A lot of people had braces; but they dont know that how they work. If you want to know about that so read this article....

1. HOW BRACES WORK TO
STRAIGHTEN YOUR TEETH
Traditional braces date back to the 18th century by French dentist Pierre Fauchard as a method
of straightening teeth. Over the years, orthodontists have enhanced the experience of wearing
braces to create a process that uses constant, gentle pressure that moves the teeth into their
proper positions over time.
In order to help you make the best decision as to which orthodontic treatment plan
works best for you, we put together this extensive guide to understanding how braces
work to straighten your teeth.
• HOW DO BRACES WORK?
• ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRACES?
• HOW MUCH DO BRACES COST?
• ARE THERE FOODS YOU CAN’T EAT WITH BRACES?
• WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WEAR BRACES?
• HOW TO CARE FOR BRACES?
• WHY WEAR A RETAINER AFTER BRACES?
• WHAT ABOUT INVISALIGN VERSUS BRACES?
• HOW DO BRACES AFFECT OVERALL HEALTH?

2. HOW DO BRACES WORK?
In order to shift your teeth into proper alignment with regular braces, several things must
work in unison.
THE COMPONENTS
With traditional braces, we use several components and tools to straighten your teeth:
1. A bracket is an individual ceramic or metal “brace” that affixes to each of your teeth
with dental bonding glue.
2. The archwire is a thin metal wire that threads through the brackets in order to apply
gentle pressure and move your teeth into their ideal alignment.
3. Elastic ties are also known as elastic rings, ligature elastics or donuts, and are used
to hold the archwire to the brackets. The ties come in multiple colors, and you can
switch up your colors each time you visit the orthodontist.
4. Rubber bands are used in cases that require slightly more pressure to straighten
and direct your teeth into proper alignment. The bands hook from brackets on the upper
teeth to brackets on the lower teeth.
5. Additional tools, such as tubes, hooks, loops, springs, steel ties, and bite correctors,
are sometimes used in special cases. If these are necessary for your orthodontic
treatment, our office will ensure you understand exactly what’s happening every step of
the process.
THE PROCESS
Through a process called bone remodeling, braces apply constant, gentle pressure
against your teeth to encourage your bones to begin adapting and ultimately holding
your teeth in their new alignment for the rest of your life.
Bone remodeling works through the use of brackets and archwire, which align each
tooth into its proper position. As your teeth ease into their new positions, we use thicker
archwires and tighten your brackets in order to apply additional pressure and
consistently move your teeth into the correct alignment.
Once we determine that your teeth have moved into the correct spot, we give you
retainers to hold the teeth in place while the bone tissue around your teeth and jaws
fully adapts to the new tooth positions. With proper retainer wear, your new and
improved smile will last you a lifetime!
THE TIMELINE
It typically takes 3-5 days for the bone remodeling process to start once your traditional
braces are in place. There may be some soreness the first few days or even weeks as
your teeth and jaw adjust to the new pressure inside your mouth. After the process gets
started, it will take about three months to begin remodeling the bone, and it typically
takes 1-3 years to fully stabilize the new bone and build your new smile.

3. ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRACES?
At Gorman & Bunch Orthodontics, you can choose from three types of braces for your
teeth:
1. TRADITIONAL METAL BRACES: These are the most traditional type of braces,
which consist of metal brackets that are connected by a thin archwire. The combination
of brackets and wire work together to push and pull your teeth into the right alignment.
The archwire uses ligatures (or elastics, or o-rings) to connect to the brackets. The
elastics come in all kinds of fun colors that you can swap out at each appointment.
Traditional metal braces cost typically between $3,000 to $5,000.
2. CLEAR BRACES: Otherwise known as transparent braces, clear braces are
extremely similar to metal braces, except the brackets are created from a man-made
sapphire material instead of metal. This transparent material is much less noticeable
than metal braces.
3. LINGUAL BRACES: Lingual braces are custom made and are not visible because
they fit behind your natural teeth. The lingual braces cost can be expensive, ranging
anywhere from $5,000 to $13,000.
HOW MUCH DO BRACES COST?
Before visiting an orthodontist for the first time, you may be wondering, “How much do
braces cost?” Because there is no standard process for orthodontic treatment, it’s
difficult to put a number on metal braces cost. It is nearly impossible for us to give you
an estimated cost for braces before a consultation, because each case is different and
requires its own unique plan depending on the length of treatment, insurance coverage,
goals of treatment, and the intricacies involved.
At Gorman & Bunch Orthodontics, we give our patients the choice between traditional
braces for your teeth and Invisalign without adding an extra fee for Invisalign. In either
case, your initial consultation, exam and x-rays are complementary and we strive to
ensure affordable braces options for each patient.
According to statistics from the American Dental Association (ADA), the average cost of
braces for kids is a braces price range of $4,685 to $6,500, and the cost for adult braces
is $4,800 to $7,135. The price for braces could be higher or lower than these amounts,
depending on how long your treatment plan lasts. Treatment plans last on average 24
months. Orthodontic treatment is highly personalized based on both the types of braces
and the patient. We cannot easily provide the average cost of braces per month,
because the total braces cost is determined by your age, insurance plan and type of
braces you will wear. In some cases, there may be a down payment for braces, but it
will depend on your individual financial and insurance situation.

4. If you’re wondering how to pay for the typical cost of braces, we also offer custom
financing options and monthly payments for braces that fit your unique situation so that
financing doesn’t become an obstacle to achieving a healthy, beautiful smile. While
there may be other cheaper alternatives to braces, we strongly believe that traditional
braces are worth it and that paying less for inexpensive braces may not give you the
result you are looking for.
ARE THERE FOODS YOU CANNOT EAT WITH BRACES?
To protect your braces, it’s important to know which foods you can eat and which foods
to stay away from when wearing braces.
FOODS TO AVOID EATING WITH BRACES
The first few days after getting braces, we strongly recommend only eating soft foods.
All it takes is one damaging bite to hurt your teeth and extend the length of orthodontic
treatment.
Hard food specifically can be damaging to your braces. Avoid biting into these
foods with your front teeth, but rather cut them up into small pieces before eating:
• Raw vegetables
• Croutons
• French/Italian bread and pizza crust
• Meat on the bone
• Corn on the cob
• Apples
• Carrots
For the duration of your orthodontic treatment, avoid eating these foods all together:
• Crunchy foods like partially popped popcorn kernels, ice, pretzels, hard cookies, and
chips.
• Sticky foods like caramels, gummies, sugary gum, and hard candy.
• Chewy foods like bagels and licorice.
• Hard foods like pizza crust, whole carrots, candy, nuts and taco shells.
FOODS YOU CAN EAT WITH BRACES
Ready for the goods news? Here’s a list of great food options you can easily enjoy while
wearing braces:
• Soft Fruits, like blueberries, grapefruits, nectarines, kiwi, bananas, grapes, and tangerines
Steamed Vegetables (steamed for softness)
• Dairy Products, like yogurt and cheese

5. • Soft Grains and Noodles, like mac and cheese, cooked ravioli, quinoa, and rice
• Soft Meats, like tender chicken, turkey, meat loaf, lunch meat, and seafood
• Eggs, which are a good alternative to tough meats
• Desserts, like pudding, applesauce, smoothies, and ice cream
• Soft Breads, like tortillas, biscuits, muffins, pancakes
• Snacks, like soft crackers or cookies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and hulless
popcorn
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WEAR BRACES?
Many parts of your day-to-day experience change once you wear braces, so it’s
important to know what to expect.
LIFE BEFORE BRACES
We strongly recommend visiting an orthodontist at the age of seven. We may not start
orthodontic treatment at this age, but want to watch your development to make sure no
big issues occur. Because of this, we recommend that you schedule a follow-up
appointment every six month to check-in on your teeth development. These
appointments are free of charge and we will keep you updated on when future treatment
will be needed.
Your very first appointment is complementary, and takes about an hour. Our friendly
treatment coordinator will take digital scans of your teeth, and the orthodontist will
perform an extensive exam. We will then go over any treatment plan that will be
needed, including financial arrangements. If we feel you are ready to move forward with
treatment (and you’re ready, too!), we can usually get started that day with braces or
Invisalign.

