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Thanks to braces and orthodontics, it’s possible to correct issues like crooked teeth, overcrowding, or a misaligned jaw without surgery. At Smile Orthodontics, Joseph Eliason, DDS, MSD, APC, and Kelly Choi, DMD, MSD, offer traditional braces, the Damon® System, and Damon® Clear to children, teens, and adults. Call or book an appointment online with one of Smile Orthodontics’ convenient locations in either Santa Rosa or Windsor, California, today.
What are braces?
Braces are orthodontic devices used to correct crooked or crowded teeth, or a misaligned jaw. Children, adolescents, and adults can benefit from braces.
What are the different types of braces?
The Smile Orthodontics team recommends different types of braces depending on your age, orthodontic issues, and treatment goals.
Traditional braces
Traditional or classic braces are customized to the individual needs of each person. Metal brackets are cemented to each tooth, and an archwire is connected to the brackets with elastic O-rings. The archwire puts pressure on the teeth and jaw to move everything into proper alignment over time.
As your teeth move, your orthodontist adjusts the wire and changes the elastic bands to maintain the appropriate amount of pressure.
Damon®
The Damon System does not rely on elastics to hold the wire in place, using a sliding mechanism instead. While the Damon System applies pressure to realign teeth, similar to traditional braces, most patients find Damon more comfortable.
The lack of elastics with the Damon System makes cleaning your teeth easier as there are fewer parts to clean around.
Damon® Clear
Damon Clear braces work the same as the Damon System, but they provide the additional benefit of being transparent. Damon Clear has the tieless system without elastics, just like the Damon System, but they are made from a nearly invisible, polycrystalline alumina (PCA) material.
Who needs braces?
A 1998 survey concluded that only about 35% of adults have properly aligned teeth and that more people need braces than those that don’t. Common signs you need braces include:
- Difficulty flossing between crooked teeth
- Visibly crooked or crowded teeth
- Jaws that click, lock up, or make noises when you chew
- Stress or fatigue of your jaw when chewing
- Biting tongue frequently
You may also need braces if your top teeth stick out too far over your bottom teeth, or the top teeth rest behind your bottom teeth when your mouth is closed.
When is the best time to get braces?
Smile Orthodontics recommends all children have an orthodontic evaluation by age seven. The best age for getting braces varies, but most treatment begins between 9-14, as children get their permanent teeth.
However, it’s never too late to get braces. If you’re an adult who never had the opportunity to get braces as a child, you can still benefit from braces to get straighter teeth.
Find out if braces are right for you by calling the practice or scheduling an appointment online.