Braces are most commonly fitted during childhood & adolescence. However, occasionally treatment in adults is both possible & desirable. Braces may be fixed to teeth or removable. Both types work by exerting a very gentle, but continual force upon a tooth. It encourages the tooth to move, whilst using other teeth as anchor points.
Removable appliances are easier to keep clean & often less obvious, but may interfere with speech. They can only move teeth by tilting them. Fixed appliances are more versatile, since a tooth can be moved in any direction into a desired position. However, they take longer to fit & adjust.
