Getting Dental Braces can be a big, yet exciting decision on your path towards achieving a perfect smile. With advances making braces more comfortable and discreet than ever, over 4 million Americans per year take the step toward straighter, properly aligned teeth. If you or your child are considering braces, read on to learn all about how today’s braces work to transform smiles.
What Exactly Are Dental Braces?
Braces utilize a system of custom-designed brackets affixed to the front surfaces of your top and bottom teeth, connected by thin archwires that apply gentle pressure to shift the position of misaligned teeth over time. Brackets are typically made from high-grade stainless steel or clear/tooth-colored ceramic or plastic for aesthetic appeal. The orthodontic wires may be metal alloy or clear plastic as well.
By creating consistent pressure, the dental braces system slowly moves the location of both individual teeth and your overall jaw/bite alignment into proper positioning for optimal function and facial symmetry. Through regularly tightening and changing the archwires approximately once per month, dramatic straightening can be achieved over your full treatment timeline (typically ranging between 18 months to 2 years).
Common Signs You May Benefit From Dental Braces
While some undergo braces just for cosmetic reasons to enhance their smile, orthodontic treatment often provides critical long term oral health improvements as well. Crooked, crowded or gapped teeth make effective cleaning harder leading to much higher rates of tooth decay, gum disease and eventual tooth loss when not corrected. Common red flags you need braces include:
- Misaligned/Completely Crooked Teeth
- Severely Overcrowded Bottom or Top Teeth
- Underbite (Lower Teeth Sit in Front of Top)
- Open Bite (Gaps When Front Teeth Meet)
- Crossbite (Misaligned Jaw Puts Teeth Out of Line)
- Spacing Gaps (Higher Risk for Cavities or Periodontal Disease)
Today’s dental braces offer treatment for all of the above issues and more – making your smile both properly aligned and a pillar of strong oral health.
Understanding How Braces Slowly Shift Your Teeth Position
The technical term for the dental braces process is orthodontic tooth movement. This involves gently pushing misaligned teeth into better position utilizing steady pressure from the wires and brackets against your teeth over long periods of time. This constant pressure essentially dissolves bone in some areas while rebuilding it in other areas as your teeth shift toward desired alignment inside your jawbone. Some key factors that make tooth movement possible include:
- Orthodontic Hardware Design – The brackets and wires deliver optimized directional pressure.
- Your Biology – Cells called osteoblasts/osteoclasts allow bone to be rebuilt.
- Inflammatory Response – Gentle inflammation enables space for teeth to move gradually.
- Remodeling Process – Bone dissolves and rebuilds allowing steady rearrangement.
With braces built to take advantage of your body’s natural bone regeneration abilities through controlled pressure and inflammation, teeth can be guided exactly where they need to be over time to transform your smile.
The Braces Experience: What To Expect Over Treatment Time
While experiences vary slightly by patient, you can generally expect treatment with braces to unfold as follows:
First Fitting – Brackets are precisely glued onto surface of misaligned teeth and connected with archwire to begin realignment pressure. Regular Adjustments – Every 4-6 weeks wires get tightened and changed to maintain movement. Steady Improvement – Teeth begin visibly straightening over initial months as adjustments accumulate. Retention Phase – Upon desired alignment, braces are removed and you’ll wear a retainer to set position.
Of course, your orthodontist will be there to walk you through each phase and ensure your teeth are translating properly after each tightening. With innovations like self-ligating brackets and thinner “invisible” archwires, braces have never been more efficient or comfortable to wear.
Are Clear Braces Like Invisalign Better Than Metal Braces?
Many wonder whether clear teeth aligners offer the same level of effective treatment as traditional metal braces. While brand names like Invisalign may claim to provide unnoticeable alignment correction, understand that clear braces still might not work well for more complex cases of crowding or bite issues. Metal braces tend to provide the most accurate, timely, and affordable treatment for severely crooked smiles depending on each patient’s needs.
Schedule an orthodontic evaluation to determine if traditional metal braces, clear aligners, or a combination would be best to achieve your optimum smile goals.
By understanding exactly how dental braces work over consistent adjustment periods to bring your teeth and jaw into proper alignment, you can feel fully confident beginning your transformative treatment journey. Consult an experienced local orthodontist to learn if braces might be right for you!
The Cost of Braces Treatment in the UK
One of the most common questions for those considering dental braces is “ clear smile aligner price” Like most treatments, the total price depends on the complexity of your particular tooth alignment needs. However, as a general estimate, the average cost of braces in the UK ranges from £2,000 – £5,000 or more total.
When examining braces cost, be sure to factor in the extended length of treatment. Most patients wear braces for 12-24 months on average. With standard orthodontic adjustments occurring every 4-6 weeks, your price includes the cost of 20+ tightening appointments over that time.
Some additional elements that influence total braces cost consist of:
- Type of braces chosen – Steel, ceramic, lingual braces
- Extent of crookedness/crowding
- If tooth extractions are necesary
- Required x-rays & retention phase
To gain full clarity on which braces option makes the most economic sense for your smile goals, turn to expert local orthodontists like Chatfield Dental Braces. Their orthodontists provide free consultations to examine your teeth and outline personalized treatment options with pricing breakdowns. Clinics across London and Cahtfield, Battersea.
Chatfield Braces, Invisalign London also offers interest-free monthly payment plans to make care more affordable for patients. Visit them online to learn more aboutclear smile aligner price London or call to book your first evaluation.
