Bracket. Brackets are the small metal or ceramic modules attached to each tooth. They serve as guides to move the teeth and hold the wires.
Bonding material(glue) attaches the bracket to the tooth. A thin metal archwire connects the brackets, putting pressure on your teeth. Ligature elastics (or “o-rings”) are the small, coloured ties that connect the brackets to the arch wire.
The rubber band that stretches around your bracket is known as the "bracket ligature band." It has an important purpose. The band holds the wire to the bracket, creating the pressure that moves your teeth. In some cases, a type of twisted wire will be used, but rubber ligatures are the most common.
Elastic ligatures are the rubber bands on orthodontic braces. Their main purpose is to keep the archwire (the wire between each tooth) firmly slotted in position on the bracket of each individual tooth.
A bracket is an attachment that holds the archwire in place. Each small, square bracket is bonded onto a tooth with a special type of cement. The archwire hooks into each bracket, and together they apply pressure to the teeth, slowly moving them. Brackets are normally made of stainless steel.
They'll use a small amount of sticky material (often referred to as glue or cement) in the center of each tooth and place the bracket down until it sticks. The orthodontist should shine a special light over the tooth to set the glue and harden the bracket into place.
The hardest part about getting braces is making it through the first week. Your body is getting used to the strange, new pieces of metal in your mouth, and you probably feel a little sore at first. Once you get through the first week, you're well on your way to a beautifully straight smile.
Sometimes a wire can break depending on the food you consume (like hard candies, chips, veggies etc.) or the wires might just be too long towards the back of your mouth. You'll be able to feel a pokey archwire coming in contact with your gums if it happens.
A thicker wire is stronger, which usually creates more movement in the teeth than a thinner wire. Arch wires are often switched out at your follow-up appointments to change the tension on the teeth.
Braces feeling loose:
You should not worry; this means that the braces are doing their job correctly! Since the ultimate goal of the braces is to reposition the teeth, the “loose” feeling is the effect of the loosening of the periodontal ligament so that the teeth can adjust to the desired location.
The third and final phase of orthodontic treatment is the retention phase. This phase occurs once the teeth have moved into the desired position and the use of the dental appliance ceases.
The Dos and Don'ts of Wearing Rubber Bands and Braces
Their effectiveness is completely based on compliance. If you don't wear them for the prescribed amount of time and change them as directed, your teeth will relapse and you could make your orthodontic treatment last longer.
What is a Permanent Retainer? A permanent retainer, also known as a bonded retainer or fixed retainer, involves a metal bar or wire that holds your teeth where they are, preventing them from moving after an orthodontic treatment. This is typically used after a braces removal when your teeth are nicely aligned.
In order to achieve this, wire change appointments should occur every 4 weeks. Teeth are moving very fast during Stage 1 so it's important to take advantage of the movement and mobility of teeth. Do not let patient appointment intervals extend beyond 6 to 8 weeks as is protocol with standard treatment.
That can be anywhere from every six weeks to every two months. It might be necessary to take more images of your mouth and teeth so your orthodontist can see the whole picture (and show you the difference!) In the middle of care, it becomes easier and easier to notice the difference with your teeth.
Stainless steel wires have been used for decades due to their high strength. In addition, stainless steel wires do not rust and can be adjusted many different ways by the orthodontist without breaking.
While every patient is different, you should generally have your braces adjusted or tightened every 4-10 weeks. Keep in mind, though – your orthodontist will personalise your braces treatment to your individual needs, so there's no exact adjustment time that will suit everyone.
Your teeth can turn yellow due to many reasons, especially when you are wearing braces. One of the most common reasons is the adherence of plaque and tartar deposits on teeth, as it becomes difficult to clean them optimally around the braces.
Eating with the wax on can be a little difficult since it may stick to your food. You can remove it before eating, but if you decide to leave it on, be sure to replace any dirty wax after you eat. It wouldn't do any good to your smile if you had old food stuck to your teeth.
The answer is yes, you can leave the wax on overnight. In fact, it's a good idea to leave wax on while you sleep. This is because abrasion injuries often happen while you're asleep. And don't worry about accidentally swallowing wax during your sleep, since swallowed wax won't cause you any harm.
Using tweezers you can flex the wire and slide it back into the bracket. If you cannot replace, try to push sticking wire down with a pencil eraser to tuck the wire under the bracket or away from your cheek. Lastly, you can try to place wax on the wire to keep it from poking.
The first 1-2 weeks when you wear braces, you are not used to the pulling force of the bowstring, you may experience pain and dullness.
Most patients experience some discomfort the first 4 days to a week after their braces, expanders, and/or wires are placed and after a wire adjustment and/or an activation appointment. Your lips and cheeks may need one to two weeks to get used to the braces on your teeth.
Most of the time, the most painful orthodontic sensations that people are afraid of is getting their braces put on and having them taken off. As far as getting them put on, braces do not cause pain. However, the tension between your teeth or under orthodontic bands can cause some soreness later in the day.