6. LIVING WITH BRACES
Each person adapts to the discomforts of braces differently. There are a few minor
braces side effects and we know they can be uncomfortable, and sometimes painful,
which is why we put together our top five tips for living with braces:
• Be prepared before you leave the orthodontics office. Talk to your orthodontist
about the following items right after getting your braces:
• Checking wire ends to make sure they aren’t sticking out and poking your cheeks or
rubbing your tongue the wrong way.
• Understand what the next steps are, when your next appointment is, what additional
rules you need to know and hygiene recommendations.
• Double check to make sure you have all of the supplies you need, including dental
wax, cleaning aids, elastic bands and more.
• Be aware of what you eat with braces. As mentioned above, there is a list of dos
and don’ts when it comes to eating with braces. Stick to pasta, seedless bread, soft
veggies, pudding, soup, yogurt, etc., for the first few days with braces. Then, start
adding in more foods that you feel comfortable eating. Always stay away from sticky
and hard foods that could damage your braces.

7. • Use wax to relieve soreness in your mouth. Brackets can sometimes rub on the
inside of your mouth and cheeks, causing irritation and discomfort. If this happens, use
dental wax to act as a buffer between your brackets and mouth.
• Rinse your mouth out with saltwater whenever irritated. If you are experiencing
discomfort on your cheeks and lips from your braces, a warm salt water rinse should
help ease some of the pain. Add half a teaspoon of salt to one cup of warm water, and
rinse for 30 seconds, 5 times per day.
• Practice good oral hygiene always! We cannot stress enough how important it is to
clean your teeth after every meal, floss, brush and make regular appointments with your
dentist.
VISITING THE DENTIST
As we’ve mentioned above, we strongly recommend visiting your dentist for regular
hygiene appointments and check-ups. We will work with your dentist throughout your
orthodontic treatment to ensure your teeth and healthy during the process.
CHEWING GUM WITH BRACES
You may have heard that you should never chew gum with braces, but we believe a
little differently. We suggest that while wearing braces, it is okay to chew sugarless gum
in moderation, as long as you brush and floss around your wires and brackets after
doing so.
Today’s braces consist of more durable brackets and wires, significantly reducing the
potential damage from chewing gum. Additionally, chewing gum can actually help expel
acids produced by the bacteria in plaque that leads to tooth decay. It can also
strengthen your tooth enamel by delivering more calcium, phosphate, and fluoride to
your mouth.
On the flip side, chewing gum with sugar stimulates that bacteria-causing acid in your
mouth. Sugary gum can also stick to metal brackets and pull elastic ties off brackets,
damaging your braces. And of course, too much sugary gum can cause cavities.
ORTHODONTIC EMERGENCIES
Although it’s very rare for an orthodontic emergency to happen, here’s how to handle
various situations that may arise with your braces:
• LOOSE OR BROKEN BRACKET: If you aren’t experiencing any pain or discomfort,
leave the broken bracket in place and cover it with wax if it’s uncomfortable. If it comes
off completely, give us a call to let us know, then bring it with you during your next visit.
There is an added broken bracket cost at your next appointment if you do break them,
so be very careful when wearing your braces.
• POKING WIRES: If your wires are sticking out and bothering your cheeks, use a
pencil eraser, cotton swab, or ball of wax to try pushing back the wire back inside your
molar tube. If this doesn’t work, try using nail clippers (disinfect first with rubbing
alcohol) to cut the wire yourself.

