What exactly are braces? How do they work?
There are removable and fixed braces. Removable braces include:
- Plates:
Plastic braces in various colors for one jaw. They are designed, for example, to widen the jaw or move groups of teeth in a specific direction. - Functional appliances:
Plastic clasps in various colors that connect the upper jaw to the lower jaw. Commonly referred to as “double-decker” or “monoblock.” They are designed to alter the position of the upper jaw relative to the lower jaw and/or the function of the tongue, lips, etc. - Aligners:
clear plastic trays designed to move or hold the teeth in place.
Fixed braces can only be fitted and removed by an orthodontist. This means they work 24 hours a day. Fixed braces include:
- Brackets:
, for example, made of metal or ceramic. They can be attached to the outer or inner surfaces of the teeth. - Hinges:
Rods that are attached to both the upper and lower jaws and are designed to reposition the lower jaw (similar to functional regulators). - Palatal expansion appliances:
These appliances are used to expand the upper jaw in a short period of time. - Mini-Pins:
Small “mini-implants” or “mini-screws” that are screwed into the jawbone to absorb or generate unwanted or desired forces in fixed braces.
Have we sparked your interest in
and braces?
What are braces?
In everyday language, people refer to “fixed braces” when they mean brackets.
Brackets are “stickers” that the orthodontist attaches to the teeth. It works much like a train:
- The teeth are the passengers,
- The brackets are the cars, and
- The wires on which the cars or brackets rest are the rails.
Just as there are different types of train cars, there are also different types of braces. Some are made of metal and others of ceramic. However, the purpose of braces always remains the same:
To move the passengers—that is, the teeth.
