Kinds of braces brackets
Braces may use metal, ceramic, lingual, or self-ligating brackets, while aligners move teeth with a sequence of clear removable trays.
What types of braces and brackets are available?
Braces may use metal, ceramic, lingual, or self-ligating brackets, while aligners move teeth with a sequence of clear removable trays.
How do brackets and archwires move teeth?
A bracket is a small attachment bonded to a tooth; an archwire passes through brackets and delivers controlled force, with ligatures or clips holding the wire.
Metal and ceramic brackets are fixed on the front, lingual brackets sit behind teeth, and aligners use staged trays rather than brackets.
What does an orthodontist assess before choosing braces?
An orthodontist maps the bite, tooth positions, roots, jaw relationship, and growth or periodontal factors before selecting an appliance.
Treatment then uses scheduled adjustments or tray changes, followed by retention to limit relapse.
When does a loose or painful brace need dental care?
Seek care if a wire is poking, a bracket is loose, a tray no longer fits, or a tooth or gum becomes painful.
Urgent assessment is needed after facial trauma or with swelling, fever, or trouble swallowing.
Frequently asked questions
Can home care solve the underlying problem?
An orthodontist maps the bite, tooth positions, roots, jaw relationship, and growth or periodontal factors before selecting an appliance.
What changes the treatment choice?
Metal and ceramic brackets are fixed on the front, lingual brackets sit behind teeth, and aligners use staged trays rather than brackets.
Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.