Dental Braces & Orthodontics
Dental braces are an orthodontic appliance which can be used to rectify dental irregularities such as badly aligned or crooked teeth and odd gaps between teeth. The braces gradually move the teeth to into a more satisfying position resulting in an improved smile and also allows for better oral hygiene.
It is important that your teeth are aligned well so that your “bite” is correct when you eat to ensure that issues with the jaw are avoided later on. Although the shape of our mouths
and teeth are inherited from our parents there other issues that can cause a bad bit such as additional teeth, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting and grinding the teeth.
Ideally dental braces should be fitted during the childhood years between seven and fifteen to obtain the best result but it is becoming increasingly popular for adults to seek orthodontic treatments with braces.
The common type of braces are made up of metal, ceramic or composite brackets which are fitted to the front or the reverse of the teeth and brace wires known as arch wires are connected to these. Sometimes elastics are also used to connect the brackets and arch wires. The brace applies a continued and regular amount of force to the teeth which gradually moves them into the desired position.