Metal braces are often cheaper and more affordable than clear aligners because of the scale they are manufactured at. 

While clear aligners have to be custom fitted to your teeth, and are thus personalised based on your 3D intraoral scans or physical impressions, metal braces are produced without any personalisation (in exception of braces like Brava by Brius lingual braces).

Metal braces are not custom-fitted to your teeth. There are no high lab fees when producing metal braces. This contributes to less costs for you as a patient.

Metal braces can be cheaper in Malaysia. The preferential currency helps with keeping costs slightly lower. 

In fact, if you are considering taking up treatment in Malaysia for braces treatment, here are some factors that you might wish to consider before taking up treatment: 

• Are you willing to spend time and money to travel down to Malaysia every 4-5 weeks for braces reviews and adjustments? 
• Are you willing to brave the immigration traffic for extended periods of time to head to your braces clinic? 
• Will you be okay heading down periodically when your braces bracket is dislodged or if you have a braces related emergency? 

If you are confident that you are able to do the above, then you can definitely consider metal braces treatment in Malaysia. 

However, if you find it difficult to make time to travel over the Causeway or even to head down as and when you have a braces emergency, it might be best to find a convenient braces clinic for treatment. 

A braces clinic near you can help you keep up with your regular braces adjustment visits for optimal treatment success. 

The primary differences between metal and self-ligating braces will be as follows: 

Metal Braces: 

• Twin brackets that shift teeth with a combination of brackets, wires and rubber bands. The rubber bands help to secure the wires to the brackets; 
• An affordable way to straighten teeth; 
• Suitable for all ages; 
• Your braces dentist has complete control over how to move your teeth and at what stage certain teeth should be moved. 

Self-Ligating Braces

• Second generation braces which uses a gated bracket that holds the wires without rubber bands; 
• Has a mild expansion effect and can be useful for crowding or moderate to severe overjet cases; 
• Completes treatment 35% faster than metal braces;
• Suitable for all ages. 

The average duration of metal braces treatment is 9 to 12 months.

Most patients that we see fall under complex-severe and complete their braces treatment in 24 – 36 months. 

Every patient has different treatment durations. The final duration is reliant on the following factors: 

• How complex your orthodontic case is; 
• Whether your case is an extraction or non-extraction case; 
• Whether you require additional appliances before braces treatment; 
• Whether you require further treatments like gum disease treatment before orthodontic treatment;
• If you are compliant to your regular braces adjustment visits. 

If you are looking for a more definitive assessment of your treatment duration with braces treatment, please feel free to contact us for a smile assessment with one of our braces dentists. 

When it comes to orthodontic treatments like braces, it is usually not likely to do treatment for a single arch. 

This is because orthodontic treatment is not just about aesthetics but about functionality and bite. 

Single arch treatment is usually done as a “finishing” treatment post-metal braces or clear aligners treatment. It is done to refine the appearance or correct final adjustments after your primary orthodontic treatment is done.

If you are intending to take up metal braces treatment, it is not likely that you will be able to do single arch treatment. 

If you are looking to expedite treatment or would like the fastest and safest braces treatment available, Brava by Brius braces can shift teeth up to 45% faster than traditional metal braces. 

Self-ligating braces are also able to shift teeth up to 35% faster than metal braces. 

Both options allow for safe and efficient teeth straightening.

Early orthodontic treatment can help to reduce braces treatment duration significantly. 

We usually recommend an early orthodontic assessment from as young as 5 years of age to check in on bite, teeth alignment, airway and breathing, and correct poor oral health habits. 

The best age to seek orthodontic treatment like braces would be as soon as most permanent teeth have emerged and the jaw is still growing, making teeth easier to move. This is usually between the ages of 10 to 14 years old. 

An early orthodontic assessment is usually recommended from the age of 5 onwards to determine whether your child is suitable for braces. 

The good thing is that the earlier you identify orthodontic problems, the easier and more affordable it is to provide a solution for them. 

In some cases, this also means preserving natural teeth instead of extracting them during orthodontic treatment.

Braces can help fix most orthodontic conditions like overjet, a protrusive lower jaw, misalignment of upper and lower teeth, crowding, correct midline misalignments, etc. 

Gold chaining can also be used in combination with braces to upright a second molar instead of removing it. 

However, just like any other orthodontic treatments, there are some limitations. 

Braces will not be able to correct a narrow palate. Additional appliances like MARPE (for aged 11 and above) or RPE (for aged below 11) will have to be employed for the expansion of the palate. 

Braces also cannot correct jaw asymmetry as this is a skeletal issue. For cases where there is jaw asymmetry, you can choose to either do a braces camouflage or undergo orthognathic surgery to correct it.

If you are intending to take up braces treatment, the following can affect the outcomes of your braces treatment: 

• Poor oral hygiene: Infrequent or negligent brushing and flossing of your teeth during orthodontic treatment can increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.  
• Refusal to attend regular oral maintenance dental cleanings during orthodontic treatment: It is important to maintain healthy teeth and gums during orthodontic treatment to prevent gum disease and dental decay.  
• Failing to return on time for braces review and adjustments appointments: Doing so can result in your treatment duration extending. Braces brackets do not automatically shift teeth and require frequent adjustments to achieve your desired position. Not returning for monthly reviews can cause inferior results and increased treatment time. 
• Failing to comply with clinician-directed use of braces accessories/rubber bands:  The quality of the treatment outcome can be severely affected when appliances are not used when indicated by your braces dentist. 

Just like any dental or orthodontic treatment, braces has certain limitations and risks: 

Limitations: 

• Unable to expand narrow arch or palate and will require additional appliances for it;
• Unable to correct jaw asymmetry; 
• Might have a longer treatment duration in comparison to alternative teeth straightening treatments like clear aligners or Brava by Brius lingual braces. 

Potential Risks: 

• Poor oral hygiene can cause tooth decay or white lesions forming during orthodontic treatment;
• Poor routine dental maintenance can lead to gum inflammation, gum disease or root resorption that results in bone loss;
• Soft tissue injuries from bracket abrasions or wires poking into the side of your cheeks; 
• Discomfort during the initial stage of treatment and after each adjustment.