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  • Unless you're very lucky (like me), most of us have had braces at one time or another

  • in our lives.

  • Who doesn't want a nice brilliant smile??

  • Getting braces can fix bigger problems that could affect you later in life too, like jaw

  • alignment.

  • But how does all that metal in your mouth really work??

  • In short, what braces do is apply pressure to the teeth to encourage them to move into

  • the correct position inside the mouth.

  • Kinda like kindergarteners at recess.

  • ([whistle] Everybody line up!)

  • Each tooth has a name, and charts of the correct position of each tooth are found all over

  • the dentist's and orthodontist's office.

  • First, you'll most likely have a consultation with your orthodontistthat's someone

  • who specializes in the structure of the mouth and moving your teeth in order to correct

  • your jaw (and to give you some straight teeth, of course!).

  • For example, most of us have a slight or significant underbite or overbite.

  • This is due to jaw misalignment, and braces will fix that!

  • Your orthodontist will also make sure you have a generally healthy mouth before your

  • journey with braces begins.

  • In other words, you can't have a bunch of cavities or some infection of the mouth before

  • you get your braces, so brush those teeth!

  • Most orthodontic patients are in their early teens, but nowadays it's not uncommon for

  • adults to get braces too.

  • Your orthodontist may choose to apply or adjust your braces in phases, or continuouslyeach

  • case is totally individualized.

  • Why might someone need braces?

  • Some of it has to do with genetics; if crooked teeth run in your family, you might have crooked

  • teeth too.

  • If you sucked your thumb or pacifier a lot as a baby, this can affect how your baby teeth

  • grow in.

  • So if you need braces, it's not your fault!

  • Let's look a little closer at the process.

  • Before your braces are applied, you may have to have additional treatments first.

  • A good example of this is applying an expander.

  • There are two kinds: upper jaw and lower jaw.

  • What does an expander do?

  • Let's look at the upper jaw as our example.

  • An expander will stretch the bone and cartilage of the hard palate before it stops growing

  • (ideally, it would be applied before the age of 14).

  • It prevents teeth from crowding, and preps the mouth to have room for your braces.

  • Metal rings are attached to the back molars.

  • The body of the expander, which will contain expansion screws, will stretch from ring to

  • ring across the mouth.

  • As the screws are cranked, it'll push on those back molars and stretch the soft cartilage

  • of the palate over several weeks.

  • It's common for patients to get a gap in their front teeth over the course of this

  • processand that's good!

  • This means the expander is working.

  • But it sounds kind of painful!

  • So have ibuprofen on hand and some cold treats, like popsicles or ice cream.

  • Oh boy.

  • Most people will feel the pressure on the back molars and will feel some discomfort

  • in their teeth, perhaps behind their nose and eyes, or in their temples.

  • But this tenderness will go away eventually.

  • Once your mouth is prepped by the expander, or any other equipment you may have needed,

  • and the day arrives to get your braces put on, your orthodontist will first clean and

  • polish your teeth, so that those metal brackets have a nice clean surface to stick to.

  • Braces may look simple, but they're actually made up of a few different parts that all

  • work together: bonding material, the bracket, arch wire, ligature elastics, spacers, orthodontic

  • bands (if you need them), and a carburetor.

  • NO, not that last one.

  • I just snuck that in the list.

  • The bonding material helps each bracket really stick to each tooth.

  • The arch wire slides in between each bracket.

  • This connects the brackets and helps to pull the teeth together over time.

  • If you had an expander, your teeth are probably a little more spaced out than when you started,

  • so something must pull those teeth back together into the desired position!

  • Everyone can identify the ligature elastics, because you can pick their color!

  • I prefer purple, myself.

  • These colorful elastics connect the brackets to the arch wire.

  • They do a lot of the work in straightening your teeth, so they're usually changed and

  • tightened each time you visit your orthodontist.

  • Not everyone needs orthodontic bands, but if you do, they're used to connect one bracket

  • (or brackets) to another to pull certain teeth into alignment.

  • Each bracket has a tiny hook on it.

  • Say you need a top tooth pulled in a certain direction.

  • An orthodontic band would be hooked onto the bracket of the tooth in question and the band

  • stretched down to and hooked on the bracket of a bottom tooth, acting as the anchor.

  • These are bands that you would change yourself, usually between meals.

