How long does it take?
Be prepared for at least two visits, as dental braces installation is usually a two-day process. One day takes to apply braces to the upper teeth, and another to the lower. For crowded teeth, an additional appointment with orthodontist might be necessary to insert separators to slightly push the teeth apart. This way, when the bands are placed, they will not cause too much discomfort.
What's invoilved in the installation process?
Various appliances are used to aid the installation of dental braces at different stages of the process:
- The orthodontist first inserts a mouthpiece to keep mouth open and prevent lips from touching each other. This may cause a slight discomfort to patients who cannot keep their mouth wide open for long, but normally is pain-free.
- Teeth are dried before applying glue and brackets, to insure proper fixation of the appliance.
- Different scrapping tools are used to remove excess glue from the teeth surface.
- Various size pliers are used to attach the tie rings to the brackets and archwire.
- Suction hose is used to draw out accumulated saliva or liquid and keep the mouth dry.
- Glue is mixed right before the application, while the spectrum curing light is used to speed up the glue drying time.
Who performs the installation?
It is common for dental assistants to do a part of the job, such as, cleaning the tooth surface, preparation for the dental braces, as well as, mixing the glue and preparing the bands, brackets, and archwire. Although, the assistant may install the brackets or attach the archwire, orthodontist is the one who controls the actual placement of the brackets onto the teeth.