Traditional Braces

Braces work by gently pressing on your teeth over time and moving them into their desired positions.

Braces are beneficial to both adults and children alike.

Children

The best age for children to begin orthodontic treatment varies depending on their individual needs. However, it is essential that a child has lost all of their baby teeth and that they have been replaced by their secondary teeth, prior to the commencement of treatment.

Adults

Adult patients may require a longer treatment time, as they have denser bone structure than children however, the results are just as effective. You are never too old for braces!

Braces consist of the following components:

• Brackets are “handles” which are bonded to the outside surface of teeth. Silver brackets are the most common type, but clear brackets are also available.
• Archwires deliver the force to move teeth.
• Ligatures are tiny rubber rings used to tie the archwire to each bracket. The rubber rings are usually grey, but coloured ligatures have become popular.

Functional Appliances

Functional appliances are devices used to correct a significant disharmony in the relationship between the upper and lower jaws. They work by influencing the growth and development of a growing patient.

The most common use of a functional appliance is to encourage the forward growth of a retrusive or “under-developed” lower jaw. The functional appliance holds the lower jaw forward over a period until the teeth, jaws and joints have “adapted” and the desired jaw position has been obtained.

The effectiveness of a functional appliance depends on:

• How much the appliance is worn
• How quickly the patient is growing

When are functional appliances used?

The first situation is where the protrusion is very severe, and the functional appliance plate is used to reduce the protrusion before braces are placed later. This improves the end result.

The second common use is in less severe protrusion where the straightness of the teeth is good, or if there is some slight upper arch spacing only. In some cases, this can produce an acceptable result, and avoid having to wear braces.

Functional appliances align the jaws not the teeth, so they are usually used as a first stage of treatment (in a growing patient with a significant jaw disharmony) prior to the alignment of the teeth with fixed appliances (braces).