Braces - ProudMe

What are dental braces?

Braces are dental tools for teenagers, but also adults to help correct problems with your teeth. They slowly straighten and align your teeth, so you have a normal bite. There are a variety of treatments that can help straighten teeth, including braces and retainers, custom-made, removable or fixed tools that cover the outside of your teeth and help keep them in position.

Types of braces

Metal/traditional braces

They include brackets that are attached to the front of your teeth or bands that fit around each tooth, as well as flexible wires or arch wires that hold the brackets or bands together. Some braces also include rubber bands or metal ties that link the brackets to the wire. These bands create more pressure to help straighten and align your teeth.

Ceramic braces

The brackets in traditional braces are now also made in tooth-colored ceramic, so you don’t notice them as much. They can also be made with stainless steel, clear materials, or gold.

Lingual braces

The brackets on these braces are attached to the backs of your teeth, facing your tongue. Lingual braces are harder to see.

Clear aligners

These are clear plastic trays that fit snugly onto your teeth. They use pressure to gently move your teeth into the correct positions and straighten your smile. You remove the aligners to eat, brush, or floss, but you should keep them in at least 22 hours each day for them to work.

Facts about braces

Braces are nearly 300 years old. French physician Pierre Fauchard, known as the father of modern dentistry, made the first set of braces in 1728

The Type of Wire Used for Braces was Invented by NASA. The field of orthodontics took a giant leap when NASA developed a metal alloy called nickel titanium in 1959.