Dental braces use a wide range of different parts to move teeth. We recently wrote another article about the different parts of dental braces which we will attach if you’d like to read here but what do the dental braces wires do when it comes to moving teeth and putting the braces on.

Do the dental braces wires even help to move the teeth a lot or is it more then dental braces brackets that move the teeth the most? We will answer everything below!

What do the dental braces wires do?

First we need to explain that dental braces wire comes in many shapes and sizes and even in different types of materials! Each of these have a different function to help to move teeth.

The most common shapes of dental braces wire is circle dental braces wire and rectangle dental braces wires. There are other shapes available but these two are the most common types of wire.

The teeth will often move into the shape of the dental braces wire which is often a horseshoe shape or a oval kind of shape. This way we can create the perfect size of the dental arches and align the teeth correctly!

The shape of the dental braces wire help to move teeth in a certain direction and in a certain way. For example a circle wire helps to rotation teeth and level them with the rest of the teeth in the mouth but a rectangular wire can cause the teeth to move forwards and backwards known as torqueing.

The different sizes of dental braces wire also make a big different in moving teeth because the bigger the wire means the more force it can apply on the teeth hence moving the teeth more during dental braces.

The different dental braces wire types:

There are quite a few materials used with dental braces wire. These materials are mainly preference of the dentist or orthodontist but the most common dental braces wire used today is called Nickel Titanium wire which can be very springy. This wire helps to unravel any crowded teeth and aligns teeth very well when it comes to orthodontic treatment.

Other wires that are used in orthodontic treatment, especially towards the end of orthodontic treatment are Stainless Steel dental braces wire and TMA dental braces wire.

What to do if your dental braces wire is poking your cheeks?

Dental braces wire can be extremely annoying if it starting to poke your cheek or cut the cheek up. When the dental braces wire starts to poke out of the brackets it’s likely because the teeth have either moved a lot or because something came loose and you should go see your dentist or orthodontist who is giving you treatment.

The best thing to do is to place dental braces wax over the part that is poking the cheeks.

How to stop dental braces wire from poking without wax?

Dental wax is the best way to stop dental braces wire from poking the cheeks, gums,and tongue, but what if you don’t have any wax left?

The best thing to do is to place some gum or beeswax over the area in the meanwhile to prevent the wire from poking but the best thing to do is go visit your dentist or orthodontist to see if there is a problem with why the wire is busy poking the cheeks or gums.

Should you cut dental braces wire at home?

It’s not a good idea to cut your own dental braces wire at home because this little piece of wire can easily be swallowed and cut a part of your gastrointestinal tract open. We therefore recommend going to see your dentist or orthodontist if a wire is neede d to be cut for dental braces because they have special tools which hold the wire when cutting so that it cannot slip into the mouth by accident.

What to do if my dental braces wire came out?

There can be a few reasons why your dental braces wire has come out such as brackets breaking off, elastics snapping or breaking, wire becoming loose because of teeth moving, and eating the incorrect food therefore dislodging the wire from the tubes. The best thing to do would be to go visit your dentist or orthodontist to fix the wire that is loose.

Looking for a dentist to do braces near you?

Come see us in Berea Durban at DrGrayDentistry! We offer a range of braces options along with payment plans and offer great dental braces services to all our patients in Durban South Africa! Call us on 031-201-5134 to make an appointment.