Dental Braces in Swanton, OH

What Are Traditional Metal Braces? 

Dental braces are one of the oldest and most common forms of orthodontic treatment that work by slowly shifting teeth into place with consistent pressure. They’re made from superior quality stainless steel, which consists of small metal brackets bonded directly to your tooth’s surface with an adhesive.  

Each bracket is linked with an archwire that puts pressure on the teeth, allowing them to move to the desired position. The wires and brackets are connected by elastics called rubber bands or ligatures, which are changed every time your dentist tightens the braces. Modern braces are less noticeable and highly customizable with different color bands, and the archwires are heat-activated so that they can move the teeth more quickly and with less discomfort than in the old days. 

Who is a Good Candidate for Braces? 

Traditional braces are an ideal choice for children and teens with misalignment problems and adults who have never had braces before or who might have had them in the past but failed to maintain their results. You are a good candidate for braces if your teeth are in good general health and you’d like to improve dental imperfections such as: 

• Crowding or crooked teeth: Crowded teeth can be turned, overlapped, or crooked and affect your bite 
• Gaps in teeth: Too much space between your teeth 
• Overbite: Your front lower teeth bite too closely to the gum by the upper teeth 
• Crossbite: One or more of your top teeth don’t line up correctly with your bottom teeth 
• Underbite: Your top teeth sit behind your bottom teeth rather than in front of them 
• Overjet: Your top front teeth stick out 
• Open bite: Your top and bottom front teeth don’t meet as they should 
• Unmatched dental midlines: This can have an impact on the way that your jaw sits and your face looks 
• Misaligned jaw: This is often due to an uneven bite 

Benefits of Dental Braces 

There’s a reason metal braces have withstood the test of time when it comes to orthodontic treatment. Here are the benefits of teeth straightening with traditional braces: 

• Helps with severe or complex dental problems: As fixed appliances, metal braces allow for greater control and more precise teeth movement, especially in complex cases. Traditional braces are designed to gently put pressure on each tooth, gradually coaxing them to move to the desired positions.   
• Effective: Traditional braces are highly effective and work quickly to get you the straight smile you deserve. The fact that they cannot be removed, lost, or forgotten ensures that there is no interruption in your treatment.