Metal, ceramic, invisible... There are so many types of dental braces, how should you choose?

Author: Zhou Yanheng, Chief Physician, Peking University School of Stomatology

Former Chairman of the Orthodontics Committee of the Chinese Stomatological Association

Reviewer: Li Song, Chief Physician, Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University

Director of the Chinese Stomatological Association

Many people think that uneven teeth only affect the appearance and are not harmful. In fact, this is not the case...

1. What are the dangers of uneven teeth?

The biggest problem with misaligned teeth is that they can’t be brushed cleanly. In addition, if the teeth are not aligned properly, it is easy for some food residues to remain, which will make it easier for bacteria to grow. The professional term is dental plaque.

The most direct problems it causes are, first, tooth decay, and second, periodontal disease, which is inflammation of the gums or periodontium. Many people have red gums, which means that the gums are inflamed, which may further cause periodontal inflammation.

In the past, people often talked about "tooth loss as we age", as if it was normal to lose teeth in our 40s, 50s, or 60s. In fact, this is not the case. We now know that periodontal disease is the direct cause of tooth loss, and it is related to systemic diseases.

Figure 1 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

For example, periodontal disease may be related to heart disease, diabetes, and even premature birth, so oral health has become a topic of great concern to the general public, and more and more people realize that maintaining oral health is crucial.

In addition, some very thin people may actually have stomach problems due to long-term poor bite and poor chewing function. After many people have their teeth corrected, their bite improves, their chewing function is restored, their chewing efficiency increases, and their nutrition gets better, so they naturally become less thin.

Therefore, in addition to affecting appearance, uneven teeth may cause psychological problems such as inferiority complex and lack of laughter, and will also affect the overall health status, so correction should be actively carried out.

2. What types of dental braces are there? How to choose?

Dental appliances are divided into two categories, namely removable appliances and fixed appliances.

For example, for children around 6-12 years old, the maxillofacial area is in the growth and development stage, and the teeth are in the process of being replaced. We often have to conduct early intervention and correction. Generally, we will choose removable orthodontic appliances, which means that after wearing them, the lower jaw is moved forward or backward to correct the jaw deformity.

For children after their teeth have changed, such as after the age of twelve or thirteen, or adults, fixed orthodontic appliances are generally needed, mainly metal or ceramic appliances.

Relatively speaking, metal braces are not very beautiful because of the large contrast between the color of the teeth, while ceramic braces are more beautiful because of the small contrast between the color of the teeth. Of course, some people can choose crystal or transparent braces, which will be more beautiful.

Fixed braces correct teeth through a mechanical action. They can move teeth to the position we want them to move to. Doctors use this appliance, combined with the control of wires, to finally move teeth to a more ideal position.

Of course, with the development of medical technology, there is now a kind of bracketless invisible braces, which can actually be considered as a new type of removable braces (removable braces).

Its biggest advantage is that it is beautiful, comfortable, and has little impact on oral hygiene, because it can be taken off and put on by yourself. You can take it off when eating and put it on after eating and brushing your teeth. At present, invisible bracketless braces are becoming more and more popular and are increasingly sought after by patients and orthodontists.

Figure 2 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

Since it is completely transparent, the impact on the patient's life and work is minimized. However, it has higher requirements for orthodontists, and for some particularly complex malocclusions, it may not achieve a particularly ideal correction effect.

Therefore, the choice of dental braces should be based on the actual situation of the patient.

3. What should we pay special attention to during tooth correction?

First, you must brush your teeth well. You can use a small-headed, soft-bristled toothbrush to brush the area around the bracket in circles. You can also use a gap brush, an oral irrigator, etc. You can also use a dental floss guide to pass the dental floss through the gaps between teeth to clean the teeth. In short, you must pay attention to oral hygiene.

Second, don’t bite too hard food when eating, don’t eat large pieces of food, especially don’t gnaw on chicken legs or ribs, but also pay attention to nutrition.

Third, after wearing the braces, your mouth may rub a little, and you may also get ulcers, etc., which usually heal in a few days. Of course, you can also buy some mucosal protection wax, and stick it on when your mouth rubs, and it will feel better.

In addition, I want to tell you that every time you adjust the correction force, it will usually be a little painful starting from the second day, and it will basically not hurt much after about three days, and at most seven days, it will not hurt at all, so you don’t have to worry too much about the pain, especially for invisible bracketless dental appliances, because their force is lighter and less painful.