Introduction
As nowadays more and more importance is attached to appearance, most people want their teeth to be perfect, straight and beautiful. People who do not have this by nature have the possibility to take advantage of orthodontic treatment and have irregularly grown teeth brought into a correct position. A brace is a device used in dentistry to correct jaw and tooth misalignments and thus improve the aesthetics and functionality of the jaw.
Braces are available in different variations, one speaks of fixed braces, loose braces and even “invisible” braces. Especially in cases of severe malocclusion and/or orthodontic treatment that is started very late, it is advisable to use fixed braces. A fixed brace is a dental appliance that is used to correct jaw and tooth misalignments, but cannot be removed from the oral cavity by the patient himself.
It remains in the mouth for the entire duration of treatment and must be adjusted at regular intervals by the orthodontist. A basic distinction is made between appliances that are placed entirely inside the mouth (intraoral appliances) and those that are placed partially outside the oral cavity (extraoral appliances). Braces that are located purely inside the mouth are so-called multiband or multibracket devices that are glued directly onto the tooth.
These appliances can be made of titanium, plastic or, in some cases, transparent ceramic. In the middle of each bracket there is a narrow opening through which a wire is threaded that triggers tooth movement. The thickness of the wire increases steadily during the treatment, so that more force can be applied to the teeth to be moved.
Fixed braces have the advantage that they remain permanently in the oral cavity, which usually shortens the wearing time. Especially for children this treatment method is much less stressful. In addition, they are usually the only effective way to correct malpositioned teeth and jaws in older patients.
Indications for braces
The indications for braces are very diverse. In most cases there is a deviation from a healthy, so-called “eugnathen” dentition, which describes that there is a malposition of the teeth. The word malocclusion can be interpreted in many ways.
One reason can be a variation in the number of teeth, where either too many teeth are present and the jaw is too small or too few teeth are present, resulting in a gaping dentition. If teeth are missing and they are not genetically predisposed, the expert speaks of non-pregnancy. Furthermore, the teeth can also vary in shape, resulting in a malpositioned bite and the affected person has difficulty biting, speaking and eating.
Gaps are another indication for fixed braces. With braces, the teeth can be moved in such a way that an existing gap is closed or a gap is created. The orthodontist deliberately allows a gap to become larger or to develop so that an implant can be placed there if there is not enough space or the gap is too narrow.
Other malocclusions as an indication for fixed braces are malocclusions such as the cross bite, the open bite or the deep bite. Also malformations of the jaws that make the lower or upper jaws too small are indications for fixed braces. In addition, more and more adults already have an indication for fixed braces for aesthetic reasons, which are solved almost invisibly by lingual technique.
In lingual technology, the brackets are attached to the inside of the teeth, which move the teeth almost invisibly to the surrounding area. Due to the modern possibilities in orthodontics, the number of adult patients who wish to have their teeth shifted for aesthetic reasons alone is increasing. Even patients who missed it in their youth, or have interrupted a therapy that they started, want to have straight, beautiful teeth in adulthood. The severity of the malocclusion is determined by the orthodontic indication groups.
