Traditional Braces
Metal Braces
About Metal Braces
Metal brackets can be silver or golden. The are very strong and can withstand most types of treatment. At first, gums and cheek tissue may become irritated, but there are several first aid tricks to deal with the discomfort such as saltwater rinses and applying wax to the metal brackets.
Most traditional metal braces require an elastic O-shaped rubber band, called a ligature, to hold the arch wire onto the bracket. Sometimes metal tie wires (wires that twist around the bracket) are used in place of elastic ligatures.
Years ago, metal braces were not just brackets, but a band that wrapped around each individual tooth. Today, small metal brackets are glued to the front of each tooth (much less fuss). The old type of bands are usually reserved for molars or teeth with fillings that overlap to the outside surface of a tooth. Metal brackets tend to be less expensive than other types of brackets. And now, choices of colorful ligatures are available in a rainbow of colors to individualize personal style.
Advantages of Metal Braces
- Metal brackets usually are the least expensive of all types of braces.
- Treatment time is usually the shortest among all types of braces.
- You can choose a darker ligature, which hides curry, smoking or black coffee stains.
- Self-ligating braces do not contain rubber ligatures, so staining will never be a problem.
- They are strong and rarely break.
- Golden brackets are unique, novel and generally look attractive.
Disadvantages of Metal Braces
- They are more noticeable than ceramic and Invisalign
- At first, they are less comfortable (but that feeling wears off after a couple of weeks).
- Canker sores irritate the gums more than ceramic brackets.
Ceramic Braces
About Ceramic Braces
Ceramic brackets are made of composite materials. They are very strong and usually do not stain. Adults like to choose ceramic because they are more in color harmony with the teeth and are less noticeable than metal.
Advantages of Ceramic Braces
- If teeth are not perfectly white, ceramic brackets blend in and are not as noticeable at a distance or in photos.
- Sometimes they are more comfortable than metal and irritate gums less.
- Ceramic brackets are very strong, and if bonded with a plasma light, stay on as well as metal brackets.
Disadvantages of Ceramic Braces
- Clear or white ligatures (little elastics that hold the arch wire to the brackets) sometimes stain. However, they are changed during monthly adjustments.
- Treatment may take a few months longer with ceramic braces.
- From an esthetic viewpoint, they are slightly larger than metal brackets.
- With severe conditions, ceramic brackets will not be strong enough to withstand the force of some types of treatment.