What are braces?
How do braces straighten teeth?
Braces use constant, gentle pressure, which over time, move teeth into their proper positions. Your braces are at work every moment of your orthodontic treatment. The two main components of your braces are: the brackets that are placed on your teeth and the main archwire that connects them. The bracket is a piece of shaped metal or ceramic that we affix to each tooth. The archwire is bent to reflect your “ideal” bite. In other words, it reflects the way we want you to look after treatment.
The wire threads through the brackets and, as the wire returns to its original shape, it applies pressure to move your teeth. Picture your tooth resting in your jawbone. With pressure on one side from the archwire, the bone on the other side remodels. The tooth moves in that direction, and new bone grows in behind.
In order to help fix your bite elastics may be worn. Elastics (rubber bands) exert the proper force that creates the right amount of pressure to move teeth. In order for this force to remain constant, elastics must be worn as directed and changed every day.