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What Types of Braces Do Orthodontists Use?

Love Yourself, Love Your Smile

BHO SMILES
  • Dr. Monica Madan
  • October 13, 2022

Typically when people think of braces, they visualize clunky metal brackets with a lot of wires and bands. But braces have come a long way and patients have more choices than ever before. So, what types of braces do orthodontists use now? Is there a better alternative? Finding the answers can help you start your orthodontic journey the right way. 

Common Types of Braces

Braces have been a standard part of orthodontic treatment for over a century. Today, the three most common types of braces are:

Metal braces

With traditional metal braces, metal brackets are affixed to your teeth with dental glue and wires are attached to the brackets. The wire exerts constant pressure on your teeth to gradually move them into healthy alignment. As your teeth shift position, your orthodontist will adjust the wires to keep the movement going.

Pros

  • Effective: Traditional metal braces can be used to address mild, moderate, and severe alignment issues.
  • Durable: Metal braces are extremely strong and can hold up against daily wear. However, you may need to avoid certain foods to maintain this durability.
  • Consistent: With metal braces, there is never a break in your treatment. Because patients can’t remove them, there’s little you can do to interfere with your progress.

Cons

  • Hygiene challenges: Metal braces can make it more difficult to brush and floss your teeth, which can lead to discoloration, cavities, gum disease, and other oral health problems.
  • Risk of cavities: Even if you maintain excellent hygiene practices, metal braces can still increase your risk of cavities because they trap food particles in your mouth.
  • Potential for damage: With metal branches, it’s easy to break off rackets and delay treatment.
  • Discomfort: Metal braces can cause cuts, scrapes, and other trauma inside your cheek.
  • Frequent office visits: On average, metal braces have to be tightened every 4-6 weeks. This process can be uncomfortable and cause soreness that lasts for several days.
  • Food limitations: You should avoid sticky, chewy, crunchy, and hard foods that can damage your braces or pull off a bracket. You may also want to avoid foods that can easily become trapped in your braces and foods you have to bite into, such as apples, corn on the cob, and carrots.
  • Eating limitations: Metal braces don’t just limit what you eat, they also limit how you eat. To avoid damaging your braces, you must cut everything you eat and avoid biting into foods.

Ceramic braces

Ceramic braces, also known as clear braces, use clear or tooth-colored brackets instead of the traditional metal versions. While they function in the same way as metal braces, they are less noticeable to others, especially if you choose tooth-colored wires that blend in with your teeth. Some patients also find them more comfortable due to the smaller, more rounded brackets. However, they are less durable than metal braces, which means brackets are more easily damaged.

Lingual braces

Lingual braces are metal braces placed on the inside of your teeth, which means they are very discrete and usually unnoticeable to others. They have many of the same pros and cons as traditional metal braces, but many find them very uncomfortable. They cause some patients to develop a temporary lisp and cause many more to develop mouth and tongue sores. Treatment also typically takes longer and costs more.

Invisalign is an innovative alternative to braces. 

An Innovative Alternative to Braces

While there are more types of braces available than ever before, it’s also possible to forego braces altogether. If you’re looking for a truly discreet, comfortable alternative to braces, Invisalign could be an ideal solution.

Invisalign uses a series of custom-made clear aligners to gradually move your teeth into healthy alignment. These aligners are created based on a 3D digital scan of your mouth, and each aligner set is worn for about 2 weeks. 

Pros

  • Aesthetics: Invisalign is barely detectable to others.
  • Comfort: Patients typically find Invisalign much more comfortable than braces.
  • Flexibility: Aligners can be removed before eating, brushing, and flossing. This means you can eat whatever you want, don’t have to change your diet, and it’s easy to maintain your oral hygiene routine.
  • Convenience: With Invisalign, you don’t have to visit your orthodontist every few weeks for adjustments. Typically, your orthodontist will check your progress every few months and give you your next set of aligners. But that doesn’t mean less oversight. At BHO, we use an AI-powered app to track your tooth movement throughout treatment to ensure you are on track for the best outcome.
  • Versatility: In the past, Invisalign treatment was only available for people with mild to moderate alignment issues. That often remains true if you seek Invisalign treatment from a general or cosmetic dentist. But today, experienced orthodontists can use Invisalign to address even severe alignment problems.
  • Length of Treatment: Invisalign treatment is often faster than traditional braces, especially when paired with accelerated orthodontic devices.

