Question for the dentists about braces

[NiceCupOfTea]

Back when I was a teenager in the 80s I had a brace, as did many. It was one of those removable plastic things with the metal bits that went around my teeth. Most of the other people I knew with braces had the same type of thing.

It seems that now, every time I see a teenager with braces, they are the permanent metal ones with sharp metal bits attached to each tooth.

Are there different types of brace for different things, or is it a choice thing?

The reason I ask is that as a brass teacher, time and time again I have a promising student who ends up with braces for 12-18 months and they pretty much have to put their playing on hold for that time as the metal digs into the back of their lip. Obviously it has a huge effect on their progress. When I was a kid it wasn't a problem - pop the brace out while I practice and back in the rest of the time.

Would be interested to hear the reasoning behind it (in simplified form if needs be!)

[mike80]

I had both. The permanent one for a year or two to do the majority of work moving my teeth, then a removable one for a few moths, that I didn't have to wear all the time. Horrible thing!

[NiceCupOfTea]

Strange isn't it? I had the traditional sticky-out top teeth. ISTR that I had a removable brace that covered the top (just below the gums) of my top teeth that was barely noticeable (and I could actually play with it in). After some months I had a couple of teeth removed (4th back on either side at the top I think), and then more months with another removable brace with a metal bar across the middle of my top front teeth. That one I did have to remove in order to play.

I am sure that there are different types for a reason, but I am sure that almost all my friends with braces had removable ones when I was a kid, but now they all seem to have permanent ones (which makes my life quite difficult!). Some of the dentists don't seem particularly sympathetic to the kids either