Treatment You Can Trust
Traditional braces have been around for a long time, and they’re probably the most recognizable symbol of orthodontics in Huntington and Woodbury, NY.
What Are Braces Made of?
These reliable orthodontic appliances have successfully corrected all kinds of oral issues for years and years. At Shiney Smiles Orthodontics, metal braces continue to be the top orthodontic treatment for patients of all ages!
Brackets
The brackets Dr. Sheinis uses are durable and made from a mix of stainless steel, nickel, and other metals.
Brackets have little hooks or doors where Dr. Sheinis will thread a wire. The bracket can then be secured by closing the door or placing an elastic over the top of the wire.
Glue
This is what Dr. Sheinis 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. Sheinis will change the shape and curvature of the wire 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.
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.
Dr. Sheinis will determine if your treatment will benefit from orthodontic bands at your initial consultation.
Elastics
If Dr. Sheinis determines that 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.
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 at Shiney Smiles Orthodontics, they come in dozens of colors.
Spacers
These small elastic “donuts” or rings can be used by Dr. Sheinis to create space in between your teeth when needed, typically before bands are placed. They’re also referred to as separators.
Before & After
Before
This patient was missing both upper lateral incisors and had generalized upper spacing.
After
Using traditional metal braces, the canines were substituted for the laterals and after future esthetic bonding is completed, they will not need any other further dental work to address the missing incisor.