New technology is everywhere. We live in a wonderful world where new ideas pop up everywhere and are made into reality faster than ever.
Braces have been around a long time. With all that modern technology, what is the best way to move teeth to achieve that great smile? Short answer – braces. Good news though – braces have never been better. Technology has moved braces into high gear.
A brace is really a handle that is placed on each tooth. It allows us to precisely and efficiently move each tooth into the best position for that great smile. You need that precision for the best smile, in the shortest time
A retainer is a removable plastic, or plastic and wire appliance. It does not stay in permanently, which can be an advantage, but it has huge limitations. Aligners are a variation on retainers. There are new aligner systems that take this old technology and make it more useful to move teeth, but braces remain the best way to move teeth.
Why are braces the best?
The best way to move teeth is the way nature moves teeth – with steady and gentle pressures. Moving teeth is not like moving a heavy box across the floor. With our braces we are applying light pressures on the teeth that tell the body where we would like the teeth to move. The teeth move when the body tissues, bone and ligaments, begin to adapt to allow the teeth to move. These adaptations need gentle forces to occur. Heavy forces do not work as well and neither do forces that are not steady. You can play the trumpet for a few hours a day and not move your teeth even though the pressure to your front teeth is high. Teeth are designed to stay put with such pressures that are high and not constant.
Retainers and aligners do not move teeth as well because they tend to use higher pressures and the pressures are less steady. They work, but not nearly as well as braces. Retainers and aligners do not give us the same precise 3-dimensional control that we get from braces. And if retainers or aligners are not worn enough during the day and night, the teeth will not move.
I love the idea of clear retainers and aligners to move teeth. I remain convinced that so far, braces remain the best way to achieve the best smile. I am committed to being the best I can be, using the best tools I can find. That is why I use braces to move teeth, but not just any braces.
Tomorrow I will discuss the different kinds of braces.