{"id":5791,"date":"2022-08-13T10:58:51","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T14:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolinacompletedental.com\/?p=5791"},"modified":"2025-05-05T18:00:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:00:37","slug":"straight-talk-on-straight-teeth-do-braces-hurt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolinacompletedental.com\/blog\/straight-talk-on-straight-teeth-do-braces-hurt\/","title":{"rendered":"Straight Talk on Straight Teeth: Do Braces Hurt?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Orthodontic treatments have been around for centuries, but luckily the materials and methods used have been updated with the expansion of education and technology<\/a>. If they hadn\u2019t, you might see metal bands or golden wires wrapped all the way around teeth instead of small brackets held in place by wires\u2014or worse, cords made from animal intestines. You might be thinking, \u201cYikes on bikes, I\u2019d never!\u201d but the reason people in those ancient times were desperate enough to seek teeth straightening through these means is that orthodontics serves more than a cosmetic purpose. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Straight teeth tend to be healthier teeth as proper alignment makes for a happy jaw and simpler oral hygiene routines<\/a> for better oral health. This is a primary concern for Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental Care<\/a>, who wants Goose Creek families and friends to have healthy, happy smiles. However, when braces are recommended, many patients ask, \u201cDo they hurt?\u201d Carolina Complete Dental Care is happy to answer the question.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Did My Teeth Go Wrong?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, if you\u2019re cursing the alignment of your teeth and wondering why they couldn\u2019t stay in line\u2014please don\u2019t. We know that hearing you or your child will need orthodontic treatment isn\u2019t the most welcome news, but it\u2019s a very common need. In fact, the <\/span>American Association of Orthodontists<\/span><\/a> estimates that at any given moment, over four million people in the United States are undergoing orthodontic treatment, and 25% of them are adults. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reasons for misaligned teeth are varied, ranging from having a jaw that\u2019s too small for each incisor, canine (or cuspid), and molar to co-exist in harmony, to habits such as chronic and prolonged thumb and pacifier sucking in childhood. While this does suggest alignment can be helped by the avoidance or breaking of habits that can negatively affect your bite (or your child\u2019s), genetics and jaw size are factors not entirely in your control. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orthodontics can save the day\u2014or rather, the days post-treatment when your teeth have been straightened and your bite has aligned like the stars of Orion\u2019s Belt, which we think is a fitting simile because your eyes may twinkle when you see your renewed smile! There are different types of orthodontic treatments available today, but to answer the frequently asked question we posed earlier, we\u2019ll focus on\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tried & True<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Traditional braces remain one of the most popular forms of orthodontic treatment because of their ability to improve nearly any bite and smile. While treatments like Invisalign\u00ae<\/a> continue to innovate their aligners to treat a wider variety of cases, they don\u2019t provide orthodontists (or general dentists who have received the advanced training and education needed to perform orthodontic treatment) with the same amount of control over the movement of individual teeth. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you or your child have a severe malocclusion, teeth that are rotated more than 20 degrees from their proper position, teeth angled more than 45 degrees, or spaces between teeth that are larger than 0.6 centimeters, braces are the prescription that will create the smile transformation you\u2019re looking for. This is because braces don\u2019t just apply pressure to the tops of your teeth\u2014they also encourage the tooth roots to shift. When we mention shifting of tooth roots, the question we set out to answer in this blog becomes emphasized, doesn\u2019t it? So, without further ado\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You Will Feel Some Pressure<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s one thing to go from a mouth free of metal, and another thing entirely to have metal brackets, wires, and bands placed on your teeth. That\u2019s one difference that comes with an adjustment period. But what about the shifting of teeth? Let\u2019s take a look at what\u2019s moving:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n