Orthodonticsis a branch of science and art of dentistry which deals with the developmental and positional anomalies of the teeth and the jaws as they affect oral health and the physical, esthetic and mental well-being of a person. Scope of orthodontics includes moving teeth, orthopedic change, and altering the soft tissue envelop.Aims of orthodontic treatment are:
-Functional efficiency
-Structuralbalance
-Esthetic harmony
In orthodontics, dental braces are used to align and straighten teeth; for example to correct the crooked teeth, protruding teeth, cross bites, open bites, deep bites, etc. Every bracket functions as an attachment site for the orthodontic wire, which provides the dynamic force on each tooth to cause movement.
Described below are characteristics of the braces most commonly used in orthodontic treatment.
Silver (stainless steel) braces
Silver metal braces are the most commonly used in orthodontic treatment and are made of a durable mixture offerum, chromium, nickel and various other metals in small amounts. They have overhanging edges, or “wings”, around which a metal or elastic tie is used to hold the orthodontic wire in place. Generally, these silver metal braces cost less compared to clear braces or other cosmetic options.
Clear braces serve as a cosmetic alternative to traditional metal braces by minimizing the visibility of the braces on the teeth. Typically, these clear orthodontic braces are made of plastic or ceramic. Although plastic braces are more esthetic than metal braces, they suffer from problems like staining and discoloration, particularly in patients who smoke or drink coffee; and friction between the plastic bracket and orthodontic wires that makes it difficult to slide teeth to a new position.In order for the braces to move teeth and slide along the wire, little to no friction is preferred. If there is too much friction, the wire would bind too tightly to the braces and the teeth would not move. Ceramic braces overcome the esthetic limitations of plastic braces in that they resist staining. However, ceramic braces are similar to glass, tend to be brittle. Unlike metal braces which can absorb a fair amount of force without breaking, ceramic braces do not absorb forces very well and can break easily.Thus, taking the clear braces off at the end of orthodontic treatment can be more difficult and time consuming.To counter the problem of breakage,ceramic braces are made slightly bulkier to resist fractures. The increased bulkiness is not very noticeable to patients. However, these ceramic braces can still fracture when subjected to heavy forces. Another characteristic of ceramic braces is friction. Compared to all types of traditional metal braces and self-ligating braces, ceramic braces have the highest component of friction. So do teeth move slower with ceramic braces? Not necessarily. You may notice that most clear braces are not 100 percent ceramic. Often there is a metal slot in the clear braces for the wire to sit in. This metal slot reduces the friction of the bracket and also adds a little flexibility to resist breakage.Usually, clear braces cost more than metal braces.
Self-ligating braces
Self-ligating braces are similar to traditional orthodontic braces in their material make-up and have the same basic function. Self-ligating means that the bracket can basically tie itself to the orthodontic wire. There are no metal or elastic ties necessary with self-ligating braces as a built in “trap door” can be slid or flipped closed to engage the wire. This trap door holds the wire loosely in position, which reduces friction. This makes it easier to slide teeth along the orthodontic wire as spaces are opened or closed. Popular types of self-ligating braces systems are Damon braces, Innovation braces, Speed braces, SmartClip braces. For self-ligating braces, it is less time consuming to tie in wires at each appointment. There are some variations of self-ligating braces that are partially made of ceramic material to resemble clear braces, but most contain a metal base.
Clear Aligner is a series of clear removable cosmetic appliance designed for minor teeth movement, without using braces.The most obvious advantage of the treatment is cosmetic: the aligners are completely transparent, therefore far more difficult to detect than the wire and braces systems. This makes the method particularly popular among adults who want to straighten their teeth without the look of traditional metal braces, which are commonly worn by children and adolescents. In addition, the aligners are marketed as being more comfortable than braces. Due to the removable nature of the device, food can be consumed without the encumbrance of braces. However, the success of the Invisalign aligners is based on a patient's commitment to wear the aligners for a minimum of 20–22 hours per day, only removing them when they are eating, drinking, or brushing their teeth.
The system is also somewhat expensive, and can be more expensive than wire and braces systems.Unlike braces, if a patient grinds or clenches his or her teeth during the day or while sleeping, the aligners can become damaged, however this protects the teeth from damage which would otherwise occur. Also, similar to braces, aligners may cause a slight lisp at the beginning of treatment. This usually disappears as the patient becomes used to the treatment.
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