54 Old Kilcullen Road
Cnr William Nicol & Peter Place
Hurlingham Manor, Sandton 2196
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Orthodontic TreatmentBraces
‘Braces’ most commonly refer to the metal brackets, archwires and auxiliaries or “railway tracks” that are used in orthodontic treatment to straighten teeth. They are also known as fixed appliances.
Brackets are the tiny attachments that are bonded to the teeth, where they serve as handles of attachment to engage the archwires that contains the stored energy for tooth-moving forces.
By engaging the archwires with the brackets in a special way, the tooth-moving forces are transferred to each tooth, causing teeth to move. This engagement is called ‘ligation’ and it refers to the tightening of the braces that occur at each follow-up appointment for someone who started orthodontic treatment. Ligation may be carried out using small coloured rubbers or thin ligature wires.
Brackets come in many shapes, sizes, and compositions, and each bracket has a unique built-in prescription – meaning that it can move teeth in 4 dimensions (in-out, rotation, tip and torque) to predetermined positions.
Available options
- Steel
brackets - Ceramic
brackets - Self-
ligating - Bracket-
free
At Precision Orthodontics, the steel brackets are extremely small with a very low profile (flat). These single-wing brackets are amazingly comfortable and highly technical providing Dr J with considerable customisation for individual tooth movement and precise results.
Ceramic brackets on the upper 6 teeth provide a more aesthetic option (used in combination with the steel brackets), and sometimes all teeth may have these ceramic brackets to provide maximum aesthetics. Ceramic brackets unfortunately have a higher profile (still comfortable, but not as comfortable as the steel brackets), they are less technical, and treatment may take slightly longer when using them.
Another option offered is active self-ligating steel braces (e.g. “Speed®” braces) where these brackets do not require constant ‘tightening’ but remain tight all the time. Follow-up appointments are less frequently required (ideal for long-distance treatments). Self-ligating ceramic brackets are also available.
A bracket-free option includes the use of clear aligners (no brackets, arch-wires or auxiliaries e.g. “Invisalign®”). This is the most aesthetic option, but this appliance is less customisable for finishing adjustments compared to the fixed braces. This option is also ideal for long-distance treatments.
All materials are imported from the USA, and the prescriptions used in this practice is the result of many years of research and experience and have been used with a high success rate and exceptional outcomes for many years.
How do I know if I need orthodontic treatment?
The pictures below are examples of what a normal bite and tooth alignment looks like. You may compare your teeth to these:
If you have one of the following conditions, or even a combination of conditions, you should contact us to schedule an appointment for an orthodontic examination:
ANTERIOR CROSSBITE
ANTERIOR OPENBITE
COMPLEX OPENBITE
CROWDING
CROWDING
DEEP BITE
DIASTEMA
EXTRA TOOTH
IMPACTED TOOTH
LONG FACE
PROTRUSIVE LOWER JAW
RETRUSIVE LOWER JAW
MIDLINE
MISSING TEETH
POOR BITE
POSTERIOR CROSSBITE
PROTRUSION
SPACING
TOOTH WEAR
TRAUMATIC BITE
