Stages of Braces

Are you thinking of starting your braces journey? It’s an exciting time, and while you most likely know the basics of treatment, there are different stages of braces. To achieve a healthy, and beautiful smile, treatment involves careful planning and perfectly timed stages of braces.

Stage 1 of Braces – Planning Phase

This is the beginning of where the behind-the-scenes planning and work begins. Your trusted orthodontist will create a customized treatment plan to ensure you have a healthy and beautiful smile. During this phase, we will create the exact plan of how your teeth will move into their new position, as well as how your bite will align.

This planning phase is key to your treatment as we are looking at every aspect and creating this treatment custom for you. During your free consultation, your orthodontist is evaluating:

3D Scans

We said goodbye to the days of uncomfortable goop years ago! We are always using the highest quality technology in the industry. We use an iTero digital scanner to determine the position of each tooth and their future positions with ease!

X-Rays

Our digital scanners are great tools, yet x-rays allow our doctors to view any potential complications not shown through a digital scan and enable us to see the roots of your teeth.

Digital Photographs

These digital photographs allow us to track your progress before, during, and after treatment. This can help assess how the treatment is progressing and the overall impact of treatment is having on our patient’s face shape.

Stage 2 of Braces – Active Phase

This is where the action happens! During the active phase of treatment, you will begin to see your teeth move into place and your bite align. Your braces are working hard to shift your teeth by placing steady, gentle pressure on each tooth. Don’t worry, it sounds scarier than it is!

This phase is longer than the planning and that’s due to having multiple substages of treatment. We will work on aligning your teeth, correcting your bite, and wrapping up your treatment by making any final adjustments.

Stage 3 of Braces – Retention Phase

After we’ve made any final adjustments, it’s time for your braces to be removed! With the other stages of braces complete, you still have one more step and that’s the retention stage.

The retention stage is one of the most important! After treatment you will be given options for types of retainers, these will help hold your teeth in their new positions. However, if you don’t wear your retainer your teeth will shift back towards their old spots.

As technology evolves, so do our practices and recommendations. We now recommend retainer wear for life. Wearing your retainer each night will ensure your hard work isn’t lost and you retain your investment for life! We offer a few different types of orthodontic retainers, including:

Vivera Retainers

Vivera retainers are a clear, plastic retainer from the makers of Invisalign. They are made of the same premium-grade SmartTrack material as Invisalign aligners, ensuring you’ll get the same comfort and convenience while in your retention stage. Vivera’s are removable, similar to Invisalign, and are barely noticeable when wearing.

Permanent Retainers

Permanent retainers are made up of a piece of wire that we bond to the back of your teeth. This process is done using a special adhesive to ensure the wire stays put. This retainer stays in place and isn’t removable, making it the perfect insurance for your smile!

Hawley Retainers

Hawley retainers are what most think of as a traditional retainer. We create a thin, metal wire that wraps around the front teeth, with acrylic that fits against the roof or bottom of the mouth. These retainers are removable, but they are more visible than the other retainers.

Free Braces Consultation

We offer complimentary consultations to start your smile journey! Schedule your free consultation at any of our 15 offices across Southeastern Wisconsin today!