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These have brackets and bands temporarily stuck to the teeth. A flexible wire joins all the brackets and allows the teeth to be moved. It is not possible for the patient to take the appliance out and so it is called a fixed appliance.
Often, teeth need to be guided more accurately than they can be using a removable plate, so fixed appliances are used.
Examples of fixed orthodontic appliances are the brackets, bands and wires most often associated with “braces.” Brackets can be made of metal, ceramic, plastic or a combination of these materials. Some metal brackets are silver-coloured, but some are gold-coloured. Ceramic brackets are typically clear or tooth-coloured and are generally used by patients who want to minimize the visibility of their braces.