers and adult patients who have cosmetic concerns. While they are visually less noticeable, ceramic brackets are larger and require more attention to oral hygiene. They tend to be used more on the upper front teeth than on the lower teeth.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces or Incognito™ (also known as invisible or concealed braces) are placed behind the teeth, making them virtually invisible. Just as conventional braces affect the cheeks and lips, these braces will initially affect the tongue. It will take between one and four weeks for patients to adjust to their new braces. Because special instrumentation, equipment and staff training are required for this technique, the cost is a bit more than conventional braces. Treatment time is the same as with other conventional braces. Many patients choose to have lingual braces on the top and clear braces in the bottom. However, some will chose lingual braces on both arches.

Invisalign®

Invisalign has become a popular treatment option that involves wearing a series of clear, removable aligners that gradually move your teeth without wires or brackets. Not only are the aligners invisible, but they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want in treatment, and brushing and flossing are much simpler.