Power chains are a linked row of elastics that are used by our Orthodontist and Invisalign specialist to correct several anomalies. They’re mostly used in combination with metal brackets attached to your teeth to realign them. It has gained a lot of popularity over the years because of its multiple uses.
When power chains are used with braces, they add a more significant amount of pressure on the teeth to straighten than traditional braces. Power chains owe this splurge of popularity to how fast it makes the whole treatment process. Today, it’s a more preferred method of straightening teeth because of its overall effectiveness.
Let’s have a closer look at what are power chain braces.
How do Power Chain Braces work?
As we noted, power chains are practically a connection of elastic strings, also known as ligatures. They use the same material as traditional braces, but in several cases, the ligatures need to be of metal twists instead of elastic.
Usually, elastics are created to sit over individual brackets, but power chains are used to join the metal braces. It forms a continuous link across the braces, which helps in bringing your teeth closer together. Often power chains are used to hold braces on some teeth, and the rest have conventional elastics used in traditional metal braces & Invisalign.
The best part about power chains is that they help orthodontists devise a treatment plan that suits several problems simultaneously. They’re generally used to close space among gaping teeth, especially to fill up space after you’ve had a tooth removal procedure.
Power chain braces are used to address various dental problems like Malocclusions, crooked teeth, and misalignments.
Types of Power Chains
There are different types of power chains used with metal dental braces or ceramic braces. The kind of power chains one needs for braces depends entirely upon the patients’ special needs and requirements. To determine the type of power chains you need, the doctor will first figure out how widely spaced the links need to be.
Some power chains have closed loops with a link at every tooth, some have short loops placed with a link at every other tooth, and the rest have long loops connecting every third tooth. The orthodontist makes the decision here because of the clinical objectivity of the task.
Power chains are available in several colors ranging from Aqua Blue to Yellow. The duration one needs to wear power chain braces is unique to each problem. It varies from individual to individual. Some people must keep wearing power chains for six months, whereas many get done with their treatment in just six weeks. Power chains are not usually used with self ligating braces.
Please note that in certain situations, even after the orthodontist has corrected the alignment or closed the gap, he may ask you to keep the power chains on without the braces. This process helps prevent any regression in the position of the teeth, just like a retainer would.
We hope that this helped you understand what power chain braces are. If you have lingual braces and think that the power chain might help you, we suggest that you talk to your orthodontists in Bangalore about these types of orthodontic braces. Because, power chains or not, you deserve to smile your widest with all the confidence in the world.
