Want your teeth straightened? This is what braces do.
Braces move your teeth little by little into the right place with light, steady pressure: small brackets fixed to the teeth with a wire, or a series of clear trays, and afterwards a retainer that holds the result. They work at any age, from an early check for a child whose jaw is still growing to an adult whose teeth overlap, stick out or have gaps between them, and the examination decides which type suits you and whether it suits you right now.
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What braces are, and who they suit
A tooth moves because the bone around it keeps renewing itself. When a tooth is pushed gently in one direction, bone dissolves on one side and rebuilds on the other. Braces use exactly that: light, steady pressure on each tooth towards its proper place, over months, until the teeth reach their place and meet each other properly. Then a retainer, because teeth keep wanting to drift back after any braces.
And they are for every age. In a child, while the jaw is still growing, an early check can guide that growth, sometimes lightens the work later, and afterwards it is decided whether a full course of braces is needed. In an adult, age is not the barrier: teeth move at any age, as long as the bone and gum around them are healthy, and the difference is in how the plan is built, not in whether it works: Braces as an adult: age is not the barrier.
If you started treatment in another country, bring whatever records you have; that is covered further down.
The problems braces treat, in your own words
- Your teeth overlap. There is not enough room, so one tooth sits behind, another leans forward, and floss will not go between them. That is crowding, and sometimes it needs space made before the teeth can line up.
- There are gaps between your teeth. A gap between the front teeth, or gaps that trap food. That is spacing, and the cause changes the plan: small teeth on a wide jaw, a missing tooth, or a habit such as pushing the tongue against the teeth.
- Your upper teeth stick out. Your lips do not close comfortably, or the front teeth show when your mouth is at rest. That is an upper protrusion; many people call it an overbite. It can come from the teeth themselves or from the jaw, which the examination tells apart.
- Your lower jaw sits forward. The whole lower jaw is forward, so the lower front teeth close in front of the upper ones, and the chin looks prominent in profile. That is an underbite, and in a child the timing of treatment matters particularly here.
- Your bite is off to one side. On one side the lower teeth close outside the upper ones instead of inside, or a single upper front tooth is caught behind the lower teeth. That is a crossbite, and left alone it can cause uneven wear on the teeth over time; the examination decides whether it needs treating now.
Whichever of these is yours, the examination decides whether it needs braces at all, which type, and one jaw or both. And the cost? It is discussed after the examination, and what decides it is explained on What decides the cost of your treatment.
The types we work with
Four things you will hear about at the clinic under the word “braces”, each with its own job and its own people. No brand names, because what makes the difference is not the name; it is your case:
Fixed braces
Small brackets bonded to the teeth with a wire running through them, and they stay in your mouth for the whole course; at each visit the wire is changed or tightened to carry the movement on. This is the option that can do every kind of movement, from a simple tilt to moving a whole tooth with its root, which is why it remains the foundation for moderate and difficult cases. Brackets exist in metal and in a shade close to the tooth, and you learn at the examination which kind is available. Who they suit: most cases, and the child or teenager who would find it hard to keep removable trays in. Who they do not suit right now: anyone with inflamed gums or active decay, who is treated first and fitted afterwards.
Clear aligners
Clear trays made to the shape of your teeth and swapped in stages, each one moving the teeth a small step, and you take them out to eat and brush. Who they suit: many cases, not all, and most often adults who do not want visible metal at work. Who they do not suit: heavy crowding, or teeth that need to rotate a long way, usually need fixed braces, or start with them. And whoever does not keep the trays in for most of the hours of the day will not get the result from them, because their secret is discipline. They have a page of their own that goes into more detail: Clear aligners.
The retainer afterwards, and why it is not optional
Teeth keep wanting to drift back after any braces, because the bone and gum around them need time to settle in the new position, and the old habits, the tongue, the lip, the way you bite, are still there. The retainer is what holds the result through that time, which is why it is part of the plan from day one, not an add-on at the end. The two most common kinds: a thin wire fixed behind the front teeth that does not show from the front, or a clear tray you take out. Who it is for: almost everyone who finishes braces. Which kind, how many hours a day you wear it, how long it stays with you, and why for many people the night-time retainer stays for a long time: all of that you hear for your own case before you begin.