8. • SORENESS, PAIN, OR DISCOMFORT: If you’re experiencing any of these things,
make sure you’re only eating soft foods and chewing sugarless gum. If the pain doesn’t
go away after several days, give us a call and we’re happy to check it out.
• TRAUMATIC EVENTS: If you experience a bad fall or something traumatic happens
to your mouth that affects your braces, give us a call immediately. We will most likely
need to do an x-ray to see if your teeth, gums or orthodontic appliances have been
damaged.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR BRACES?
To keep your braces working properly — and streamline your treatment timeline —
there are several good habits to form and bad habits to break while wearing braces.
BAD HABITS WITH BRACES
Most people know not to chew sugary gum while wearing braces, but there are several
other bad habits to avoid while wearing braces in order to keep your teeth healthy:
1. TREATING YOUR TEETH AS A TOOL: Don’t open a bag of chips with your teeth
ever, especially while wearing braces. This will force your teeth to shift out of alignment
or damage your brackets.
2. CHEWING ON SOMETHING OTHER THAN FOOD: Don’t chew on anything besides
food, such as straws, pencils, pens, and even ice! Doing so could cause your braces to
chip, break or shift in ways we don’t want. Braces aren’t able to withstand constant
pressure on them, so stick to chewing food only.
3. BITING NAILS AND SUCKING THUMBS: It’s crucial that you don’t bite your nails or
suck your thumb while wearing braces. Biting your nails is a terrible habit and can be
very difficult to break, but doing them could bend your wires and break brackets.
Sucking your thumb shifts your teeth even further out of alignment, damaging your teeth
beneath braces.
4. BEING TOO ROUGH WHILE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH: Your teeth will not become
cleaner if you brush them harder. Instead, this can actually damage the tissue on your
gums, resulting in pain, bleeding, soreness and even receding gums. It can also force
brackets to come off.
5. CHOOSING DARK-COLORED BEVERAGES: Drinking dark drinks, such as coffee,
red wine, black tea, and sodas will stain your teeth behind your brackets, leaving
unwanted tooth coloring once you get your braces off. We strongly recommend using a
straw while drinking these beverages, using mouthwash after drinking them, or better
yet avoid them altogether.
6. EATING TOO MUCH SUGAR: You should also strive to avoid foods that are high in
sugar, especially while wearing braces. Sugary foods leave an acidic layer in your
mouth that can eat away at your teeth. These foods are extremely harmful on your
teeth, and make it much more difficult to properly clean around brackets.

9. 7. SKIPPING ORTHODONTIST OR DENTIST APPOINTMENTS: There’s a reason why
we recommend visiting your dentist every six months, and maintaining your agreed
upon schedule with your orthodontist. Avoid big issues with your braces or major dental
work by visiting your dentist and orthodontist regularly.
GOOD HABITS WITH BRACES
One of the most important habits to keep while wearing braces is flossing. Neglecting to
floss with braces will increase your risk for dental cavities, gum disease and tooth
decay. Additional issues you may experience include:
• DEMINERALIZATION: Plaque build-up on your teeth, resulting in scarring and decay
• DELAY OF COMPLETION TIME: Negative effects of not flossing could slow down
your treatment schedule.
• PAIN AND DISCOMFORT: Unhealthy teeth usually cause pain, aches and sensitivity
as a result of cavities and decay.
• STAINS: Bad oral hygiene may cause stained teeth around your braces.
Additionally, we strongly recommend visiting your dentist for regular hygiene
appointments to ensure your teeth stay healthy and sparkling throughout orthodontic
treatment.
WHY WEAR A RETAINER AFTER BRACES?
There’s nothing better than feeling your smooth teeth and looking at your straight smile
for the first time! To keep them that way, we create a retainer for you to wear.
RETAINER TYPES
There are three different retainer types:
1. HAWLEY (AKA LOOP): A thin, loop, tongue-shaped piece that is molded to fit your
mouth. This uses wire to hold your teeth in position. It’s simple, durable and can be
easily taken in and out of your mouth.
2. CLEAR (AKA HARD CAST): This retainer is similar to transparent braces or
Invisalign. These are custom-made to fit your mouth using clear plastic. They are
invisible and easy-to-remove.
3. FIXED (AKA PERMANENT): This is a popular choice for lower teeth, as it isn’t
removable but also not visible. This retainer consists of a wire that is bonded to the
backside of your lower canines and may remain in your mouth indefinitely.
RETAINER ADJUSTMENTS
Retainers are typically very easy to adjust to, and most patients report that they don’t
even notice them after a few weeks. You may experience some difficulty talking at first,
but that won’t last long. The most difficult part to remember is taking your retainers out
when eating and brushing your teeth, and then putting them back in your mouth as soon
as you’re done. Don’t be the person who accidentally throws away your retainer at
lunch!

