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Here you will find a description of
the orthodontic appliances used in our practice. You
will require a consultation before Dr Selwyn-Barnett or Dr Pourghadiri can advise you about the best treatment option for your
specific case.
Fixed Braces
These are the most common type of orthodontic
brace. Most patients require the use of fixed orthodontic
appliances ('train tracks') to have really straight
teeth, and achieve the best possible improvement of
their smile. Small precisely designed buttons called
brackets are stuck/bonded to each tooth. Sometimes rings
called bands are also fitted around the back/molar teeth.
The brackets are then connected to each other using
a thin wire, called an archwire. The wire is held in
place with small elastic rings called modules, or with
very thin wires called ligatures. The wires are adjusted
at regular intervals to straighten the teeth and correct
the bite.
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With fixed braces, there is no plastic
in the roof of the mouth. This means speech is unaffected
and the flavour of food can be enjoyed fully. As the
appliance cannot be removed, it acts full-time, and
so it is very effective.
Fixed braces are very good
at achieving fine detail, and making the smile look
really perfect!
Fixed appliances, by definition, cannot
be removed by the patient. The simplest way to think
of each bracket is as a handle with which it is possible
to control each tooth individually and precisely. The
brackets are highly sophisticated as every tooth has
its own bracket design engineered to achieve correct
position and angle of axis.
As we have already mentioned, in the early part of
treatment, a thin archwire is fitted to link up all
the brackets. Because the teeth are irregular, the wire
has to bend up and down or in and out between the teeth.
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This is the clever bit: the wire, a bi-product of NASA
research, has perfect shape memory and will gradually
return to its original shape, bringing the teeth with
it. As treatment progresses, stiffer wires are fitted
and these act as a monorail. At this time, tiny springs
and elastics guide the teeth.
There are different types of fixed brace, and subject
to the right clinical indications Dr
Selwyn-Barnett and Dr
Pourghadiri are pleased to offer them all in our
practice.
Stainless Steel Fixed Braces
The brackets in these fixed braces are made of metal.
Modern brackets are quite small, and they cover a relatively
smaller area of each tooth, making braces more attractive
than they used to be. These conventional braces are
very practical, reliable and relatively fast-acting.
Next >
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