The early orthodontic check for children
Not full braces; a look at the right time. The doctor sees how the jaw is growing and how the adult teeth are coming through, and whether anything deserves a small step now that may lighten the work later: widening a narrow upper jaw, holding the space of a baby tooth lost early, correcting a bite that is reversed on one side, or a simple appliance that breaks a thumb-sucking habit. Who it suits: the child with a mixed set of baby and adult teeth, when the time is right. What you usually hear: most children need nothing at this stage except watching, and you hear that plainly. The detail is on Children's dentistry.
So which one is right for you?
Not the one that shows least, and not the one a friend had. The one that gets your teeth where they should be and leaves them meeting properly when treatment ends. Sometimes that is aligners, sometimes fixed braces, sometimes one after the other, and on one jaw or both: Braces on one jaw only?. At the examination you hear why this and not that, and then the choice is yours.
How it happens, step by step
Braces are not one appointment; they are a course of regular visits over months. Here are the steps as they are, with no number of months, because the figure for your case comes after the examination as an expectation, not here as a promise.
- 1
The examination, the x-rays and the measurementsThe doctor examines your teeth, gums and bite: from the front and from both sides, how much crowding or spacing there is in each jaw, and whether the problem is in the teeth or in the jaw itself. Then x-rays if they are needed: a panoramic x-ray of both jaws, sometimes a side view of the head that shows how the jaws relate to each other, and photographs of your teeth and face and measurements of the teeth. Nothing is fitted at this visit.
- 2
The plan, explainedYou hear exactly what you have, which type suits you, one jaw or both, whether the case needs space made first (light filing between the teeth or an extraction), how your teeth will meet when treatment ends, and what to expect in your own case. You also hear if your case does not need braces at all. You go home and think it over before you decide.
- 3
FittingWith fixed braces: the teeth are cleaned, the small brackets are bonded to each tooth and the wire is threaded through, usually in one visit, with no needle and no anaesthetic because nothing is drilled. With aligners: you collect the first trays and learn how to put them in and take them out. Either way, expect some pressure in the first days; the detail is under “Does it hurt?” below.
- 4
The regular visitsAt each visit the wire is changed or tightened, or you get your elastics, or the next trays, and the cleaning and the gums are checked. The visits run regularly through the whole course, and every delayed visit stretches the road. If something breaks between visits, you call; you do not wait for the appointment.
- 5
Taking them off, and the retainerWhen the teeth have reached their place and meet properly, the brackets come off and the tooth is cleaned of the adhesive, and around the same time the retainer is fitted. From here the holding stage begins, and you hear exactly how to wear it and when to come back.
Drag and see: your teeth as they move
The downsides, honestly, before the advantages
Braces are a decision that stays in your mouth for months, and a retainer for years after that. So you hear the downsides first:
- It hurts in the first days, and after each adjustment. Pressure and tenderness on the teeth in the first days after fitting and after each adjustment, and it usually eases on its own within days. The detail, and what helps, is under “Does it hurt?” below.
- Cleaning is harder, and neglect shows on the tooth. Plaque collects around the brackets and under the wires more than usual. If it is not cleaned properly every day, white marks appear on the tooth where the bracket was once the braces come off, along with decay and gum inflammation. That means brushing after every meal, a small interdental brush between the teeth and around the metal, and cleanings at the clinic through the course.
- Eating and habits change. With fixed braces: hard and sticky food breaks the brackets, so apples and carrots are cut up, chewing gum and caramel are out, and so is biting your nails or a pen. With aligners: the trays come out for eating and for any drink other than water, and go straight back in afterwards, and that changes the rhythm of your day.
- Discipline is not optional. Appointments on time, and elastics, trays and afterwards the retainer worn as asked: that is what keeps the plan on schedule. Once people stop wearing the retainer, drifting back is common, after weeks or after years.
- And not every case needs braces. One tooth slightly tilted, or a small gap between the front teeth, with a sound bite, sometimes has a simpler answer: limited braces on the front teeth only, or watching without any work if it does not bother you. And you hear that plainly, even when the answer is “you do not need braces”.
And the advantages
- Straight teeth are easier to clean. No hidden corners where tartar collects, so the gums and the teeth are easier to look after in the long run.
