There is so much information out there about braces and orthodontics that it is sometimes difficult to separate fact from fiction. As new patients come through my office, some have misconceptions about braces that may have been true 30 years ago, but are no longer true. Often times, these misconceptions were never true in the first place. Below I highlight the top 10 myths about orthodontics and healthy teeth braces. 1. The tighter the better—A common comment I get from patients is, “Make it tighter, doc. I want to get my braces off faster!” You may think that tighter adjustments and heavier forces will move your teeth faster. While a certain level of force is necessary to move teeth, a force level that is too high may start to damage the bone and surrounding tissues. Orthodontics is a delicate balance of forces. Too much force may cause some teeth to move the wrong way and increase overall time you need teeth whitening braces. 2. Braces have to hurt or feel tight to work—No pain no gain right? Well, not exactly. In the old days, only stiff wires were available. When tied to the dental braces, these stiff wires exerted heavy forces […]
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