Traditional Braces

Traditional metal braces are the most common type of braces and are more comfortable today than ever before.

Made of high-grade stainless steel or titanium, metal braces straighten your teeth using metal brackets and archwires. With metal braces, you have the option of adding colored elastics for a more unique and colorful smile.

Clear braces are made of a translucent/tooth-colored ceramic material that enables a more esthetic appearance with the same functionality as metal braces.

The three main parts of your braces are:

• Brackets - Brackets are attached to the teeth using special glue that bonds them to the tooth surface and holds them in place.
• Archwire - The archwire is the thin metal wire that connects each bracket and puts pressure on the teeth to help guide them into place.
• Elastic Ligature - Elastic ligatures are the colored (or clear) rings that hold the archwires to the brackets. Our team will change the ligatures at each appointment allowing you to choose from a variety of colors.

Before placing your brackets, Dr. Bates and the experienced team at Bates Family Orthodontics will take photos and X-rays of your mouth. Sometimes we'll use our high-tech oral scanner to scan each of your teeth and make a virtual map of your gums and mouth.

Our doctors will use these records (photos, X-rays, scans) to create a customized treatment plan just for you. This will include how each individual tooth needs to be moved in order to produce a functional, esthetic, and stable bite.

Dr. Bates will then use this information to decide how to place your brackets. For example, if you have some teeth that need to be tilted, the placement of those brackets will be different than the placement of brackets for teeth that need to be turned.

Between our experienced doctors and the state-of-the-art orthodontic software they use, braces have never been so painless.

Once the brackets have been attached, our team will insert the wire. Bends in the wire will provide different types of pull and pressure on different teeth. Bending wires is how most orthodontists generate specific and precise movements.

Metal braces have historically had a reputation for being awkward and obvious. Thanks to innovations in modern orthodontics, you'll enjoy versions that are smaller, less conspicuous, and more comfortable than ever before.

At Bates Family Orthodontics, we're proud to offer the latest in braces technology to our patients of all ages in Lynchburg and the surrounding areas!

Sleeker brackets and lighter wires make our braces look and feel better. They also mean that you'll have a happier, less irritated mouth.

Traditional metal braces in Lynchburg also come with a fun new twist without any extra cost - they're customizable with pops of color! The elastics that Dr. Bates will fit around your brackets come in a wide variety of colors that let you showcase your personality however you want.

Pick your favorite color combination: the colors of your favorite sports team, even your school colors, etc. We also offer silver, gray, white, black, and tooth-colored elastics for patients seeking a more subtle look.

The strength, durability, and affordability of traditional metal braces keep them the top treatment for our Lynchburg orthodontics patients, year after year!