Braces: Before and After

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Types of braces:

• Clear braces: Many patients now choose braces made from ceramic that has been colored to blend in with the teeth. These are a popular choice among adults who want to maintain their professional appearance while wearing braces.
• Metal braces: brackets are smaller and less obtrusive than ever before, and they can be fun with color rubber bands.

Who is a good candidate for braces?

• Braces are commonly applied to kids' teeth when they are between 10 and 14 years old.  It's ideal to begin treatment during this stage of development because all of the adult teeth have erupted, and yet the head and mouth are still growing and easy to influence.
• If you are an adult who has always desired straighter teeth, you may also be a good candidate for braces. Straightening your teeth as an adult can do more than just improve your appearance. It can boost your self-confidence, making it easier for you to reach your goals socially and in the workplace. Straight teeth are also easier to keep clean, which means you'll have a lower risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Some adults who had braces as teens may want to return to wearing braces for a "touch-up" in adulthood. This is especially common when patients failed to wear their retainer as recommended after their initial orthodontic treatments during their teen years. Without proper retainer use, the teeth may shift back out of alignment to the extent that they need to be re-corrected with braces.

Common issues addressed by braces:

Braces can be used to correct mildly crooked smiles, but they are also the go-to orthodontic treatment for more serious tooth alignment problems. 

• If you or your teen suffer from a cross-bite, where one or more teeth fall inside of the opposite tooth, braces can correct this issue and make it easier to chew. 
• An open bite, where the front teeth do not come together properly, can also be corrected with braces.
• Sometimes overbites and under-bites require more extensive orthodontic intervention, but the final stage in treating these alignment issues is often a treatment period with braces.
• One very common problem that braces are used to address is crowded teeth. Crowding occurs when the jaw is too small to comfortably accommodate all of the teeth, so they come in turned, overlapped, and crooked. Not only do crowded teeth look unappealing, but they are also hard to keep clean and can affect speech. 

To treat crowding, your local dentist may remove one or more teeth from the mouth before straightening the remaining teeth with braces. Correcting crowding is an important step towards ongoing dental health since it makes the teeth easier to keep clean.