Self-ligating braces: Effectively straighten teeth without the cleaning hassles and other challenges of elastics
Ligating: To tie or join something together. With conventional braces, elastics and bands are applied to help to move the teeth. They provide just the extra force that your braces – this system of brackets and archwires – need to straighten and move the teeth gradually.
With the “self-ligating” option, these braces do the “heavy lifting” themselves. The brackets in this system are designed with unique mechanisms that function as ties to retain and support the archwire. These features allow our patients at SHN Orthodontics in Mission Viejo, California, to effectively straighten their teeth without the hassle of ties (You can still add the colors for fun).
Our orthodontist, Dr. Shannon Hilgers Nissen, will first evaluate your or your child’s teeth to recommend the most appropriate option. In addition to the potential ease of cleaning braces without bands, elastics, or “ligatures” getting in the way and trapping food particles, patients who undergo treatment with self-ligating braces may also enjoy:
- Minimal friction
- Greater freedom of movement due to the “free-sliding” effect of these specially-designed braces
- Enhanced comfort
- Shorter “check-ins” with Dr. Nissen (as individual ligatures do not need to be replaced during each visit)
- Faster adjustments (you will still need adjustments at our office because these are still braces, after all)
- Potentially longer periods between recall visits at our office
- Good oral health throughout treatment because teeth are easier to keep clean than with non-self-ligating braces
Additionally, these braces too can be made from a variety of different materials. Now, there is no single treatment that is universally appropriate.
SHN Orthodontics treats a diverse range of patients with an equally diverse line-up of services and treatment options. Our specialist in Mission Viejo, CA, looks forward to discussing ways to achieve and sustain your or a loved one’s healthiest, most confident smile—call (949) 830-4101 to schedule a consultation today.
