How do braces work?
In: Engineering
The titanium used in braces, or steel in some applications, are “shape-memory” alloys that try to return to their original shape as a metal rod. This allows them to apply a pressure to crooked teeth. Slowly altering their shape.
When you take the braces off, teeth may migrate back over time. This is why people often have a “retainer”. It retains the new shape of your teeth.
They start by gluing these brackets to your teeth, then they take NI-Ti (nickel titanium) wire and run it through the brackets. then you feel the pain a good couple of hours later that makes you wish you were never born. Rubber bands hold the NI-TI wire to the brackets and god forbid one of those break and ping across your mouth like a bullet.
The metal wire held in by the brackets can be tightened and shaped in order to put long term pressure on the teeth that are out of shape. When teeth have had pressure on them for about 10 hours, the bone that is holding the tooth in place sends out an enzyme to break down the exact area of bone where the pressure is being placed onto the bone, and makes new bone at the opposite side where there is now a tiny gap due to the tooth moving. Over time the metal wire can be tightened by a special brace dentist who decides what teeth need to be moved and to where, and the process is repeated until the patient has the desired result.
Depends on which you are referring to. Others already covered teeth braces. Other braces for arms, legs, etc work by immobilizing a particular joint to allow for proper healing from injury
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