Braces Colors

For many people—from ten year olds to senior citizens—malocclusion is a problem. Malocclusion is the misalignment of teeth, commonly thought of and referred to simply as “crooked teeth.” People who suffer from this condition require the treatment of braces to align their teeth, or medical and cosmetic consequences generally ensue. Since so many people have to use them, many of these people attempt to use their braces as an outlet to express their personalities. Braces colors and types range from metallic silver (made of aluminum or titanium) to white (often made of ceramic) to clear braces. Each brace has an outside part called an O-ring that is customizable in color. Each can be changed out regularly, as adjustments are made regularly to braces for their normal functionality anyway. For example, many people get red and blue O-rings for the fourth of July, orange and black O-rings for Halloween, red and green O-rings for Christmas, etc. Girls who wish to express their femininity may choose to use hot pink O-rings, and someone with a desire to go for the gothic look may get all black O-rings. There are glow in the dark O-rings for a neat party trick. Someone who wants to improve the cosmetics of his or her smile without drawing attention to his or her braces may get clear braces or opt for white ceramic brackets. One way or another, there is a way for everyone who needs this orthodontic procedure to express him or herself through the colors he or she chooses.

 

Crooked teeth aren’t something that should be left alone. A misaligned tooth can be the cause of unnecessary pain and exorbitant expense. If there is a single tooth that hits before the others in biting and chewing, it can fracture under the crushing power of the jaw. If it is destroyed, the cost for a dental implant is somewhere between a thousand and three thousand dollars. The pain involved in breaking a tooth could also be nearly unbearable. Besides these potential costs of leaving malocclusion untreated, there are the aesthetic drawbacks to untreated malocclusion. People with crooked teeth may feel embarrassed by their teeth and be less confident in social situations. They may suffer in self-esteem and forgo social and other opportunities because of it. Overall quality of life may suffer.

 

Most people can wear braces. The age demographic that has the most braces in America is that of ten to thirteen year olds; however, virtually any age demographic can use them. The cost can be a limiting factor—braces typically cost somewhere in the order of fifty five hundred to eight thousand dollars. Dental insurance can pay for part of or all of the expense, depending on the provider, plan, and patient. But essentially, anyone who needs them can get braces. An orthodontist can tell anyone if he or she is eligible for braces.

 

What do braces do?

Regardless of the color, type, or expense, braces work using the same fundamental principle of pressure. The tooth is divided into two basic parts—the crown and the root. The root is connected into a socket in the jawbone with a tissue called the periodontal membrane. Braces exert gentle pressure on the teeth in order to shift them into place slowly enough that the periodontal membrane adapts as the movement happens. A number of pieces form the whole apparatus known as “braces:” there are brackets, or “braces,” glued to all or most of the teeth; there is an arch wire that runs through all of the brackets on the top row of teeth and another that runs through all of the brackets on the bottom row; there are springs and elastomeric chains that push or pull in one direction or another to help bring all of the teeth into alignment. Among the other implements found in braces are colligations, elastic bands, and threads between brackets. Braces colors are usually determined by the brackets and the O-rings that surround them.Whatever the colors, the whole system of pieces works together to make a smile even and beautiful.