Braces

• Metal Braces – Traditionally braces have been made out of metal. Stainless steel is the most commonly used metal. It is sometimes combined with nickel titanium or gold if a person is allergic to nickel. The two main types of metal braces are:
  • Self-ligating Braces – Self-ligating braces differ from conventional braces because they have their own mechanism for connecting to the archwire and hence do not require ligatures or elastic bands. They exert less pressure on the teeth. Treatment with self-ligating braces takes less time and often tooth extraction is avoided. Self-ligating braces are glued to the teeth and therefore the teeth should be cleaned regularly for the braces to work properly.
  • Viazi Braces – Viazi is a trademarked system of dental braces. It uses triangular brackets and square wires instead of round wires used with traditional brackets. With Viazi braces the crown and root of the teeth are moved at the same time and comparatively less force is used which causes less pain. Viazi braces take around one year to straighten and align teeth. Conventional braces take around two years for the same treatment.