Cons

  • Patient Commitment: You have to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours a day to get the results you want. 

Considering the advantages of clear aligner treatment, it’s no wonder that both teens and adults are increasingly choosing Invisalign over braces. 

Get the Smile You Deserve

At Beverly Hills Orthodontics, we offer truly personalized treatment to create outstanding experiences and outcomes. As a VIP Diamond Plus provider, we’re one of the top Invisalign experts in the country and have helped thousands of patients transform their smiles quickly and comfortably. But our expertise goes far beyond Invisalign. No matter what your needs are or what types of braces you’re interested in, we use the most advanced orthodontic methods and technologies to help you look and feel your best.

Your Smile Is More than just two rows of teeth - it's how you show your personality to the world.

Let Dr. Madan and her team help you help keep your smile looking (and feeling) better than ever.
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We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our communities with the highest quality care. Check out what our patients are saying about their 5-star experience with us!

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Before finding BHO, I had consultations both telling me traditional braces were my only option. I knew my case would be a bit challenging but as an adult, metal braces weren't going to work... for me, aesthetically speaking. I'm so glad I followed my instincts and gave BHO a shot! From the moment I walked in, I knew this was the place. Modern amenities with a super friendly staff explaining everything along the way - what a great first impression! I just started my treatment and can't wait to see my results! Dr. Madan and her team are legit! Don't hesitate to get the smile your deserve!read more
Nydia J.
Our entire experience with the staff and services at Beverly Hills Orthodontics has been fantastic. Their knowledge, advice and care has been exceptional and I have no hesitation in... recommending them to anyone looking for first class orthodontic care. Special shout outs to Dr Madan and Gabriel for their above and beyond care❤️read more
Juliet P.
What a wonderful experience. Dr. Madan and the entire staff are professional, kind, and very understanding. So far they have made the experience of Invisalign extremely easy. I just wish I... had gone there sooner!read more
Claire P.
I recently relocated to Los Angeles and not long after being here needed to have some repair dental work done and did not know where to turn. I was given a referral to Dr. Madan and could... not be happier. I was able to receive an appointment really quickly and was advised of an immediate plan of action to get my corrective work going. Dr. Madan is extremely knowledgeable about her craft and to top it off, she has a great temperament that instantly put me at ease and made me feel like she genuinely cared. Her Beverly Hills office is vibrant, with really friendly & pleasant staff, who make you feel comfortable and bring all the right vibes! No question I would recommend Beverly Hills Orthodontics to anyone looking to have work done on their teeth and perfect their smile.read more
Dionnee H.
Dr. Madan and her team at BHO are truly amazing. She has treated myself and my daughter and we both now have BEAUTIFUL smiles because of her. She is an expert at what she does and is... caring and attentive. I recommend this office to everyone all the time!!!!!! The best!!!read more
Mia C.
Tia literally invented the Invisalign game. Changing lives one smile at a time.
William S.
BHO is the only place where you'd want to get your braces done! Their staff is so friendly and knowledgeable. Their helpdesk staff always greet you with a smile on. Dr. Madan and her team... of technicians are always ready to answer all of your questions, address any concerns and get you on the road to obtaining the perfect Smile.read more
Bella M.
Amazing people and amazing results-Highly recommend
Ben S.
I’m impressed by the technology and professionalism of Beverly Hills Orthodontics. They are knowledgeable about my unique orthodontic needs and were able to provide recommendations on my... treatment as an adult patient. I’m very excited to begin my Invisalign journey!read more
Victoria G.
Best Orthodontics around! Dr. Madan and her amazing team are always on point, bringing both my kids beautiful smiles. Have been coming to the BH office for several years now and absolutely... love the results and customer service! Would (and have) highly recommended them!read more
