Are you an adult with crooked teeth? You may need to see our orthodontic team. And if your condition is complex, you may need more than an aligner.

While the idea of wearing a fitted metal brace is far from appealing for many adults, this process has a high success rate and can help you obtain a straighter, healthier smile in 2 years or less. What’s not to like about that?

At Ashlow Orthodontics, we have helped many adult patients get the straighter smile they desire using regular metal braces. While there are other alternatives for many, in some instances our orthodontist in Stoke will choose metal braces as, frankly, they will have the highest likelihood of achieving the desired effect! And with our team’s expertise, you will have your straighter smile in no time at all!

So, what are some of the lesser-known facts about metal braces? Our orthodontist in Stoke provides the following 5 facts.

They are over 100 years old!

Traditional metal braces as we all know them today were first designed in the late 1800s and were designed by a dentist called Edward Angle.

By the early 1900s, they began to make their way into dental surgeries, where specialist dentists would fit them, alter them and remove them. Fast forward to today, and these specialist dentists have changed to become orthodontic specialists.

Since the invention of braces, countless smiles have been straightened and many more bites have been realigned, with minimal discomfort and a high rate of overall success! Great stuff!

There is no upper age limit

Many people worry that when they hit their twenties or older, they are past the threshold for wearing a fitted metal brace.

However, there is no upper age threshold! As long as our orthodontist in Stoke determines that your teeth are in good shape, and you have no issues with your oral health such as gum disease, you can have a metal brace fitted at any age!

You  may need elastic bands

When you are wearing traditional braces, chances are that at one point, you will need to wear elastic bands.

Bands apply additional force to areas of the brace, helping them to move your teeth more accurately. If you are worried about having to apply elastic bands, don’t be! Our team at Ashlow Orthodontics will show you how to do this.

Your oral health will usually improve

OK, so with the wearing of metal braces comes the incessant cleaning and polishing to keep your braces clean. And, with this extra cleaning, your oral health usually improves.

So, when you have completed your treatment and your braces come off, your teeth will be whiter and healthier than ever before!

Retainers are a must!

When the brace comes off you need to wear retainers.

Even when they have been moved, teeth have a habit of falling back into their former positions, thus undoing all of the orthodontic work. So, to keep your teeth in place, wear your retainer until your teeth fuse fully into their new location.