Dr Vaibhav Mehta: Orthodontics

Monday, 18 August 2014

Orthodontics

Dental braces are used to correct problems with teeth such as crowding, too much space between the teeth, protruding teeth or bite problems. Once thought of as a treatment mainly for children, braces are now becoming common with people of all ages who wish to make the most of their teeth. Different types of braces will be used depending on the correction needed to the teeth. There are also different types of braces that will be less visible when they are worn.

Types of braces

Metal Braces
Metal braces are made of stainless steel and are one of the oldest types of braces. This type of brace is relatively inexpensive compared to some of the more advanced braces. This type of brace does have aesthetic problems as they are visible when worn and have been known to stain teeth.

Ceramic or Crystal Braces
A very popular alternative to metal braces due to their lack of visibility when worn. Made of composite materials, they look very natural when fitted and will not stain teeth. Ceramic or clear(crystal) braces are also very strong but may need to be taken more care of.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are also invisible when worn as they are fitted behind the teeth on the tongue side. Commonly used to correct bites and straighten teeth, lingual braces may take a little more time to get used to. The plus side is that they are really invisible, the minus is that people getting used to them may have speech problems at first.

ADVANCED BRACES (Self-Ligating Braces.)

Self-ligating or friction less appliance offers overlapping benefits to both patients and clinicians. Patients enjoy the benefits of improved hygiene, aesthetics and comfort while clinicians benefit from time savings in self-ligation and precision in tooth movement.

Advantages:

Faster (Saves 6-8 months as compared to normal braces)
More Comfortable (Lesser Pressure and no loose ends which may poke into the gums)
Hygienic ( No rubber bands and very easy to clean)