3 Types of Braces for Teens

In our practice, we frequently outfit teenagers with braces. It’s the ideal age — between 12 and 16 — to start orthodontic treatment because the teeth can be more easily positioned into a straighter smile.

Braces can solve a number of issues, including overcrowded teeth, gaps between teeth, overbites, underbites and crossbites. Fixing these issues is not only beneficial to your health, but can also improve your smile and boost your overall confidence and happiness levels.

Once you and your teen make a decision to move forward with braces, you then have several types of braces to choose from to straighten your teeth.

Metal Braces

Metal braces are what you think of when you picture the traditional style of braces. They are made from metal brackets and connected by a thin archwire that pushes and pulls your teeth slowly into the right position. The archwire connects to the brackets using ligatures, which are referred to as elastics or o-rings.

These elastics come in fun colors that each patient gets to choose during visits to one of our seven offices. Metal braces do not require as much patient compliance as other options, however, they are also the most noticeable option.

Ceramic (Transparent Braces)

Ceramic braces are very similar to metal braces, except the brackets are made from a clear, transparent, ceramic material. This material is much less noticeable than metal brackets.

Invisalign Teen (Nearly Invisible Braces)

As the number one local Invisalign provider, we see more and more teenagers choosing these barely visible braces that many consider as an alternative to braces for teens. With Invisalign Teen, we first take impressions of your teeth and then give you a series of clear, removable aligners that you change every one to two weeks to slowly reposition your teeth.

It’s worth noting that not all of these types of braces for teens are available to all our patients in this age group. The Gorman & Bunch Orthodontics staff would love to meet for a complimentary consultation where we can access your teenager’s smile, share the prices for braces for teenagers, and offer our recommendations.