  • Your orthodontist or one of their aides should explain each part of the process to you, and

  • may even have you practice in the office if you have to change any bands.

  • By the way, have you ever heard the Orthodontic Marching Band?

  • Well, brace yourself!

  • Now that we know the parts of the braces, let's look at the actual mechanics of all

  • of this.

  • How does all this stuff straighten your teeth?

  • Well, it's all about applying constant, but tolerable, amounts of pressure over time.

  • Most of this pressure comes from the wire and ligature elastics, and the brackets hold

  • it all in place during and after the teeth have moved.

  • That wire that connects your brackets plays a key role in moving your teeth; wire doesn't

  • generally like to bend, but heat from your mouth makes the wire more flexible.

  • It'll still want to stay straight, but be flexible enough to bend to your particular

  • mouth shape.

  • This is where a lot of the pressure comes from!

  • If you have a particularly complex case, that's where those orthodontic bands come inthese

  • will apply additional pressure and will provide extra help in moving more stubborn teeth.

  • (I ain't movin' nowhere, no sirrie bob.

  • You can't make me!)

  • Wellwe'll see about that.

  • Remember though, your teeth are bones, and you're only seeing the tips of themthe

  • rest of them are anchored in your gums, which are soft to allow movement.

  • Most of the hard work your braces are doing is being done under your gums!

  • The pressure you feel on your teeth is also being applied to the periodontal membrane

  • the soft tissue underneath your gums.

  • One side of this membrane is softer than the other, allowing the teeth to move; the other

  • side pushes back somewhat under the pressure, creating a perfectly balanced push-pull action

  • that allows your teeth to move safely and effectively.

  • Besides a straight smile and proper jaw alignment, braces have another benefit.

  • They make your teeth stronger!

  • Just like working out at the gym, your teeth get stronger as they withstand the pressure

  • that's being applied to them.

  • It also helps create new cells, which results in better bone density in your teeth.

  • This means they'll have a stronger defense against any oral problems that may come along

  • later, and will be less likely to move again after your braces come off, which is usually

  • after about 18 months to 2 years.

  • Alrighty, it's now two years later, so what does happen when your braces come off?

  • Do the clouds open up, the sun shines down and the angels sing?

  • Well it might feel like that to you!

  • Your orthodontist will remove any extra bands, the wire, and ligature elastics.

  • Then he will just pop those brackets off with a little tool that kind of looks like pliers.

  • Your orthodontist will probably have you brush your teeth well right there in the office,

  • so that he or she can then try to remove any remaining bonding agent from your teeth.

  • Hmm, agent?

  • Bond?

  • Oh, you have 007 in your mouth!

  • Get outta there!

  • It's common to get a removable retainer after your braces come offthis little

  • thing helps keep your teeth in place.

  • There are permanent retainers too; they're just a thin wire that would be glued on the

  • inside of your top or bottom row of teeth.

  • If your retainer is removable, your orthodontist will tell you to wear it every day; down the

  • line, you may just be able to wear it while you sleep.

  • Of course, keeping up your oral hygiene after your braces come off is huge: brush your teeth

  • at least twice a day, use mouthwash, and floss.

  • The retainer itself should also be cleaned.

  • If your retainer is removable, your orthodontist might let you pick the color!

  • All of this may seem overwhelming; that's a lot of stuff in your mouth, right?

  • Braces aren't generally considered a comfortable experience, and require a lot of tolerance

  • and work.

  • You may experience headaches too, because of all the pressure on your teeth and jaw.

  • If you're experiencing an abnormal amount of discomfort, talk to your orthodontistyou

  • may be able to adjust your treatment in some way.

  • But just remember the many benefits of your braces!

  • The more hard work you put in, and the more you follow your orthodontist's directions,

  • the better your results will be!

  • Having braces is a brief journey, but at the end there's a straight smile for a lifetime

  • waiting for you!

  • So, have you ever had braces?

  • Do you have any tips you used to get through them?

  • If you're about to get braces, how do you feel about them?

  • Let me know down in the comments!

  • If this video was helpful, give it a like and share it with a friend!

  • But don't go straightening your teeth just yet; we have over 2,000 cool videos that you

  • can really sink your teeth into!

  • Just click to the left or right.

  • Stay on the Bright Side of life!

Unless you're very lucky (like me), most of us have had braces at one time or another

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