How Braces Work

Are you thinking of getting braces? Excellent! Do you know how they work? If not, the staff at Bradshaw & Hathaway in Johnson City, Tennessee, is delighted to tell you all about it.

If your dentist has suggested braces for your teeth, you are not alone. Most people need them at some point. If you choose to opt out of getting them, you risk further oral health issues later in life such as tooth decay, gum disease, abnormal speech or chewing, wearing out your tooth enamel or developing jaw problems.

Braces were developed in order to fix crowded, crooked, or misaligned bites called malocclusions. Traditional braces are made up of little brackets which are bonded to your teeth and linked by a wire. This wire is periodically tightened to slowly shift your teeth and jaw into their correct positions. Today’s braces are better than ever, with enhanced materials and fewer needed adjustments. Dr. Daniel Bradshaw is an expert in knowing just the right degree to tighten that wire to shift your teeth as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Depending on what kind of malocclusion you have as well as your dental habits, braces will be on your teeth on an average of one to three years. After that, you will be fitted with a retainer, which will protect your bite from falling back into misalignment for a time until all the residual tension has been eliminated.

Do you have questions? You can call our orthodontic office today at 423-929-1126. We can help you achieve the smile of your dreams.