Each part of your braces work together to guide your teeth to the proper position and to allow your orthodontist the ability to make adjustments to your braces so that when your treatment plan is completed, you’ll have a beautiful smile

How Do Your Braces Move Your Teeth?

At King Orthodontics, we get a lot of questions about the elastics that are used in orthodontic treatment Here’s a quick lesson on how braces work, and what the elastics do

Most braces are made of 3 parts:

  • Brackets

    The square-shaped brackets that make up part of your braces play an important role They are attached to the tooth and have a tiny opening that the archwire is threaded through

  • Arch Wires

    These are metal wires that go through the brackets and do the actual work of repositioning the teeth

  • Elastics

    Lots of people call elastics “rubber bands” They hook around the top and bottom brackets and are used to align your bite Their gentle pull applies steady pressure to help guide the upper and lower teeth to their proper position Elastics are removable and come in different colors Many of the kids and teenagers love to change their elastics colors every month or to show school spirit, display their favorite color, or celebrate an upcoming holiday

Since elastics are removable, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Always wash your hands before you remove the elastics or put them back on
  • Sometimes, the elastics can make it difficult to eat certain foods Be sure to keep them in a safe place so that you can put them back on after eating
  • We know that the elastics are small and easy to lose We’ll give you extras so that you’re never without If you don’t have extra elastics, and you have to replace one or both, come by our office right away
  • If your rubber band is overstretched, it won’t work properly to align your bite Be sure to replace it if that happens

King Orthodontics will make sure that you know everything you need in order to wear your braces confidently We have braces for kids, teens, and adults Our locations are in Wexford, downtown Pittsburgh, and our newest office in Bridgeville To set up an appointment or consultation with an orthodontist, call us today