What Are Braces Made Of?
Brackets
The brackets are made of stainless steel, nickel, and other metals and are extremely durable.
Brackets have small hooks or doors through which a wire is threaded. Close the door or place an elastic over the top of the wire to secure a bracket.
Glue
Dr. McCarty will use this to secure the brackets to your teeth. It is common practice to glue the bracket directly to the tooth.
Wire
This thin metal strip connects one bracket to the next. Dr. McCarty will adjust the wire’s shape and curvature to move your teeth in the proper direction.
In many cases, the wire will connect all of your bottom or upper teeth, but we may occasionally cut the wire if connecting only a few teeth is better for your treatment plan.
Elastics
Elastics are essential for bite correction. They are typically strung between an upper and lower bracket hook. This will pull the upper jaw back, correcting an overbite, or the lower jaw back, correcting an underbite.
Rubber bands can be used for a variety of purposes, including applying extra pressure to the teeth or jaws.
Orthodontic Bands
These rings are made of stainless steel and are cemented to your teeth with dental bonding agents. These bands can be used to secure your braces and orthodontic appliances, but they are not appropriate for everyone.
Spacers
These small elastic “donuts” or rings can be used to create space between your teeth when necessary, usually prior to the placement of bands. They are also known as separators.
Elastic Ties/O-Rings/Ligatures/Colors
These tiny rubber rings or bands hold the archwire to the brackets. They are less rigid than spacers and are available in a variety of colors.