Fixed braces

Valeria Dahm is a freelance writer in the medical department. She studied medicine at the Technical University of Munich. It is particularly important to her to give the curious reader an insight into the exciting subject area of ​​medicine and at the same time to maintain the content.

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Fixed braces are a medical aid that can be used to correct misalignments of teeth and jaws. It remains in the mouth for about 1.5 years. In most cases it is a so-called multiband apparatus. These fixed braces consist of several components. Read everything you need to know about fixed braces, when they are used and what the risks are.

Brackets

Brackets are used to anchor ligaments and arches in fixed braces. They are made of metal or ceramic and are either glued or cemented onto the teeth. There are slots on the brackets in which the arches are attached. The alignment of the slots determines the subsequent tooth position. With certain bracket systems, the brackets can also be attached to the inside of the teeth (lingual brackets) so that the fixed braces are less noticeable.

Tapes

Instead of brackets, ring-shaped bands made of thin steel are placed over the large molars and cemented in place.

Bows and elastic bands

Arches are wires and serve as a guide for the fixed braces. In addition, rubbers connect the brackets of the upper and lower jaw so that the teeth move into their final position by pushing and pulling along the arches. During the treatment, the arches are repeatedly tightened and changed.

When do you get fixed braces?

Braces are generally used to correct misaligned teeth or jaws. After weighing the advantages and disadvantages of different braces and based on individual parameters, it is decided which type of braces is suitable for the individual case.

What are the advantages of fixed braces?

Fixed braces develop much more pressure and tension than loose braces. That is why they can correct almost all malpositions - even very pronounced ones. By regularly checking brackets and bands as well as readjusting arches and rubber bands, much finer settings of the toothing are possible.

If a gap is to be closed, this can be achieved better and faster with fixed braces than with loose ones. If several teeth or groups of teeth are to be treated at the same time, the fixed braces control the tooth movements much more precisely.

In addition, the outcome of the treatment can be precisely predicted. And one more advantage: the fixed braces neither affect chewing nor speaking.

What are the disadvantages of fixed braces?

Pain usually only persists two to three days after the onset, but it can also last for weeks. They are created by the pressure that the arches put on the dentition. However, pain can sometimes also arise when attaching new arches to the fixed braces.

You need to carefully clean the fixed braces, which is made difficult by the brackets and wires. However, consistent oral hygiene is particularly important for fixed braces in order to avoid damage to the teeth due to tooth decay or inflammation of the oral mucosa. Professional tooth cleaning at regular intervals is an effective prophylaxis.

Some people find fixed braces unappealing or downright ugly, although very inconspicuous models with ceramic brackets and tooth-colored arches are now available.

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