Very few people are born with a perfect smile, with crooked and misaligned teeth resulting from faulty eruption and development of teeth during childhood. The good news is that a healthy smile is not out of reach. Orthodontics is an entire branch of dentistry dedicated to fixing your smile, with dental braces playing a key role.
Braces are a set of square bonds on strings of wire, or springs, that are placed on your teeth to move them into alignment. Braces are commonly used to correct teeth crowding, crooked teeth, and teeth/jaw misalignments in teenagers, but its normal for adults to get them as well.
However, braces are a corrective treatment that take time.
They will remain in place on your teeth for between 1 to 3 years, depending on how severe your case is, the structure of your jaw, and the health of your teeth and gums. They’re also not cheap and will require care, regular trips to a dental clinic in Dubai, and will restrict you from eating chewy and hard-to-bite foods such as apples, carrots, candy, chewing gum, etc. There are also several types of braces available that you can opt for.
As you can see, getting braces requires a lot of thought. This is why our orthodontist-in-chief, Dr. Marjan, recommends all of our patients, both young and old alike, be the first to gain a thorough understanding of which braces are right for them and how to take proper care of your braces as well as teeth during the course of a treatment plan.
Let us first walk you through the different types of braces available.
The different types of braces
No one case of crooked or misaligned teeth is the same. After a dental examination at our dental clinic in Dubai, Dr. Marjan will be better able to tell you which of the following braces suit you:
- Traditional Metal Braces: Traditional metal braces are attached on the front of your teeth. They consist of brackets or bands which are held in place by flexible wires or strings. This structure creates pressure on your teeth, forcing them into a straightened position. In severe cases, your teeth may require more pressure in order to come into place, in which case, we will have you wear removable headgear that will exert external pressure on your teeth.
- Ceramic Braces: Ceramic braces are traditional braces with the brackets made of colored or clear ceramic. You can opt for these if you don’t want your braces to be too visible. However, they require a greater level of oral care because they’re larger and more fragile. If you prefer, you can also opt for stainless steel or gold brackets in your braces.
- Lingual Braces: Lingual braces are attached to the back of your teeth, facing your tongue. They are therefore much harder to see and are not visible when you smile, and are popular with patients who have cosmetic concerns and worry about their appearance with braces on. At our dental clinic, we customize lingual and other braces to match the exact shape of your teeth for a quicker and more comfortable experience.
- Self-ligating braces: Self-ligating braces look similar to traditional braces and can either be metal or clear. Instead of elastic wires they use a special clip in order to reduce the friction and force applied on your teeth. Self-ligating braces have proven to be a quicker fix and also warrant fewer adjustment appointments over the course of a treatment plan.
- Clear aligners: If you don’t want any part of the braces to be visible, but still want an effective braces treatment, then clear aligners should be your go-to. They are invisible, mouthguard-type trays acting as braces. They have to be custom made to fit your teeth and can be removed at any time, making it easier to eat and drink and brush and floss. However, we recommend that you keep them on for atleast 20 to 22 hours a day for maximum effect.
If you’re considering getting braces, call us [INSERT CONTACT HYPERLINK] for a consultation appointment at our dental clinic in Dubai and find out which braces are right for you!
Oral hygiene during braces
Once we fit your braces it’s very important that, from that point on, you take extra care of your oral hygiene. Braces can lead to the accumulation of food and plaque on and in between your teeth faster than usual. This will need to be brushed away regularly or you will risk stained teeth and tooth decay. Dr. Marjan recommends the following practices for optimal oral hygiene and in order to minimize visits to our dental clinic for braces adjustments and cleaning:
- Brush after every meal or snack
- Use a soft toothbrush first to brush each tooth with braces separately
- Use a Proxabrush to clean between two braces
- Remove any food stuck in the brackets of the braces
- Use a fluoride toothpaste
- Floss gently and regularly
- Avoid hard, sticky, and chewy food items
Fixing your smile – the myPediaclinic way
As getting braces is a long-term commitment, getting them from the right dental clinic is crucial. At myPediaclinic, we put your comfort first and our highly skilled dental team, consisting of the UAE’s leading orthodontist and experienced pediatric dentists, is ready to make your orthodontics experience the best in Dubai.
We put our patients first!
Feel free to head over to our dental clinic in Dubai any time to experience our warm and welcoming atmosphere first-hand. Find out more about how we can fix your smile the right way by calling us [INSERT CONTACT HYPERLINK] with any questions or book an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Marjan.