J I.
We had a terrific experience with Dr. Madan. They always worked with our schedule and made us feel welcome and happy at each appointment.
Audrey K.
Great experience. Treatment was quick and easy for me and the staff was great to deal with and professional. I’m very happy with my new smile.
Steve V.
I usually don’t do many reviews but I had to for this office! I am myself a Pediatric Dentist and I researched for the best office for my daughter. She just finished her Invisalign ... treatment at Beverly Hills Orthodontics and we are so happy with her smile! I have been practicing Dentistry for over 20 years and I am so impressed with the team here. From the front desk to the Doctors and their assistants, everyone has made our experience so wonderful! As a Dentist, I would recommend BHO for anyone wanting to improve their smile😊read more
Nina G
BHO is awesome and Dr. Monica Madan and their team are so friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. I started with some aesthetic improvements for my wedding photos and was very impressed... with the initial results. However, I had a major cross-bite that would typically require surgery to correct, which wasn’t appealing. After consultation with Monica she thought it would be possible to correct with Invisalign so we decided to proceed for the long haul. While it’s been a long time, the results have been outstanding. I wasn’t sure I would be able to be B withstand that long of the treatment and achieve these results but after seeing the progress it’s been very encouraging and motivating to stick with it. I’m likely on my last refinement and the before and after is remarkable and transformative. Their office is always bright, clean, and has a lively vibe going on. Always feel good being there and better when I leave. Couldn’t recommend them more highly enough. Monica has done a great job building this out and creating a great team and experience.read more
Matt W.
Beverly Hills Orthodontics has been a wonderful experience. The team are extremely professional and experienced. I completed my Invisalign treatment today and had enameloplasty and zoom... whitening to complete the treatment. I’m so happy with the results. Dr. Madan, Gabriel, and the rest of the team listened to my concerns, set up several check-up appointments with me to follow my progress, and provided me with refinements when my teeth were being stubborn. The office is also a great atmosphere with current music playing, friendly staff, and amazing views of Los Angeles from the dentist chair! I would highly recommend this orthodontic practice. Thank you, everyone!read more
Sophie D.
Great overall service staff was very helpful with explaining process. Would highly recommend as it was a smooth process with no surprises along the way.Would like to highlight the... multiple locations which make it easy for scheduling appointments dependent on where you live or what part of LA you will be in that day.read more
Sean M.
My son and daughter have been coming here for years! Absolutely love them.
Tarja C.
I started my Invisalign treatments here and the staff was really friendly and patient with all my concerns and questions. Love it!
Jana M.
Super great experience! Came in for my consultation around the beginning of the year with a plan in mind to have my teeth straight before graduation through Invisalign and the BHO team... completely surpassed my expectations. My USC graduation is in 2 weeks, I just got my brackets off and smile is looking awesome. Annabel and Gabriel were so welcoming, friendly, and made the experience that much better. Dr. Madan was awesome she was always around and extremely hands on, great personality! Definitely come here if you’re looking for an orthodontist!! 10/10! :)read more
Eva P.
Really great experience so far, especially compared to other ortho places where I've had treatment before. For example, my partner went to another place and doesn't hear from them for... months at a time, whereas this place uses an app to keep in touch every week.They were running a special when I signed up which took nearly $1,000 off invisalign - super helpful considering the price!!! I don't think it runs all the time so you might want to ask them - but they combined it with my dental insurance so the cost came out really affordable... less than $100/month for 12 months.Even when I needed tooth filing, attachments, and refinements across multiple visits, they were super kind and flexible to meet my very very hectic schedule definitely recommend going here!read more
Jonathan B.
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