- A bite that meets properly. It spreads the load across all the teeth instead of a few, which lowers the chance of wear in one spot.
- And the look of your smile. Which is what most people come for, and it is a fair reason. It comes last here because health comes before looks.
Do braces slim the face? No. The shape of the lips and the smile can change, especially when protruding front teeth are brought back or after an extraction, and you hear about that before you decide. Why some people feel their face changed is in Braces as an adult.
When it is not right for now, or should wait
In these cases the answer is usually not “no”. It is “not yet”, and you hear what has to happen first:
- Active gum inflammation. Braces on inflamed gums make it worse, so for many people the first step is not the wire; it is a cleaning and gum treatment, and then the examination says whether braces have become an option. If there is advanced bone loss around the roots, the decision is finer, and you hear it plainly.
- Decay that needs treating first. Decay and gum inflammation carry on around the brackets and under the wires if they are not treated beforehand. So the fillings first, and braces go onto a healthy mouth.
- Pregnancy. Pregnancy on its own is not a barrier, but timing matters: some steps wait until after the birth, some do not; routine x-rays usually wait, and any that are necessary are kept to a minimum, with precautions the doctor decides. Braces during pregnancy: what waits and what doesn't.
- A problem in the jaw itself, in an adult. If the lower jaw sits well back or well forward, or the two jaws do not match in size, moving the teeth alone does not fix how the jaws relate. In a child, growth can be guided. In an adult the answer is braces that soften the difference, or braces coordinated with a jaw surgeon in the larger cases, and the doctor refers you if your case needs it.
- And a child it is still too early for. Sometimes the early check says “not yet, but we keep watching”, because the adult teeth have not all come through and the jaw is still growing. That is not a refusal; it is timing.
What happens at the first visit
The examination looks at the teeth, the gums, the bone and the bite, with an x-ray if it is needed. You leave knowing whether braces suit you, which type, one jaw or both, or you hear the plan at a second visit once the x-rays and measurements have been studied. No pressure to decide in the same visit. And if fear of the dentist is what has been holding you back, say so from the first moment and we go at your pace: When the visit is hard.
What to do from here, and when to call
- 1
Book an examination, not a decisionThe examination tells you whether braces suit you now and which type, or what has to happen first. The detail is under “What happens at the first visit” above.
- 2
Health before hardwareTartar, gum inflammation or decay are dealt with first.
- 3
Say exactly what bothers youThe front teeth only? The bite? One particular gap? A tooth sitting out? And what would bother you at work or in daily life about how braces look? That steers the choice of type, and the doctor tells you whether what you want can be done or needs more.
- 4
Say if you have had braces before, or started them elsewhereIf you had them as a teenager and your teeth drifted back, say so from the start. Drifting back is common once people stop wearing the retainer, and a second course can be shorter than the first when there is less to move, and that comes out of the examination. If you began treatment in another country and then moved to Amman, bring whatever records you have: notes, x-rays, the type of appliance. After an examination the doctor tells you whether the plan carries on as it is or needs to change.
- 5
If you are in Amman for a whileHere is the honest part. Braces are a course of regular visits, not a single session, and they need to be followed in one place, on one plan. Fixed braces need regular adjustment and are not meant to go months without a visit, and a course started here and finished somewhere else is possible but rarely seamless: whoever takes over inherits a plan they did not design. So if you are in Amman for a posting, a contract or a semester, or you travel often, say so at the first visit, before anything is fitted. It goes into the choice of type, into the shape of the plan, and sometimes into the advice to wait and start where you will be living. It is fairer to hear that before you begin than midway through.
- 6
Ask about the retainer from day oneIts type, and what happens if it breaks or gets lost. Before you begin, not on the day the braces come off.
When to call
Most of what happens with braces can be sorted out at the next visit. But some things do not wait for the appointment:
- A wire sticking out and cutting your cheek or tongue that you could not cover with wax.
- A bracket that has come off the tooth, or a wire that has snapped.
- Pain that gets worse after a few days instead of easing, or pain in one particular tooth.
- Swelling in the gum or cheek, or heavy gum bleeding that does not stop with gentle brushing.
- A clear tray lost or broken, so your teeth are not left without one for days.
- A retainer broken or lost, because without it the teeth can start drifting back quickly.
- A fever with any of the above.
