Braces

Braces are brackets glued to the teeth and joined by a wire, in metal or in clear ceramic, for teens and adults whose teeth or bite need to move.

What happens

Most people are in braces for one to three years. Your doctor gives you a range for your own teeth at the first visit.

01
Step 1: Consult and exam
A talk about what you want to change, an exam, and the options.
02
Step 2: Records
Photos and a scan, and X-rays only if the doctor needs them.
03
Step 3: Fitting
Brackets go on in one visit, and you learn to clean around them.
04
Step 4: Check-ins
Every several weeks the doctor changes the wire and checks progress.
05
Step 5: Taking them off
The brackets come off and you go straight into retainers.

Comfort
Teeth feel tender for a few days after fitting and after a wire change. Soft food helps, and we give you wax for any spot that rubs. Placing braces doesn't usually need numbing; if a step does, we tell you first.
If you wait, or choose another way
Aligners suit some bites and not others, and the doctor tells you which. Waiting can let some bite problems settle in, and sometimes waiting changes nothing. You decide.
Risks and after-care
A bracket can come loose, and teeth can stain or decay where plaque stays, so brushing and what you eat matter. Roots can shorten slightly in some patients. Without a retainer, teeth drift.
How it is billed
Treatment is billed as one plan, with a written estimate before it starts. Plans that cover orthodontics are billed as How fees work describes, and we never quote a price by message.
How fees work

Yes. Ceramic brackets are less visible than metal ones. The doctor tells you whether they suit your bite.

Hard, sticky and very chewy foods can break a bracket. We give you a list at the fitting.

Yes. We'll fit you with a mouthguard if you play a contact sport, and we'll show you how to manage a wind instrument.

Treatment is planned and supervised by the orthodontists under Our doctors, whose training and board are listed under Credentials.