Types of Braces

Traditional Metal Braces

Traditional metal braces are the most common, and more comfortable today than ever before. Made of high-grade stainless steel, metal braces straighten your teeth using metal brackets and archwires. With metal braces, you have the option of adding colored elastics (rubber bands) for a unique and colorful smile.

Self-ligating Braces

Self-ligating braces are made from the same materials as traditional braces. However, they do not require the use of elastics. Self-ligating braces come with traditional metal, ceramic, or clear brackets. They are the same size as metal braces, but use a specialized clip in place of elastics to help the archwire guide teeth into place.

Clear (Ceramic) Braces

Ceramic braces are made of clear materials and are therefore less visible on your teeth than metal braces. For this reason, ceramic braces are used mainly on older teenagers and adult patients who have cosmetic concerns. While they are visually less prominent, they do require more attention to oral hygiene because ceramic braces are larger and are more brittle than their metal counterparts. For these reasons, we use ceramic braces on upper visible teeth and metal braces on lower teeth.

Clear Aligners

Clear aligners are a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable acrylic trays that straighten your teeth like braces. Not only are the aligners invisible, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment; plus, brushing and flossing are less of a hassle. The aligners are comfortable and have no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment.

Gold Braces

Gold braces are similar to traditional metal braces in many ways. They are made of stainless steel, but are coated in gold. Some patients regard the gold coating as a more cosmetic option than traditional metal braces.