Dental Braces in Thailand

Invisible dental braces are an alternative to metal braces. These orthodontic appliances are a series of clear plastic aligners, custom-made for the patient, which are used for straightening the teeth. Invisible dental braces provide a greater degree of comfort, and are worn with greater confidence, than metal dental braces.

Invisalign, or the invisible dental brace procedure, uses a modern approach to correct malocclusion including computerized technology to customize the braces for each patient’s needs. Invisible dental braces are smooth, clear aligner trays that fit comfortably over the teeth. The aligner trays apply pressure and gradually move the teeth to the desired occlusal position as decided by the orthodontist. These clear aligner trays are fitted without brackets and arch wire to tighten and are thus fairly comfortable.

The patient is provided with a new set of aligners every 2-3 weeks and the number of aligners required is dependent on the individual patient’s condition and associated malocclusion.

How many sessions are required for invisible braces?
The invisible dental braces application is completed in two sittings.

• At the first sitting the dentist makes a detailed diagnosis and inspects the severity of individual occlusal condition. After analyzing the situation, an impression is made which is then scanned by a computer system. Tooth movements are planned with the aid of a computer and a series of aligners are fabricated. This sitting usually takes half an hour.
• The second session is planned for nearly 7 days after the first sitting. The custom-made invisible aligner trays are given to the patient in order to wear them over the teeth.

The patient needs to pay subsequent visits every 2-3 weeks to get a new set of aligner trays. The number of sessions required for completing the treatment is dependent upon the severity of the condition.

How long does the entire process take?
The invisible braces are usually worn for at least two and a half years.

What type of dentist performs the procedure?
Only a trained dentist or orthodontist who holds a certification by Invisalign will have the authority to perform the lab procedure for the fabrication of invisible aligner trays.

Orthodontic metal braces or dental braces are the fixed appliances used to correct malocclusion and to straighten the teeth. They are used for the correction of occlusal discrepancies like open bite, over bite, over jet, cross bite, crooked teeth and various other malocclusions.

Metal braces are silver or gold in color and have two components:

• Brackets: these are bonded to teeth
• Arch wire: this is threaded through each of the brackets and acts as a guide to align all the teeth in their proper position.

Metal braces or brackets are very strong and are most commonly made of stainless steel, which can withstand any type of orthodontic technique. Orthodontic braces have evolved and improved over the years and modern metal braces are less intrusive and more comfortable than the traditional bands and brackets. They have a low profile design which is far less irritating to the lips and mouth.

Orthodontic metal braces exert pressure over the teeth by means of an arch wire which moves the teeth to align them in their proper position. Braces and arch wire provide constant gentle pressure on the teeth in order to correct the malocclusion. The pressure applied should be gentle and the tooth movement should be slow.

Most of the traditional metal braces require a ligature wire or elastic o- shaped rubber bands to secure the wire to the brackets. However, there are self-ligating braces which work with self-ligation technology to hold the arch wire.

How many visits to the dentist are required?
The number of sessions required for orthodontic treatment depends on the severity of the case. If there is not enough space for the proper alignment of the teeth, the dentist may extract teeth so as to create the required space. In such cases, the number of sessions may increase as the teeth are extracted followed by healing of the soft tissue. Otherwise, the placement of the metal braces is usually completed in two to three sessions.

In the first session, the dentist will place separators in the molar areas of the upper and lower teeth in order to create space to receive the bands. The patient is then asked to come back after a week and during the next session brackets are bonded to the surface of the teeth and arch wire is secured in position. Arch wire puts pressure over the brackets and the teeth which compresses the periodontal ligament on one side and stretches on the other causing bone remodeling. The patient visits the dentist every 3-4 weeks throughout the entire treatment period to get the arch wire adjusted.

How long does the entire process take?
Metal braces are usually worn for at least two and a half years.

What type of dentist performs the procedure?
Dental braces are placed by orthodontists who are specialists in the field. It is a sensitive technique and therefore a general dentist cannot perform this treatment.

Taking care of oral hygiene during the process
With the bands, brackets and arch wire on the teeth surface, it becomes difficult to clean the teeth properly. There are special tooth brushes designed for cleaning around bracket areas. You need to pay extra care to maintaining good oral hygiene and avoid food deposition or plaque accumulation around the braces.