Traditionally, crooked teeth have been corrected with metal braces. Metal braces consist of brackets, which are affixed to each tooth at the beginning of treatment, bands, which are placed around each of your back teeth, and archwires, which are anchored by the bands and attached to each bracket with an elastic O-ring. The archwires are responsible for the movement of your teeth, as well as holding them in place while they stabilize. While metal braces are highly effective, they are also often the source of significant self-consciousness, particularly for older teens and adults.
The reason for not offering traditional braces include longer treatment duration, increase risk of food entrapment, difficulty maintaining oral hygiene, and potential issues, such as gingivitis, mouth sores, bracket detachment, and cavities.