Traditional Braces
Many adults chose to have more traditional braces to straighten their teeth. There are several different types including metal brackets and tooth coloured or clear brackets #adultbraces
Traditional Braces
Many adults still choose to have traditional braces and irrespective of whether the brackets are metal or clear, self ligating or not, they all perform a similar job in straightening your teeth. Traditional braces tend to be more cost effective than lingual braces or aligners and may offer the orthodontist the best option for undertaking complex tooth movments particularly when elastics are required as part of the treatment plan.
Braces are comprised of three main components, the brackets that are glued to your teeth, the arch wire that connects the brackets and elastics that are used to both hold the arch wire in the bracket and to move your teeth. Clear brackets are very discreet, particularly if you already have really white teeth, but the metal arch wires and elastics are more visible which will make them more noticable as treatment progresses.
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Traditional metal brackets offer many adult patients a great option as they are readily available, easy to apply and remove, cost effective and the preferred choice of many orthodontists. You can also have different coloured elastic modules to personalise your brace (my favourite was black) and can pick a different colour at each appointment. Please give these some serious consideration as many other adults comment on their blogs that they were delighted with their decision to have metal brackets.
Features
Visibility
Clear brackets are quite discreet but the arch wire and elastics will be noticable. You can’t hide your braces if you have metal brackets but in my experience, no one takes any interest in your treatment
Fixed
You can’t remove your braces so they continue working 24/7
Effective
Traditional braces are very effective in treating a wide range of issues and offer the orthodontist a great deal of flexibility and control
Comfortable
After initially adapting to wearing them, most people describe them as comfortable to wear
Availability
Metal and clear brackets are readily available from many practices
Elastics
Even if you have self ligating brackets, you are likely to have elastics at some point in your treatment.
Speech
Traditional braces are unlikely to cause you any difficulty with speech and you will adapt to wearing them really quickly
Range of options
There are a wide range of different bracket types, your orthodontist can guide you and discuss the merits of each
Oral health
There are a lot of places for plaque to hide around the brackets, the arch wires and elastics which will make teeth cleaning more challenging
Blog posts
3 Wishes Invisalign Blog
Carrie, a London based lifestyle blogger has posted a great series of posts about her time with Invisalign braces and the fantastic results she has received by having her teeth straightened this way. She writes a blog 'wish wish wish' which has some really lovely...
Why I chose metal brackets
When thinking about getting your teeth straightened, there are so many choices available to patients from invisible lingual braces, aligners, clear braces, removable appliances and traditional braces. I chose to have traditional metal brackets and I thought I would...
How to help your orthodontist
It is easy to think that our orthodontists are the ones who are putting in all the work to give us straight teeth and that as a patient we have a passive role to play in the process. This isn't strictly true as any orthodontic treatment is a partnership between the...
How to make a fixed retainer
Have you ever wondered how a bonded fixed wire retainer is made? This YouTube video will show you how it is done. https://youtu.be/e4i9QOkEg74
Inside I’m Smiling
'Inside I'm Smiling' is a great blog created by a lingual (behind the teeth) brace wearer who undertook her treatment at the well respected London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic. The blog contains a lot of detail about the process of getting lingual braces, wearing...
Fixed retainers
At the end of your orthodontic treatment, you are going to want to ensure all the hard work and effort remains visible for a long time and for this, you will need to wear retainers. There are several different types of retainers and this article looks at fixed...
Rocket and braces
Wikipedia defines rocket leaves as an edible annual plant. But for those of us with braces, we would probably redefine this humble salad as a plant that becomes impossibly entwined in our braces. I don't know what it is with Rocket leaves but they are so incredibly...
Gum Shield Frying Pan
I have just come across another Invisalign blog that takes a light hearted look at the process of getting and having Invisalign. For a peek of what you might expect from this blog, I have copied a great description of the process of getting impressions below: The...
Braces and curry
There is nothing like the smell of spices roasting in a pan ready for the fresh ingredients to be added to make a delicious curry. It's one of those meals that is terrific all year round either cooked at home or eating out with friends. Unfortunately it is also not...
Airport Bathrooms
I travel quite a lot with work and in doing so have become quite a critic of airport bathrooms and in particular their suitability for brushing your teeth. Now this may sound a little odd but as a brace wearer, you will soon understand the need to clean your teeth...
Interdental Brushes
One of the most useful tools I have found whilst wearing braces has been the interdental brush. You will probably end up with a drawer full of them in every available size and I promise you, these really will become one of your must have items whilst wearing braces....
Amelia’s Six Month Smiles blog
There are plenty of great braces blogs on the Internet and as I come across them I will provide a link to them so you can read about the experiences of other people getting braces. This is a blog from Amelia, a Midlands based full time blogger who has Six Month Smiles...
Sharp, pokey wires
It doesn't matter what brackets you have; metal, clear, self ligating or traditional, it's highly likely at some point in your treatment you will get some sharp pokey wires. These are wires that, for a variety of reasons, will end up stabbing, rubbing and generally...
Note to orthodontic nurses and therapists
And just so orthodontic nurses and therapists don't feel left out, here is my note to them: We are envious that you get your elastics changed every week and can party at weekends without having to worry about the consequences for another month. Why do braces always...
Note to our orthodontists
In the theme of the previous post about the things you would like to say to your friends about wearing braces, I thought I would add another one aimed at our orthodontists: You are not just straightening our teeth, you are improving our confidence and self esteem in...
Friends of brace wearers
A note to friends of those of us who have braces. It's ok to mention how great our teeth are looking, we need some encouragement every now and then. It's ok to talk about our treatment, we want to share what we have experienced. Elastics freak us out too! We generally...
A typical adjustment
Is there such a thing as a typical adjustment and do you go to 'get your braces tightened'? To date, I have had nineteen adjustments since getting braces and although there have been some similarities between visits, each one has been different. Lets start by looking...
Incognito braces video blog
YouTube provides a great way to record your progress with braces and to provide information and advice to others thinking about starting treatment or already underway. There are some really great blogs and you can spend many hours watching some fascinating characters...
Bluetooth connected braces
There seems to be a trend for connected devices with everything from water bottles to fitness trackers reporting your activities to a Bluetooth enabled smartphone so it was a foregone conclusion that this would soon reach the realm of orthodontics. I read an...
Great finishing video
You may find yourself using the internet to research all about braces and as you progress through your treatment may find yourself looking at a selection of YouTube clips for information and advice. After a while you may be tempted to start looking at clips of...
Six Month Smiles
'Six month smiles' is a short term orthodontic system that uses clear fixed brackets and tooth coloured wires to straighten teeth over a four to nine month period. It is designed to appeal to adults by both offering quick treatment times and a discreet brace that...