Metal Braces - Great Lakes Bay Orthodontics

Starting Your New Smile Journey

At Great Lakes Bay Orthodontics, we offer modern metal braces and KLOwen custom metal braces, combining the proven effectiveness of traditional braces with digital scans and 3D printing for a more precise, comfortable fit and improved smile alignment.

This makes custom metal braces an excellent choice for patients of all ages—including younger patients undergoing Phase 1 treatment at our Midland and Bay City offices.

Custom Metal Braces: Modern System, Timeless Benefits

At Great Lakes Bay Orthodontics, you’ll enjoy the latest braces technology to transform your smile. Metal braces were known for being awkward and obvious, but modern versions are smaller, less conspicuous, and more comfortable to wear.

Our practice primarily uses KLOwen custom braces for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 treatment. This new, modern braces system is excellent at fixing complex tooth issues and works great to close gaps and align teeth.

Our custom braces also uses 3D-printed technology to completely customize your treatment to your unique needs. Let's take a look at some of the benefits of KLOwen custom metal braces.

Benefits of Custom Metal Braces

Time-Tested Durability

Metal braces are strong and last a long time. Made of high-quality stainless steel, they can handle everything your treatment throws at them.

This strength is super helpful for kids and teens who are always on the go. And because metal braces are so tough, they require fewer office visits for fixes, tweaks, or break repairs—which means a smoother overall smile journey for you or your child.

Less Time in Our Office

The modern design of our metal braces and the 3D-customization of your treatment means you'll enjoy fewer adjustments throughout your treatment—so fewer visits to our office.

Comfort Like Never Before

Our 3D-printed brackets have a design that makes them smoother and smaller to boost your comfort throughout your treatment.

You’ll enjoy less irritation and have a more pleasant treatment journey overall.

Better Teeth Alignment

Custom metal braces are still workhorses, helping to align your teeth no matter how complex your orthodontic issue.

After each new adjustment, you’ll feel some additional pressure against your teeth, but you can trust that these braces will gradually nudge your smile into a grin worth showing off.

No-Stress Maintenance

Say goodbye to fighting food caught between your braces and navigating a toothbrush around mountains of metal.

These smaller, custom brackets are easier to brush and floss around—so you enjoy less stress and fewer cavities.

Do-All Treatment

From crowded teeth to spaced-out teeth, overbites to underbites, cross bites and all the bites, custom metal braces are the Swiss army knife of orthodontic treatments.

Our custom metal braces work wonderfully well on a wide variety of cases—including the super complex ones—for patients of all ages.

Not Easily Misplaced

While clear aligners are discreet, they’re also removable—meaning you can possibly lose them.

Metal braces, on the other hand, are a fixed appliance. They stay in place over the course of your smile journey, so you never have to worry about keeping up with them.

Metal Braces FAQ

How do braces work?

Before applying your brackets, Dr. Grillo and the Great Lakes Bay Orthodontics team will collect photos and X-rays of your mouth. Sometimes we'll use our iTero Element scanner to scan each of your teeth and the layout of your gums and mouth.

If necessary, this process takes 10-15 minutes and provides a highly accurate 3D view of your mouth.

After the X-Ray and optional scan, your orthodontist will use this information to create your customized treatment plan, including how we need to move each tooth to get it in the best possible position.

Your orthodontist will decide how to place the brackets based on this information. For example, if you have some teeth that need to tilt, we'll place those brackets differently compared to the brackets for teeth that need to turn.

Once we attach your brackets, your orthodontist will insert the wire. Bends in the wire will provide different types of pressure on different teeth. Most orthodontists create movements using this bend in the wire.

What can I expect from today’s metal braces?

Sleeker brackets and lighter wires improve the appearance and feel of these braces. This means you’ll have less irritation in your mouth.

Traditional metal braces at Great Lakes Bay Orthodontics also come with a fun twist without extra cost—you can customize them with pops of color. The elastics that fit around your brackets come in various colors, letting you showcase your personality whenever you want.

Pick your favorite color combination, the colors of your favorite sports team, or your school colors. We also offer silver, gray, white, black, and tooth-colored elastics for patients seeking a more subtle look.

How long will I be in braces?

This is what everyone who visits our office wants to know, but it's something that doesn't have a concrete answer. Every smile is unique, and everyone responds to treatment differently, so treatment time with metal braces at Great Lakes Bay Orthodontics will vary by case.

The average time spent in metal braces is around 18 to 22 months but it could be shorter or longer, depending on the individual and the treatment plan designed by Dr. Grillo.

We have some patients at Great Lakes Bay Orthodontics in braces for as few as six months, but it can take over three years to complete the process for complex issues.

With metal braces in Midland or Bay City, you'll see signs of improvement quickly, which gives you confidence during the treatment process.