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Laval (Québec) H7X 0C5

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Orthodontic Appliances

Orthodontic Appliances

Removable or fixed?

Orthodontic appliances are either fixed (glued to teeth) or removable (can be removed at certain times of the day).

Fixed appliances (traditional braces):

Standard braces apply gentle, constant, and carefully controlled directive force in order to gradually move your teeth into the desired position. They are made of metal, ceramic or plastic.

  • These are the most popular, reliable and versatile appliances used in orthodontics.
  • They allow accurate corrections of the orientation of each tooth for almost all types of occlusion problems.
  • They are normally placed on the permanent teeth between the ages of 11 and 16 and are also used in adults.
  • The average duration of treatment: 18 to 24 months.
  • They request adjustments at the Orthodontist every 4–8 weeks to maintain adequate tension.

Benefits of braces

  • Used for a wide range of malocclusions.

Disadvantages

  • More expensive than removable appliances.
  • Accumulation of food debris around the brackets and under the wire, harder to clean.

Braces can be installed on different types of brackets

Metal brackets

Benefits:

  • High durability and strength.
  • Lower costs than other types of brackets.

Disadvantages:

  • Less aesthetic than ceramic or plastic brackets.

Ceramic brackets

Transparent braces employ the same mechanical principles as regular braces. The difference is mainly aesthetic. We offer the Clarity™ system, which combines a translucent apparatus and a very recent technology that effectively shortens treatment time while offering a much more discreet option to traditional metal brackets.

Benefits:

  • Brackets are transparent or the same colour as teeth.
  • Can be connected by a white or metallic archwire.

Disadvantages:

  • More expensive than metal brackets.
  • More fragile than metal brackets (hard foods must be avoided).

Note: To reduce the treatment cost, you can choose to have ceramic brackets on the upper teeth (visible teeth) only.

Another type of fixed appliance: Lingual braces

Brackets are placed behind the teeth (by the tongue and palate), rather than in front and are connected by an archwire.

It takes 1 to 6 weeks to get used to the device.

Benefits:

  • Aesthetic

Disadvantages

  • High cost
  • Uncomfortable
  • Can impair speech at the beginning, requires a period of adaptation.
  • Lingual orthodontics doesn’t work very well for extremely complicated or severe misalignment problems.

Invisalign®, clear plastic removable aligners

Comfortable and extremely discreet, Invisalign can be used to treat a range of mild to moderate clinical issues. It consists of a series of removable aligners that are changed every two weeks. Little by little, from one week and one aligner to the next, your teeth gradually shift until they reach the desired position. The comfort and near invisibility of this system make it a prized and highly appreciated treatment.

Benefits:

  • The aligners are shaped to match your teeth and move them smoothly.
  • Worn day and night.
  • Can be removed during a meal.
  • Cause less discomfort than fixed appliances.
  • Do not damage tooth enamel.
  • Easy maintenance (easy to clean).
  • Discreet.

What you should know about Invisalign:

  • Aligner trays should be changed every 2–3 weeks.
  • They require follow-up appointments at the Orthodontist every 6 weeks to ensure the success of the treatment.
  • They are not suited to all dental problems.
  • Not all Orthodontists offer this treatment because the technology is relatively new.