Traditional Braces

Traditional braces — metal brackets bonded to each tooth and connected by an adjustable wire — remain the most mechanically versatile orthodontic option, capable of handling tooth movements and bite corrections that removable aligners can’t always match.

How the components work together

Each bracket is bonded to the front surface of a tooth and holds the archwire, which runs across all the brackets in an arch. The wire is shaped and tensioned to apply continuous pressure, gradually guiding teeth toward their planned positions over the course of treatment. Small elastic or metal ties typically secure the wire into each bracket, and in some cases, rubber bands (elastics) are added between the upper and lower arches to help correct how the bite comes together, not just individual tooth position.

Because the wire is actively engaged with the teeth at all times — unlike a removable aligner, which only applies force while it’s being worn — braces work continuously, which is part of why they don’t depend on the same kind of daily patient compliance that aligner treatment does.

Why braces still handle some cases better than aligners

Significant rotations, certain bite corrections (like some overbite or crossbite cases), and situations requiring more complex, simultaneous movement of multiple teeth are often more predictably managed with the direct mechanical control braces provide. This isn’t a universal rule — aligner technology has expanded considerably in what it can handle — but for more complex orthodontic cases, an orthodontist may still recommend braces as the more reliable path to the planned result.

The adjustment cycle

Fitting braces starts with bonding the brackets to each tooth and threading the initial wire, which begins the movement process immediately. Follow-up adjustment visits, typically spaced around four to eight weeks apart, are where the orthodontist changes or tightens the wire, replaces elastics if used, and evaluates progress against the treatment plan, making changes as needed. Some soreness in the days immediately following an adjustment is a normal response to the teeth experiencing new pressure and typically settles within a couple of days.

Living with braces day to day

Certain foods are best avoided or modified — hard foods risk breaking a bracket or bending a wire, sticky foods can pull hardware loose or get stuck in it, and foods that require biting directly with the front teeth (like whole apples or corn on the cob) are generally cut into smaller pieces instead. A broken bracket or a wire that’s come loose and is poking the cheek or gum should be reported to the orthodontist promptly rather than waited out, since it can both delay treatment and cause ongoing irritation. Cleaning around brackets and under the wire takes more deliberate technique than brushing without hardware, and orthodontists often recommend specific tools — an interdental brush or a floss threader — to reach the areas a regular toothbrush and floss strand can’t.

What follows treatment

Once braces come off, the teeth are in their planned new positions, but they aren’t yet stable there on their own — the surrounding bone and ligaments need time to fully adapt. This is why a retainer, worn on a schedule set by the orthodontist, is the standard next step after braces come off, and why skipping it is one of the most common reasons teeth drift back toward their original positions after otherwise successful treatment.