• Braces with red bands on teeth.

    Add coloured bands!

    When you want your clear or metal braces to stand out, you have the option to add brightly coloured elastic bands. Try out your options with our braces colour picker tool.

    Try on braces colours now

A man and woman riding a motorized scooter, with the man sitting in the front.

Smile with confidence.

Crooked teeth or a gap in your smile should never hold you back. Learn how braces and other orthodontic solutions from 3M can give you the confidence to live every moment to the fullest.

FIND A doctor
  • A smiling woman, holding a mug.

    Don’t be self-conscious about your smile.

    Your smile is a universal symbol of joy. You smile when you’re happy, when you’re surrounded by people you love, when you’re excited by something new. You smile for the camera to mark meaningful moments. It’s instinct.

    If you’re self-conscious about your teeth, it can take away from these moments of joy. All of a sudden, you’re distracted and less present. You’re closing your lips, hiding behind your hand, and holding back.

    You deserve to live every moment to the fullest. Braces can help.


How do braces straighten my teeth?

Braces use steady, light pressure to push and pull your teeth into alignment. As they move, the sockets that hold your teeth in place are reshaped, and the tissue and bone structure grow around them to hold them in the new position. The result is a beautiful, long-lasting smile!

What do braces do?

  • An illustration of a row of teeth with one tooth misaligned and arrows pointing out from either side of the misaligned tooth.
    Straighten your teeth

    Braces bring your teeth into alignment to eliminate crookedness, overcrowding and gaps. This can help make it easier to floss and keep your gums healthy long-term.

  • An illustration of an overbite with arrows pointing up and down.
    Fix your bite

    Braces can help correct your overbite or underbite, so that your teeth line up when you bite down. This can help make it easier to chew, prevent you from grinding your teeth, and help you avoid jaw pain.

  • An illustration of top and bottom teeth, closed and sparkling.
    Improve your smile

    By bringing your teeth into alignment, braces can actually change the profile of your face. A straight, healthy smile can improve both your self-image and how others perceive you.


Types of braces

Depending on your needs, your orthodontist may recommend any number of custom treatment options. Here is a quick guide to help you understand each one:

  • Metal braces don’t have to be a mouthful. Metal brackets are attached to your teeth, and an archwire is strung through them. Today’s options are smaller and more comfortable than ever before, with low-profile and mini options available.

  • See your smile, not your appliances. Clear braces are the same size and shape as metal braces, but they’re made of translucent ceramic to blend in with your teeth for a more natural look.

  • Instead of wires or brackets, aligners are a series of removable, nearly invisible plastic trays designed to help guide your teeth into the ideal position.

  • Go incognito. Lingual braces have the same components as metal or clear braces, but they are bonded behind your teeth — on the “lingual” side. This makes them nearly imperceptible.

A smiling boy, wearing braces.

It's time to start your treatment.

Are you ready? Find out what to expect when you're getting braces.

Learn about getting braces

Resources

  • Before treatment starts, see what you’ll look like with aligners, braces or a diamond grill! Our app allows you to try on orthodontic products on your live smile using augmented reality.

  • Select the right tools for each case while using integrated treatment planning delivered via intuitive software. It’s the future of bonding in orthodontics.

A smiling girl with braces, leaning against a wall.

Ready to get braces? Book a consult near you.

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