Decoding the 3 Stages of Braces Treatmen: What You Should Know

We already know that braces are used to align your misaligned teeth, correct your bite and to give you gorgeous and straight pearly whites. But did you know that there are three different braces wires stages that every person who opts for braces goes through?

Intrigued to know more about these primary stages and what they entail? Here’s a simple breakdown of the three stages of braces treatment that every person who is considering getting braces must know.

1. The Planning Stage

A lot of planning is involved when you opt for a teeth straightening treatment. Your orthodontist will scan your jaw and understand your orthodontic problem and accordingly chart out your customised treatment plan. The initial evaluation and planning stage is crucial as it will set the tone for your entire teeth straightening journey.

The initial evaluation by your orthodontist will involve - a medical evaluation of your overall health, comprehensive X-rays, 3D digitised images of your jaw, bite impressions and traditional photographs of your face to compare the before and after of your face shape and to understand your treatment progress.

2. The Active Stage

The second stage of the braces is called the active stage. In this, your orthodontist will fix whichever type of braces you have chosen into your mouth. These braces will either be fixed or removable braces.

This is the period when you will be required to visit your orthodontist's clinic every few days to ensure that proper pressure is applied to your teeth and your treatment is moving forward in the right direction.

Note that it is crucial that you don’t skip any of your appointments at this stage and show up when asked to. This will ensure that your braces are getting adjusted at the correct time and your teeth straightening result is not hampered in any way. The goal of the active stage is to align your crooked teeth, to correct your bite and to make you fall in love with your smile again.

3. The Retention Stage

Your teeth are shifted to their desired locations, your bite is corrected, now what? Does your treatment end here? No, it doesn’t. Now comes the last stage of braces - the retention stage.

There is no point in wasting your time, energy and money if you don’t religiously follow your orthodontist's instructions during this stage of your braces. Your job doesn't end after the braces come off. You must then wear your retainers regularly to ensure that your teeth don’t shift back to their original position.

Before your active stage is over, your orthodontist will keep a retainer set ready for you which will help you retain the proper alignment of your teeth. Your orthodontist will typically suggest you wear your retainers throughout the day for at least the first two years, after which he or she might suggest you only wear them at night while you sleep.

Note that this last stage of braces too will have occasional checkups at your orthodontist’s clinic to ensure that your retainers are holding your teeth in place and don’t require any fixing.

The Final Verdict

All three stages in braces are important. You must follow all the instructions given by your orthodontist for each stage carefully to ensure that you have a smooth and stress-free teeth straightening experience.

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FAQs:

Do braces weaken teeth?

In most cases, braces don’t weaken, damage or cause your teeth to fall out.

Which is the most painful stage of braces?

The active stage happens to be the most painful or uncomfortable stage of braces. This is because your teeth take time to adjust to the discomfort that braces bring along with them.

How long does it take for people to adjust to braces pain?

In most cases, it takes people about two or three weeks to adjust to their new braces and to get acquainted with the discomfort and pain that it is infamously known for.

Can you ditch the last stage of the braces?

No, you cannot afford to ditch wearing your retainers. This is because if you skip wearing your retainers then your teeth will shift again and you will have to undergo the entire process again to get straight teeth.