What are braces? A question that some may ask because they want to have them installed because of their great benefits in changing the structure of the teeth, mouth and face in general. So, what are braces? And who are the candidates for them?

What is orthodontics?

• Braces are a procedure in which small metal brackets are attached to the teeth and held together with wire.
• The idea of ​​braces is to put limited pressure on the teeth, causing them to move from their place to take a new position that improves the smile and bite.
• It is worth noting that the pressure applied here is limited and calculated so as not to cause damage to the teeth and jaw bones.
• When pressure is created from the tooth on the jawbone on one side, this bone begins to erode at a limited rate, and the rate of bone deposition increases on the other side, causing the tooth to take a new position over time.
• When the amount of this pressure is accurately calculated, the braces will produce the desired results in the fastest time and with the least possible damage, which is what we always strive for at Smile Art Center.
• There are fixed and removable types of braces. Some are visible in the smile and others are difficult to see.
• One of the advantages of fixed braces is that they perform their function very effectively, since the patient is unable to remove them of his own will. However, the disadvantage is that maintaining oral hygiene with them is somewhat difficult.
• One of the benefits of removable braces is that it is easy to maintain oral hygiene with them; however, their results need a long time to appear completely, and they are changed more frequently than fixed braces.

Candidates for Orthodontics

After explaining what braces are in some detail, we move here to talk about the candidates for installing them.

There are many cases in which orthodontics is recommended for treatment, including the following:

• When there is obvious crowding of the teeth, it affects their shape and function.
• When there is a problem with the teeth of the jaws occluding each other, as occlusion problems affect the process of chewing food, which may then negatively affect the digestive system.
• If the teeth are not attached to each other, the extra spaces between the teeth can greatly affect the gums and tooth supports during the chewing process.
• When some teeth are not in their normal alignment, this problem affects the mouth in terms of both form and function.
• When there is a difference between the sizes of the two jaws, which makes them disproportionate to each other, which creates many problems from both aesthetic and functional aspects.

How long does braces take?

There is no absolute answer to this question; the length of this period depends on many factors, the most important of which are: the size of the problem to be treated, the type of braces, the extent of the patient’s commitment to the doctor’s instructions, and some other factors, and we evaluate all of this at the Smile Art Center by specialized doctors.

Speaking generally, in most cases, the duration of the evaluation is usually not less than half a year, but it may extend to three years.

What happens when braces are put on?

The components of the braces begin to apply a certain pressure on the teeth to move them gradually, which makes the patient feel uncomfortable during the first period until he adapts to the new situation.

During the installation period, there are two ongoing processes, namely erosion and deposition in the jaw bone, and these two processes are the main cause of the uncomfortable feeling.

It is worth noting that this feeling is temporary for a short period, since it is new to the body, and it quickly disappears after getting used to it.

In all cases, oral hygiene must be maintained continuously, so that the oral tissues are not damaged in general.

Here we have reached the end of our explanation of the answer to the question: What are braces? We also mentioned a group of the most famous cases that require its installation, then we ended the article by answering some common questions about this topic.