- When it comes to teeth that are crooked or misaligned, one of the first devices that many dentists and orthodontists turn to are braces. Most braces are formed and worn by people through adolescence. However, it is becoming more common for adults to get braces.
- Braces work using gentle and subtle pressure. If you were to pull your teeth into position, bones would crack and teeth would break. However, if you slowly apply pressure to the teeth and the jaw bone, the teeth are able to move into a healthier position, while the bone can give way and grow new bone behind it. This is how braces work.
- Your braces are made with two main components, the arch and the brackets. The arch is a piece of wire that is threaded through the brackets. It is the arch that applies the pressure to the teeth. The brackets are the piece of metal (or sometimes other materials such as ceramic) that are attached to each individual tooth. Those work as anchors for the arch wire to attach to.
- On each bracket are areas to attach small rubber bands. Since braces can only move teeth in specific direction, the rubber bands work to adjust the teeth in directions the braces cannot. They do this by applying downward pressure on the teeth and jaw bone. They also make sure that your teeth on your lower jaw line up with the teeth on your upper jaw when the treatment is completed.
Comments
counselor40 said
on 7/22/2009 yes, that's the theory behind it. I just go my braces and have to hope that the theory works for me as an adult!