Which parts of braces are the most interesting (or fascinating) for you?

In case of fixed braces: Is it the brackets, the molar bands, the archwires, additional wires, elastics? What region do you consider as most interesting? The upper or lower jaw, the front part or the teeth at the side? Or altogehter?

In case of removable braces and hawley retainers: The upper or lower jaw? The plastic or the wires? The labial bow or whatelse? Perhaps the srews?

In case of headgear? The inner bow, the outer bow, the point where both meet, the parts around the neck or head?

And of course: Which kind of braces do you like most?


In my opinion a part of fixed braces to be worth seeing is the brackets on the lower jaw's front teeth. The lower front teeth are narrow and therefore there are many brackets near to each other!

Nevertheless I like all kind of braces, but fixed braces less and retainers more. I think it's because they are not so common.

Fixed braces: Pretty much a tie here, it is really hard to decide. The brackets and archwires look and feel so interesting against the lips, and elastic hooks on the canines are a definite added plus. I am with you on the lower front brackets, they look really cool so close together. It is fun to play with the inner cleat of the molar bands, and bicuspid bands add that extra shine. I guess my favorite part is the headgear tubes on the upper molar bands, the way they push into the cheeks and they look like a jet engine hanging off of each molar

Retainers: I had a classmate in high school that had a Ricketts retainer. I liked the way the wire looped back around the canine and made it different from the Hawley.

Headgear: The new force module headgear looks totally lame. Cervical headgear with an elastic strap and a double loop facebow is way cooler, just like a friend of mine had.  I managed to put his on a couple of times on the sly, and I loved the feeling of the thick wire and the double loops.

Overall: A big shiny metal mouth of course! They look extra good during the last half of the treatment and the teeth are getting straighter, but still shiny with elastics going from the upper canines to the lower bands.

Regular Metal braces

Elastic at the corner of the mouth
Powerchain on both top and bottom-silver coloured

complete with a combo headgear (facebow is really important)

PS a pair of herbst would really help too.

On a regular set of metal braces, I think that the molar bands are the most interesting. That's not counting headgear, etc..

I've had braces for over two years and powerchains for 19 months ... and they're awesome!

I love the colours and how the colour runs from bracket to bracket.  The pc's also do amazing work at closing gaps!

Definitely the plastic of a top hawley retainer.
I have never needed one but I have worn a thick bite plate for six years full time.
I can talk better with it in and my mouth gets sore if I try eating without it.
Have got an articulator as well.- (top Hawley and bottom all in one with breathing hole at the front)
Its good sometimes for a change !

Definatly Face mask. Nothing better than a bunch of elastics hooked to molar bands and appliance holding a ridiculous metal mask on your face with a chin cup and forehead pad. So noticeable...

For some reason I find the wires most interesting - all those loops, thicknesses, shapes, curves, elastic hooks - where would fixed braces be without them.

Where fixed braces are concerned, I have to admit to liking the closing stages of treatment where the wires are thick, the teeth are almost straight, perhaps a couple of elastic bands hanging off them...

Never seen a real headgear, but I have to agree with tingrin - the force module headgear looks so cheap and easy. At least the old metal version with that triangular loop connecting it to the facebow looked more substantial.