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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffDental braces are the familiar wire-based appliances that orthodontists use to correct crowded and misaligned teeth or jaws. Many people who need dental braces get them during their early adolescent years. But adults can get dental braces, too.
The goal of dental braces is to properly align your teeth and jaws and produce an even bite.
Modern materials and technologies make the experience of having dental braces much more comfortable and enjoyable than in the past.
- Why do people get braces? Academy of General Dentistry. http://www.knowyourteeth.com/print/printpreview.asp?content=article&abc=w&iid=322&aid=1304. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Braces and retainers. Cleveland Clinic. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/devices/dental_care/hic_braces_and_retainers.aspx. Accessed July 27, 2010.
- Today's orthodontic treatment. American Association of Orthodontists. http://www.braces.org/learn/Straight-teeth-are-healthy-teeth.cfm. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Orthodontic instructions. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2010.
- Harrison JE, et al. Orthodontic treatment for prominent upper front teeth in children (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD003452.
- Braces and orthodontics. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/2598.aspx. Accessed June 9, 2010.
- What is malocclusion? American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. http://www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/maloccl.asp. Accessed June 10, 2010.
- Littlewood SJ, et al. Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD002283.
- Heasman P. Master Dentistry, Volume Two: Restorative Dentistry, Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Limited; 2008:283.
- Carr AB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 26, 2010.
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