Metal Braces in Wilmington | Crystal Clear Orthodontics

Strong & Reliable

Traditional metal braces stay at the top of the list as the most popular type of orthodontic treatment option at Crystal Clear Orthodontics. Dr. Aesha Chaudhry used braces to straighten a huge number of smiles for patients around Wilmington and the surrounding areas.

Wilmington Braces

At Crystal Clear Orthodontics, we’re proud to offer the latest braces technology to our patients of all ages in Wilmington and surrounding areas. Traditional metal braces are strong, durable and affordable, so you can see why they take the top treatment spot for Dr. Aesha Chaudhry’s patients.

Metal braces have had a reputation for being awkward and obvious. But, because of modern orthodontics, you’ll benefit from versions that are smaller, less conspicuous, and more comfortable than ever before.

Braces are great at fixing complex tooth issues. Dr. Aesha Chaudhry can use them to closing gaps and aligning teeth faster, compared to other treatments treatment options. This speed can potentially shorten your treatment time at Crystal Clear Orthodontics.

Plus, they’re affordable. Traditional braces are cost-effective because they don’t require some of the more complex technology or expensive equipment that newer treatments do.

What Are the Parts of Braces?

Brackets

Dr. Chaudhry uses durable braces brackets made from a mix of stainless steel, nickel, and other metals and have little hooks or doors where we thread a wire.

Your Wilmington braces expert secures your bracket by closing the door or placing an elastic over the top of the wire.

Orthodontic Bands

We cement these stainless steel rings to your teeth using dental bonding agents. These bands anchor your braces and orthodontic appliances, but Dr. Chaudhry doesn’t always use them for every patient.

Glue

This is how Dr. Chaudhry attaches the brackets to your teeth. It’s normal to glue the bracket directly to your tooth.

Elastic Ties/O-Rings/Ligatures/Colors

Dr. Chaudhry attaches the archwire to the brackets using these tiny rubber rings or bands to attach the archwire to the brackets. Elastics are less rigid than spacers, and you can get them in dozens of colors.

Wire

This thin piece of metal runs from one bracket to another. Dr. Chaudhry shapes and curves the wire so your teeth move in the right direction.

Normally, the wire attaches all of your bottom or upper teeth, but we might occasionally cut the wire if connecting just a few teeth is better for your treatment plan.

Elastics

If Dr. Chaudhry needs to correct your bite, elastics are essential. We normally string elastics between an upper bracket hook and a lower bracket hook.

This pressure pulls your upper jaw backward to correct an overbite or the lower jaw back to correct an underbite. At Crystal Clear Orthodontics, we use rubber bands for many different situations, especially when we want to put extra pressure on the teeth or jaws.

Spacers

Dr. Chaudhry uses these tiny elastic “donuts” or rings to create space between your teeth when needed, typically before we place your bands. People also refer to them as "separators".

Metal Braces FAQ

What can I expect from today’s metal braces?

Sleek brackets and light help today’s braces look and feel better. Thanks to modern braces, you’ll feel less irritation in your mouth.

The metal braces at Crystal Clear Orthodontics also come with a fun new twist (without any extra cost!) You can customize them with pops of color.

The elastics that fit around your brackets come in a wide variety of colors that let you showcase your personality whenever you want.

Pick your favorite color combination, the colors of your favorite sports team, even your school colors! We also offer silver, gray, white, black, and tooth-colored elastics for patients seeking a more subtle look.

How long will I be in braces?

This is what everyone around Wilmington asks about all the time, but it’s not possible to give you a surefire answer. Everybody’s different.

Every mouth is unique, so every patient responds to braces treatment in their own way. Treatment length in traditional metal braces at Crystal Clear Orthodontics ends up different in each unique case.

The average time spent in metal braces is around 18 to 22 months but could be shorter or longer, depending on the individual and the treatment plan designed by Dr. Aesha Chaudhry.

Dr. Chaudhry has some patients in braces for as few as six months, but for complex problems, it may take longer than three years to finish braces treatment at Crystal Clear Orthodontics.

Thankfully, with metal braces at our Wilmington office, you’ll see straighter teeth and closed gaps in just a short time. This will spark joy and inspire confidence during your treatment process.

How do braces work?

Before applying the brackets, Dr. Aesha Chaudhry and her team at Crystal Clear Orthodontics will collect photos and X-rays of your mouth. Sometimes we’ll use our iTero Element scanner to scan each of your teeth and the layout of your gums and mouth.

If necessary, this process takes 10-15 minutes and provides an extremely accurate 3D view of your mouth.

After the X-Ray and optional scan, Dr. Chaudhry will use this information to create your personal braces treatment plan. She calculates how much she should move each tooth in order to place it in the best possible position.

Dr. Chaudhry will decide how to place the brackets based on this information. For example, if you have some teeth that need to tilt, your Crystal Clear Orthodontics team places those brackets differently compared to the brackets for teeth that need to be turned.

Once we attach your brackets, Dr. Chaudhry will insert the wire. Bends in the wire will provide different types of pressure on different teeth. Most orthodontists like Dr. Chaudhry creates precise movements using this bend in the wire.

Metal Braces