How Do Braces Work?
The short answer.
Braces apply small, steady pressure: the archwire presses on brackets bonded to your teeth, gradually moving them into position as the surrounding bone changes over the months.
Braces move teeth by keeping a small, steady pressure on them for months. Here is what each part does, how that pressure moves a tooth, and how the main types compare, so you know what to expect from braces at Dental Spot in Croydon.
What are orthodontic braces?
Braces are fixed appliances bonded to your teeth for the length of treatment. They straighten crooked or crowded teeth, close gaps, and correct how the upper and lower teeth meet, such as an overbite or underbite. Straighter teeth can also be easier to brush and floss.
What are the components of braces?
Your dentist fits most parts at the bonding appointment. Rubber bands are the one part you may handle yourself.
- Brackets: small metal or ceramic squares bonded to the front of each tooth. They hold the archwire and act as a handle on the tooth.
- Archwire: the wire that runs through every bracket. It is shaped to the arch your teeth are heading for, and as it springs back towards that shape it presses on them. Your dentist swaps it for firmer wires as treatment goes on.
- Ligatures: tiny elastic rings, or fine steel ties, that hold the archwire in each bracket. Self-ligating brackets have a built-in clip instead.
- Bands: metal rings cemented around some back teeth. They anchor the ends of the archwire.
- Coil springs: small springs on the archwire between brackets, used to open space between teeth that sit too close together.
- Rubber bands (elastics): removable bands (another site) you hook between upper and lower brackets to correct the bite. You change them yourself, as often as your dentist tells you.
How do braces work?
The archwire presses on the brackets, and the brackets pass that pressure to the teeth. Many early archwires are nickel-titanium, a springy alloy that keeps up a light, steady push as it straightens out. Rubber bands, if you have them, add force between the upper and lower teeth.
That pressure moves each tooth through the bone. A tooth sits in its socket on a thin layer of fibres called the periodontal ligament. On the side the tooth is pushed towards, the ligament is squeezed and the body removes a little bone; on the other side, the ligament is stretched and new bone is laid down. Repeated over months, this bone remodelling (another site) lets the tooth move. The new bone needs time to firm up, which is why you wear a retainer once the braces come off.
Types of Braces
Fixed braces come in metal and ceramic. Clear aligners, such as Invisalign, are the main alternative.
Traditional Orthodontic Braces
Metal braces use stainless steel brackets. They can treat a wide range of alignment and bite problems, including complex ones.
Ceramic Braces
Ceramic braces work the same way, with tooth-coloured or clear brackets that are harder to see. They suit many of the same cases as metal braces. Lingual braces, bonded to the inner surface of the teeth, are another fixed option for some cases.
Invisalign
Invisalign uses a series of clear, removable plastic aligners instead of brackets and wire. Your dentist scans your teeth, plans each stage of movement, and you switch to the next aligner every one to two weeks, as your dentist directs.
Talk to Us
If you’re struggling with basic functions like chewing, explore your orthodontic options with our dentists.
Invisalign: clear aligners used to straighten teeth. This product is not available for purchase by the general public.
This guide is general information, not advice about your own teeth. Your dentist can tell you what applies to you, including the risks of any treatment.