10. We recommend wearing your retainer 24/7 for the first ten weeks. Then we typically
transition patients into only wearing retainers at night. If you start to notice a tightness
when you put your retainer back in, that means you’ve gone too long without wearing it.
RETAINER CARE
We strongly recommend brushing your retainer each time you brush your teeth using
cool water and a toothbrush. We’d also recommend soaking your retainer several times
per week in retainer or denture cleaner. Mouthwash isn’t the best option because it can
break down the plastic in your retainer.
WHAT ABOUT INVISALIGN VERSUS BRACES?
In addition to braces, we also outfit many of our adult and teenage patients
with Invisalign — a series of clear, removable, custom-made aligners.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRACES VS. INVISALIGN
It’s important to understand the differences between braces and Invisalign so you can
make the decision that’s best for your lifestyle:
BRACES
• Consist of metal or ceramic brackets on your teeth and an arch wire that connects the
brackets.
• Use constant, gentle pressure to move your teeth into the proper positions over time.
• Required to visit orthodontist every 6-8 weeks for follow-up visits to check on progress and
adjust wires.
• Must avoid list of foods (outlined above).
INVISALIGN:
• Consist of a series of clear, customized and removable aligners.
• Swap out aligners every week in order to gradually move teeth into alignment over time.
• Ability to remove aligners while eating, brushing, and flossing.
• Required to visit orthodontist every 12 weeks for check-up appointments.
In terms of orthodontic braces cost, braces and Invisalign cost the exact same amount
of money. There is typically no difference in treatment time, unless a patient is
noncompliant with wearing his or her Invisalign aligners the required 22 hours per day.
This can prolong treatment with Invisalign and add to the cost of braces.

11. HOW DO BRACES AFFECT OVERALL HEALTH?
Beyond the aesthetic impact, straight teeth can impact your body’s health in several
ways.
ORAL HEALTH
While braces are primarily used to simply straighten your teeth and give you a beautiful
smile, they also have a positive impact on your overall oral health. Here’s how:
• OVERBITE: An overbite occurs when your top teeth are too far ahead of your bottom
teeth, which can result in clenching teeth that cause aching jaws and grinding teeth.
With an overbite, your top teeth are also much more prone to trauma or injury. Using
braces to fix an overbite will not only change the shape of your smile, but also the shape
of your jaw structure for the better!
• UNDERBITE: Conversely, an underbite occurs when your bottom teeth protrude out
farther than your top teeth. This often leads to aches and pains in your teeth and jaw,
imbalanced facial appearance, and a hard time biting and chewing food. Fixing an
underbite will also change the shape of your smile and jaw.

12. • CROSSBITE: Crossbites occur when your teeth are misaligned. They cause wear and
tear on your teeth and can lead to bone loss or gum disease. Braces will prevent these
issues from happening and keep your mouth at its healthiest.
• CROWDED TEETH: This is the most common reason someone comes to us for
orthodontic treatment. Crowded teeth are a result of lack of room in your mouth for your
teeth to grow in properly. As a result, teeth become crooked and are difficult to clean,
which creates a plaque buildup and can cause gum disease and bone loss. Fixing
crowded teeth allows for easier flossing, brushing, and maintaining overall good oral
health.
Because many of these issues begin at a very young age, we strongly
recommend seeing an orthodontist at the age of seven.
HEART HEALTH
Not only does orthodontic treatment positively affect oral health, it can impact heart
health as well.
Each of the issues we mentioned above — overbite, underbite, crossbite, overcrowding
— make it difficult to brush and floss your teeth. That bacteria build-up of plaque and
tartar can then lead to infections of the teeth, gums and potentially expand into the
periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. These issues can result in a cardiovascular
disease — called atherosclerosis — in which plaque build-up hardens inside your
arteries. Atherosclerosis can also increase your risk of heart disease or stroke.
We know this can be daunting, which is why we so strongly encourage practicing good
oral hygiene. By brushing your teeth after meals, flossing once a day, and visiting your
orthodontist, you will be on the right path to greater oral and overall health.
Here at Gorman and Bunch Orthodontics, you’ll learn that we like straightening teeth.
More importantly though, we like changing lives with beautiful smiles and improving the
health and livelihood of our patients. If you’re curious about learning more about braces
or other forms of orthodontic treatment, contact us today or schedule a complimentary
initial consultation. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Original Source: https://gormanbunch.com/how-braces-work-straighten-teeth/
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