show off your smile
Esthetic
Braces
Making Effective Treatment As Natural As Possible
Braces (Clear and Metal)
Metal braces are the “traditional” type of braces that many people are familiar with. Metal brackets (braces) are placed on your teeth and stay on your teeth throughout the duration of your treatment. Wires are placed into the brackets. The wires exert a force on your brackets which causes the teeth to move into the desired positions.
Clear braces are very similar to the metal braces except they are made of ceramic, making the appearance more esthetic and less noticeable.
Call us (403) 452-4611 to start your customized treatment!
Benefits of braces treatment compared to Invisalign®:
Once braces are placed, they stay on your teeth (vs. misplacing aligners)
Parents do not have to worry if their child is “wearing” their braces
What type of braces do Drs. Hamanishi and Cho use?
We use passive self-ligating Damon® braces. Self-ligating means that the braces no longer need the elastomeric ties previously used to “tie” the wire in. The Damon® braces have a sliding door to hold the wire in which makes the braces more hygienic.
Some benefits of passive self-ligating Damon® braces:
Light forces which means greater patient comfort
No elastomeric ties, making brushing/cleaning easier
Fewer appointments
What are the steps in getting started with braces?
RECORDS AND BRACKET BONDING APPOINTMENT
Photos, an x-ray, and digital scan of your teeth will be taken for the initial records. Once the decision to get braces is made, the first appointment would be to bond (“stick”) the brackets on your teeth. The most important part of the brackets bonding to your teeth is making sure your teeth are clean and dry. One of our orthodontic assistants will explain and show you how we keep your teeth dry, and prepare you for your braces by cleaning your teeth. Once the teeth are clean, either Drs. Hamanishi or Cho will place the brackets on your teeth. The composite (“glue”) will set/harden with a blue light.
ADJUSTMENT APPOINTMENTS
After your braces are bonded to your teeth, the following appointments are routine adjustment appointments. During these appointments, wires can be changed and brackets can be moved around until your teeth are in the proper position. The intervals between adjustment appointments can vary anywhere from a few months to a few weeks. These appointments are usually shorter in length than the initial bonding appointment. During these appointments, elastics may be added. Elastics are used to help with bite correction. We will instruct you how to wear elastics (if needed).
SHOW OFF YOUR NEW SMILE!
Congratulations! You have finished with treatment and it’s time to keep smiling J Once you have finished with the braces, you will be asked to wear retainers to maintain your new smile. Drs.Hamanishi and Cho will review retainer options with you.
