Metal Braces | Braces Wentzville

Trusted Treatment

The most common type of braces is metal braces. These orthodontic workhorses have a long history of successful treatment.

They’re great at correcting many oral issues for patients in St. Peters, Wentzville and the surrounding areas.

What Are Braces Made of?

Brackets

The brackets are durable and made from a mix of stainless steel, nickel, and other metals.

Brackets have little hooks or doors where a wire is threaded. A bracket can be secured by closing the door or by placing an elastic over the top of the wire.

Glue

This is what Dr. Humphrey will use to attach the brackets to your teeth. It’s common to attach the bracket directly to the tooth with glue.

Wire

This thin piece of metal runs from one bracket to another. Dr. Humphrey will change the wire's shape and curvature to move your teeth in the right direction.

The wire will attach all of your bottom or upper teeth together in many cases. We might occasionally cut the wire if connecting just a few teeth is better for your treatment plan.

Elastics

If you need bite correction, elastics are essential. They’re generally strung between an upper bracket hook and a lower bracket hook. This will pull the upper jaw backward to correct an overbite, or the lower jaw back to correct an underbite.

We may use rubber bands for many different situations, especially when we want to put extra pressure on the teeth or jaws.

Orthodontic Bands

These are stainless steel rings that are cemented to your teeth using dental bonding agents. These bands can provide an anchor for your braces and orthodontic appliances, but they’re not used for everyone.

Spacers

These small elastic “donuts” or rings can be used to create space in between your teeth when needed, typically before bands are placed. They’re also referred to as separators.

Elastic Ties/O-Rings/Ligatures/Colors

These tiny rubber rings or bands are used to attach the archwire to the brackets. They’re less rigid than spacers and come in dozens of colors.

Go for the Gold

Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. You shouldn’t have to give up showing it during your orthodontic treatment.

Humphrey Orthodontics offers gold braces so you can share your beautiful smile both during and after your treatment.

These gold-colored brackets are as durable as standard metal braces and as discreet as ceramic braces. The unique color helps them blend in with your smile without being prone to breakage like ceramic brackets.

Metal Braces FAQ

How do braces work?

Before applying the brackets, Dr. Humphrey and the team at Humphrey Orthodontics will collect photos and X-rays of your mouth. Sometimes we’ll use our iTero Element scanner to scan each of your teeth and the layout of your gums and mouth.

If necessary, this process takes 10-15 minutes and provides an extremely accurate 3D view of your mouth.

After the X-Ray and optional scan, Dr. Humphrey will use this information to create your customized treatment plan. This will include how each tooth needs to be moved to get it in the best possible position.

Dr. Humphrey will decide how to place the brackets based on this information. For example, if you have some teeth that need to be tilted, the placement of those brackets will be different than the placement of brackets for teeth that need to be turned.

Once the brackets have been attached, Dr. Humphrey will insert the wire. Bends in the wire will provide different types of pressure on different teeth. A bend in the wire is how most orthodontists cause specific and precise movements.

What can I expect from today’s metal braces?

At Humphrey Orthodontics, we’re proud to offer the latest braces technology to our patients of all ages in St. Peters, Wentzville and surrounding areas!

Metal braces have had a reputation for being awkward and obvious. But, because of modern orthodontics, you’ll benefit from versions that are smaller, less conspicuous, and more comfortable than ever before.

Sleeker brackets and lighter wires improve the appearance and feel of these braces. This means you’ll have less irritation in your mouth.

Traditional metal braces also come with a fun new twist without any extra cost - you can customize them with pops of color. The elastics that fit around your brackets come in a wide variety of colors that let you showcase your personality whenever you want.

Pick your favorite color combination, the colors of your favorite sports team, even your school colors! We also offer silver, gray, white, black, and tooth-colored elastics for patients seeking a more subtle look.

Braces are great at fixing complex tooth issues. They can work faster at closing gaps and aligning teeth than other treatments might. This can potentially shorten your treatment time.

Metal braces are cost-effective because they don’t require some of the more complex technology or expensive equipment that newer treatments doThe strength, durability, and affordability of traditional metal braces keep them the top treatment for orthodontic patients in St. Peters and Wentzville, year after year!

How long will I be in braces?

This is what everyone wants to know, but it’s one we don’t have a concrete answer for. Every mouth is different, and every patient responds to treatment in their own way. Treatment time with metal braces will be different every time.

The average time spent in metal braces is around 18 to 22 months but could be shorter or longer, depending on the individual and the treatment plan Dr. Humphrey designs.

We have some Humphrey Orthodontics patients in braces for as little as six months. But for complex issues, it can take over three years to complete the process.

With metal braces from Humphrey Orthodontics, you’ll see signs of improvement in just a short time, and that gives you confidence during the treatment process.