At Smith & Heymann Orthodontics, we leverage the latest technology to give you a more comfortable and effective treatment. We offer Damon self-ligating solutions for metal braces and clear braces, which offer a unique mechanism for keeping the archwire in place.
However, self-ligating or not, all braces require periodic adjustments to ensure they function as intended. We’ll walk you through the reasons why adjustments and tightening are necessary with braces.
Getting Damon Self-Ligating Braces
Like any other orthodontic treatment, getting braces starts with a consultation. We have Dr. J. Dempsey Smith, Dr. Gavin Heymann, or Dr. Katya Skillestad — ready to take a look at you and discuss your smile goals.
If you’ve decided to get braces, we’ll get right to work. After preparing your treatment plan, you’ll get brackets — metallic or ceramic — glued to each tooth. We use a composite resin, cured with UV light to make the adhesive durable. Then, the orthodontist-in-charge will thread an archwire through your brackets. Thanks to Damon’s self-ligating technology, each bracket has a mechanism that can be opened and closed. This locking part helps keep the archwire in place.
After your braces are installed, we’ll guide you on how to take care of your braces, and you can be on your way. However, like traditional braces, you’ll also need to drop by regularly so we can check up on you and ensure your braces are working properly.
How Braces Align Your Teeth
Braces steadily apply pressure to move your teeth into the targeted position. The archwire pulls on the brackets. The force applied to each bracket is then transferred to the teeth, gums, and jaws. This leads to straightened teeth. It also helps fix other orthodontic issues such as misaligned jaws, helping you achieve a more symmetrical face shape.
It’s also worth noting that your teeth are surrounded by a soft tissue called the periodontal ligaments, which help keep them in place. These ligaments stretch or compress depending on the movement of your teeth, which can cause a feeling of tightness or tenderness when wearing braces. As your treatment moves your teeth, the ligament compresses, and new bone forms to fill the gap.
Traditional braces also use elastics or rubber bands to apply additional pressure to the brackets. With the Damon braces from Smith & Heymann Orthodontics, however, the rubber bands are replaced by the slide mechanism in each bracket. It lets the archwire slide through the brackets and solves the uneven pressure from degrading elastics.
Benefits of Regular Adjustments for Braces
As a part of your treatment, adjusting and tightening procedures are necessary to keep your treatment effective — regardless of whether you’re using ceramic braces or metal braces.
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Maintain Your Teeth Movement
- Your braces correct your crooked, crowded, and misaligned teeth by moving each of them to a targeted position. Traditional braces experience degrading elastics and archwires, reducing their ability to apply the required pressure.
- While the Damon self-ligating braces we offer at our offices use a memory wire with an adjusting tension as your teeth shift, you still need regular check-ups so we can verify if the memory wire is applying the force your teeth need.
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Correct Alignment
- Depending on your response to the treatment, our orthodontist might recommend changing your archwire altogether. If your teeth require more force to keep up with the treatment, we can swap your archwire for a thicker one. This also applies to the self-ligating braces we offer at our offices in Chapel Hill, Durham, Mebane, and Roxboro.
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Ensure Comfort
- Wearing braces has become associated with pain and discomfort, especially after an adjustment session. However, this usually lasts for a couple of days at most. Getting your braces adjusted regularly prevents other problems. Issues such as broken brackets or snapping archwires can also cause pain, often when you least expect them.
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Optimize Treatment Time
- Regular adjustments allow our orthodontists to check up on you and your braces. By staying on top of your treatment, we can stay on the treatment plan. This can reduce your overall treatment time compared to having corrective procedures done along the way. The sooner you get off your braces, the better.
- By understanding how regular adjustments and tightening help your treatment, it becomes easier to appreciate the process, stick to the schedule, and keep an open line of communication. Whenever you have a question regarding your treatment experience, feel free to call your friends at Smith & Heymann Orthodontics.
Brace Yourself for a Better Smile
Getting braces is a major decision leading to a massive change, not just in your smile but in your overall oral health. Understanding and following your treatment plans, including the regular adjustment sessions, will keep your experience smooth and consistent.
If you’re ready to work toward improving your smile, schedule your free consultation with Smith & Heymann Orthodontics and our team will set you up in no time.
