Traditional Metal Braces
These are the most common types of braces, and they’re more comfortable today than ever before! Traditional braces are made of high-grade stainless steel and straighten your teeth using metal brackets and archwires. With metal braces, you can add colored elastics (rubber bands) for a more unique and colorful smile!
Self-Ligating Braces
These are made from the same materials as traditional braces, but they don’t require elastics which results in fewer appointments and less friction on the tooth. Self-ligating braces come with traditional metal, ceramic, or clear brackets and are the same size as metal braces, but use a specialized clip instead of elastics to help the archwire move teeth into place. The clip reduces the amount of pressure placed on the tooth and needs fewer adjustments since there are no elastics to replace.
Clear (Ceramic) Braces
Made of clear materials, these are less visible on your teeth than metal braces. Because of this, ceramic braces are mainly used by older teenagers and adult patients. While they are more subtle, they do need more attention to oral hygiene since ceramic braces are larger and more brittle than metal braces. Because of this, ceramic braces tend to be used more on upper front teeth than lower teeth.
Lingual Braces
Lingual braces are similar to traditional braces in that brackets and wires are installed in the mouth and on the teeth. However, lingual braces are almost entirely invisible. Instead of being on the front of the teeth, Dr. Cochran places them on the back of the teeth facing the tongue. This makes lingual braces more discreet for patients who don’t want to wear traditional braces for a long time. Because of this, they are growing more popular among our patients!
Clear Aligners
Clear aligners are a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable acrylic trays that work like braces. Since they’re removable, you can eat and drink anything you want during treatment. Additionally, brushing and flossing are less of a hassle. Since they’re not made of metal, aligners are more comfortable as they don’t cause mouth abrasions.
