Braces

Braces are small brackets fixed to the front of the teeth and joined by a thin wire. At Kallada Smile, every braces case is planned and carried out by Dr. Pavya Priya, an orthodontist.

You may know this as pallu kambi (tooth wire).

What it is

The wire is adjusted every few weeks, and the teeth move slowly into a better position. Braces treat crowding, gaps, teeth that stick out, and bites where the upper and lower teeth do not meet properly.

Braces do not reshape the teeth themselves. They move whole teeth through the bone, and the bone rebuilds around each root as it goes. That is why a course runs over months rather than weeks.

An orthodontist is a dentist who has also completed a three-year MDS in moving teeth and guiding jaw growth. Dr. Pavya Priya holds that degree.

Signs you might need it

• Teeth that overlap or twist because there is not enough room.
• Gaps between the teeth.
• Upper front teeth that stick out, or lower teeth that sit in front of the upper ones.
• Front teeth that do not touch when you bite, which is called an open bite.
• Difficulty chewing, or biting into food.
• A child whose adult teeth are coming in crooked, or whose lower jaw looks small.
• A tooth that has not come through by the expected age, often an upper canine.

None of these means you must have braces. A consultation tells you what is happening and what your options are.

What happens at Kallada Smile

Options

Clear aligners are a different treatment, without brackets.

What can go wrong

Braces move teeth through bone, and that has a cost as well as a result. The roots shorten a little in most cases, and in a small number they shorten enough to matter, which is why the records are checked during treatment. Where brushing slips, the enamel around a bracket loses minerals and is left with a white mark that does not brush out. Gums can recede, a tooth that was knocked years ago can lose its nerve while it is being moved, and a few people react to the nickel in the brackets. Teeth drift back if the retainers are not worn, so the retainer is part of the treatment and not an extra at the end.

How long it takes and how many visits

Most courses of braces take 12 to 30 months. Simple crowding takes less. Cases that need teeth removed, or that correct the bite, take longer.

You come in every 4 to 8 weeks for an adjustment, which is about 12 to 20 visits in all.

Dr. Pavya gives you a likely range after records. She will not promise a finish date before then. After the braces come off, retainers are worn at night, for years.

Looking after it afterwards

• Brush after every meal with a small, soft brush, and clean around each bracket.
• Avoid hard and sticky food: chikki, hard murukku, ice, sugarcane, hard chocolate. Cut apples and guava into pieces instead of biting them.
• Aching for two or three days after fitting and after each adjustment is normal, and paracetamol taken as the packet says usually settles it.
• If a bracket comes loose or a wire pokes your cheek, cover it with the wax we give you and message us. It does not need an urgent visit unless it hurts.
• Keep every adjustment appointment. Missed visits add months to the course.
• Wear the retainers exactly as Dr. Pavya sets out. Teeth move for the rest of your life, and the retainer is what holds the result.