Orthodontic treatment, commonly referred as dental clip treatment is a treatment modality which involves a series of processes to move irregularly aligned teeth in their desired position. The goal of orthodontic treatment is a beautiful smile and a good bite. A good bite makes it easier for you to bite, chew and speak. A beautiful smile adds to self-esteem, self-confidence and helps in career advancement.
TYPES OF ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT
– Removable
– Fixed Metal
– Fixed Ceramic
– Fixed Self-Ligating
– Invisible Linguals
– Invisible Invisalign
– Retainers
Removable
These removable appliances help in correcting minute irregularities. As the name denotes, it can be removed and placed in the mouth anytime by the patient. This includes functional appliance and retainers.
Functional appliances are used during growth stage so that teeth are properly guided to the desired position after the growth period terminates. Appliances include ACTIVATOR, BIONATOR, TWIN BLOCK or FRANKEL APPLIANCE.
Advantages of Removable Orthodontic Treatment
– Cost-effective
– Can be removed at will
Disadvantages of Removable Orthodontic Treatment
– The patient can misplace very often
– Time-consuming even for a simple tooth movement
– Different types of tooth movements cannot be achieved.
Metal Braces
Metal Braces are the most commonly used orthodontic brackets. It is placed on to the teeth with the help of cement and bonding agents. Then wires are placed through the brackets and held in position using rubber bands called modules. WATCH VIDEO FOR MORE DETAILS.
Advantages of Metal Braces
– Cost-effective
– Available in all clinics
Disadvantages of Metal Braces
– Has a metal colour and hence esthetic appearance is compromised
– Longer duration of treatment (near about 2 years)
– Limited arch expansion
Ceramic Braces
Ceramic Braces are similar to that of metal braces except for the color of brackets. The brackets are tooth-colored and hence it has greater aesthetic value than metal braces. WATCH VIDEO FOR MORE DETAILS.
Advantages of Ceramic Braces
– Esthetic
Disadvantages of Ceramic Braces
– Longer duration of treatment (near about 2 years)
– Limited arch expansion
Self Ligating Wires
Self-Ligating Bracket System is an advanced orthodontic treatment that gives expected results in a shorter period of time. It has self-lock within its bracket and hence rubber bands or modules are not required to hold the wires in position as in metal and ceramic braces types. This property ensures the reduction of friction The time duration of treatment is also reduced by half. WATCH VIDEO FOR MORE DETAILS
Advantages of Self-Ligating Wires
– Faster and permanent treatment
– Less friction and hence painless
– Easy to clean and easy to maintain
– Good amount of arch expansion is possible. Hence it can be treated without extraction of teeth.
Disadvantages of Self-Ligating Wires
– Metal colour
Lingual Braces
Lingual braces are those that are fixed on to the inner side of the tooth. As the brackets are not seen outside, your smile never becomes metallic. WATCH VIDEO FOR MORE DETAILS.
Advantages of Lingual Braces
– Aesthetic
Disadvantages of Lingual Braces
– Discomfort
– Chairside treatment duration will be more. Hence the time taken for each appointment will be more.
– Longer duration of treatment.
Invisible Braces
Invisalign or Clearpath Aligners are the leading invisible orthodontic treatments available. In this variety, we take your teeth molds and then prepare clear splints that snap on your teeth. You will have the advantage of removing the splint as and when required, generally during brushing or eating. This helps in easy maintenance of oral hygiene even during the course of orthodontic treatment. WATCH VIDEO FOR MORE DETAILS.
Advantages of Invisible Braces
– Highly aesthetic
– No painful ulcers are seen
– Oral hygiene and maintenance are very high.
Disadvantages of Invisible Braces
– Costly.