With traditional braces, the brackets are attached to an orthodontic wire with elastic bands, called “ligatures”, necessitating more pressure in order to move the teeth. More pressure equals more discomfort for the patient. Unlike traditional braces, self-ligating brackets are attached to the orthodontic wire using a system of clips, rather than ligatures (thus, the term “self-ligating”). Once clipped to the wire, the bracket is fixed in place by simply fastening a built-in clasp. In other words: having no elastics means having fewer problems. It’s as simple as that!
If you’d like to learn more about self-ligating brackets and the advantages they offer in comparison with traditional braces, you can follow this link.
