What are they?

Ceramic braces are devices used to align and straighten teeth and help position them, with respect to the patient’s bite. They type of dental braces are made of ceramic or porcelain. These dental braces make themselves less conspicuous by blending in.

Once they are placed on the teeth, these ceramic braces apply steady pressure on the teeth. The pressure’s force will then help in aligning the teeth into their proper places. The orthodontist will conduct periodical tightening of the archwires to maintain constant pressure.

The three main components of standard dental braces are:

• Brackets:They are made of ceramic or porcelain that makes them clear or white, compared to the metal ones. Each tooth’s surface will have a single bracket attached to it using an adhesive holding them in place.
• Archwires:Thin metal wires, called archwires, connect each bracket together. They apply pressure on the teeth to make them stay in place. They are usually silver in colour but in some cases, they are frosted to white colour.

These ceramic braces are usually self-ligating, i.e., the wires clip onto the brackets and ligatures are not required.

Advantages

Ceramic Braces are a popular choice when compared to traditional metal braces for the following reasons:

• Blending in with the teeth and being less conspicuous. The available varieties of braces and brackets make them suitable for patients to match them with their teeth.
• They provide more comfort to the patient to use since they are less irritable to the gums, compared to traditional metal braces due to their constant contact with metal.
• Ceramic Braces tend to be more durable and tougher than Metal Braces. Their ability to withstand breaking and chipping comes in handy if they are used daily.
• They are more aesthetic compared to metal braces.

Disadvantages:

Ceramic Braces, like any other devices, have their disadvantages, as mentioned below:

• Higher friction can make them more brittle.
• It takes more time and difficulty to remove them after the treatment period.
• Metal Braces are more economical.
• They are not usually used to align bottom teeth, as they are harder than tooth enamel.

Treatment

The treatment of the patients are conducted by the orthodontist in phases:

• Phase I Treatment: This is the early intervention treatment phase, suggested by Orthodontists for their patients, usually for children before the appearance of their permanent teeth. The main aim is to get these issues resolved at an early stage. They will first correct the skeletal structure for more making the next phase of treatment more effective.
• Phase II Treatment:In this treatment phase, actual braces are used to align and straighten the teeth. This is considered to be the ‘active phase’.

Proper Care of Ceramic Braces

These ceramic braces have to be maintained properly by taking proper care of them for a prolonged and comfortable use.

• Avoid foods that are not favourable to ceramic braces like caramel, soft candy etc. as they can damage the braces.
• Brushing and flossing regularly can help staining the teeth. The Dentist might prescribe a special brush as it is designed to cover the areas of the braces that are inaccessible by ordinary brushes.
• Maintain regular dentist visits. These visits are necessary for the adjustments like tightening the archwires etc., and other clarifications.

Authored by DR.NIRANJAN P