Fixed metal braces
Workhorse option. Still the most predictable.
Traditional stainless-steel brackets. The most widely-used orthodontic appliance worldwide, and still the most predictable for difficult cases. Dr. Hamza will often recommend these over ceramic or aligners when the case demands it — about 20% of his adult caseload is metal braces.
For the first 4–7 days after placement, your teeth will be sore — this is normal. Soft diet, paracetamol or ibuprofen as needed, orthodontic wax on any brackets irritating your cheek or lip.
Avoid hard and sticky food throughout treatment: no toffee, no chewing gum, no nuts, no ice-chewing, no hard bread crusts, no biting into whole apples or corn on the cob. Breakages extend treatment time.
Clean around the brackets after every meal — a small interdental brush works better than floss. We will show you at your first review.
Monthly adjustment visits are essential. If you miss two in a row, treatment stalls and can extend by months.
When braces come off, wear retainers as instructed — usually a fixed retainer behind the lower front teeth and a nightly clear retainer on the upper.
- A bracket coming loose — call us, book within a week (sooner if it is poking and painful)
- A wire poking that wax does not settle — we will trim it in a 5-minute visit
- Severe ongoing pain that is not settling after 7 days