Treatment Options

Treatment Options at Murray Orthodontics

Once you have chosen a treatment option with Dr. Murray then there are a variety of ways to actually straighten your teeth. Choosing the appliances that are best for you is a matter of lifestyle, personality, malocclusion and degree of difficulty. Dr. Murray would like you to be familiar with the various options. All will give you a fantastic finish—beautiful teeth and a terrific smile.

The most popular appliance in our office is a metal bracket that is glued directly to your tooth. These metal brackets are small, smooth, compact and very efficient. These brackets are the “handles” that hold the arch wires to the tooth. These arch wires are held in place by colored “o” rings which are changed at every visit. The arch wires are the wires that are attached to the bracket and actually move your teeth. These arch wires are frequently heat activated by your body temperature. That means that when you come to see Dr. Murray, and he places a new arch wire in your mouth, frequently the wire gradually becomes stiffer and stiffer over time and aligns your teeth very gradually. There is very little discomfort with this type of gradual movement. What allows the arch wire to become stiffer and straighter are unique metals that are activated by an increase in temperature.

Another appliance that is popular in Dr. Murray’s office is the clear, ceramic bracket. These brackets are similar to the metal brackets, but they are less visible which makes them a premier choice with adults and older teenagers who may want to be more discrete with the fact that they are wearing braces.