Call during opening hours and we give you the earliest open slot, and tell you what to do until you get here. If a large swelling reaches your eye, or swallowing or breathing becomes difficult, that does not wait for an orthodontic appointment: it is a hospital emergency, and you tell us afterwards. If you have a fever with swelling and the clinic is closed, do not wait for opening hours: go to the nearest hospital emergency department, and tell us afterwards. And if a tooth is hurting right now and it has nothing to do with the braces, here is what to do until you get here: Toothache: what to do right now.
And who treats you?
The clinic has a team of dentists, Dr. Adnan Alakhras among them. He holds a Professional Diploma in Fixed Orthodontics alongside a clinical master's degree in paediatric dentistry, so the same clinic that fits your braces can do the early orthodontic check for your children in the same place. Read about the doctor and the clinic.
Questions people ask
Does it hurt?
The usual feeling with braces is pressure and tenderness, not the throbbing toothache that wakes you at night. In the first days after fitting and after each adjustment you feel pressure and tenderness on the teeth, and it usually eases on its own within days. The brackets can rub the cheek at first until it gets used to them, and wax covers them. If you need a painkiller, the doctor decides which one is right for you. Pressure in the first days is normal, but it is not a gauge: you may feel nothing and the teeth still move, and what matters is that it eases rather than builds. Pain that gets worse instead of easing, or in one particular tooth, is a reason to call. And if the fear of pain itself is what is putting you off, say so at the first visit: When the visit is hard.
How long does it take?
No number fits everyone, and any number you have heard belongs to a case that is not yours. It depends on your case (how far the teeth have to move, crowding or gaps or protrusion, one jaw or both), on your age (adult bone renews itself more slowly than a teenager's), and on your discipline. What keeps it short: appointments on time, elastics and trays worn as asked, and gums that were healthy before the start. What stretches it: a bracket that breaks, a visit that slips, or gums that need treating midway. The expectation for your own case comes with the plan after the examination, as an expectation, not a promise. And after the braces comes the retainer, which has its own time.
Are there payment plans?
Not at the moment. The doctor is looking into it and wants a trustworthy partner before he commits to anything. What you can do now: book the examination, and you hear exactly what your case needs, what has to happen before braces (gums, decay) and what is part of the treatment itself. And the cost itself is discussed after the examination, not over the phone or by email. The full answer is under Payment and insurance on What decides the cost of your treatment.
Am I too old for braces?
No. Teeth move at any age, as long as the bone and gum around them are healthy, and people have braces in their thirties, forties and beyond. What changes in an adult is not whether braces work but how the plan is built: growth has finished, your mouth has a history of fillings and crowns, the gums matter more, and it may take a little longer. All of it is in Braces as an adult: age is not the barrier.
Can I have braces on the upper jaw only?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Your upper teeth close against your lower teeth: if moving the upper teeth alone still leaves them meeting properly, one jaw is enough. If it upsets the bite, it has to be both. The examination decides, with an x-ray if it is needed. When one jaw is enough and when it is not: Braces on one jaw only?.
Clear or metal?
There is no type that suits everyone; there is a type that suits your case. Fixed braces can do every kind of movement and remain the foundation for moderate and difficult cases; clear aligners suit many cases, not all, and need the trays worn every day as asked. The examination decides which one gets your teeth where they should be, and then the choice is between the ones that fit you. Clear aligners.
Do I need teeth taken out for braces?
Sometimes, not always. When the crowding is heavy or the teeth stick out a long way, they need room to come back or line up, and room is made by light filing between the teeth (a very thin layer of enamel), by gentle widening in a child, or by an extraction. An extraction is decided with the plan after the examination and the x-ray, not before, based on how much crowding and protrusion there is and on the shape of the lips, and you hear why and what it does to your lips and profile before you decide.
We suggest only the treatment you need, we tell you why, and we protect your tooth before we think about extraction.
Your next step
An examination, and x-rays if they are needed. You hear whether braces suit you, or you hear the plan at a second visit once the x-rays and measurements have been studied. Then you decide at ease, whether you live around the corner or are only in Amman for a while.
Pages that go with this one
This page explains the procedure in general; it is not a diagnosis of your case. The decision is made at the examination, and the cost is discussed after the examination.