Irving Braces: Metal and Clear Braces at Ward Orthodontics
What Are Braces? A Simple Explanation
Braces are fixed appliances that use brackets, archwires, and elastics to guide teeth into better alignment. Irving braces come in two main styles at Ward Orthodontics: metal braces and clear braces. Brackets bond to each tooth, an archwire connects them, and gentle, steady pressure moves teeth over time.
Both styles work well for kids, teens, and adults, and Dr. Nick Ward will tell you which one makes the most sense for your smile at your free consult.
Metal Braces
Metal braces use small stainless steel brackets and wires. They're tried and true, and today's versions are smaller and fit more comfortably than the ones you remember. Strong smiles start with metal.
Clear Braces
Clear braces (also called enhanced esthetic braces) work the same way, but the brackets are made of a tooth-colored material. You get powerful results with a barely-there appearance, which makes them a favorite for adults and older teens.
Braces correct more than crooked teeth. Dr. Nick Ward uses them to address:
- Crowding and crooked teeth
- Gaps and spacing
- Overbite and underbite
- Crossbite and open bite
- Rotated or tipped teeth
- Bite issues that affect chewing or jaw comfort
Ward Orthodontics offers metal braces, clear braces, and clear aligners (Angel Aligners) under one roof at our friendly neighborhood office on N. O'Connor Road. That means your custom plan starts with what your smile actually needs, not with whatever a practice happens to offer.
What Are the Benefits of Braces for Irving Patients?
Braces handle the heavy lifting in orthodontics. Because they're bonded to your teeth and working every hour of every day, they can correct complex bite issues that removable options may not fully address, including significant rotations, deep bites, and jaw alignment concerns.
Here's what families in Irving appreciate most:
- They work around the clock. Nothing to remove, nothing to remember. For kids and teens, that removes the compliance worry entirely.
- Better function, not just looks. Straighter teeth and a balanced bite improve chewing and speech, and they lower the risk of uneven wear, chipping, and decay in hard-to-clean spots.
- Real confidence. A straighter, more symmetrical smile changes how you show up, at school, at work, and in photos.
- A subtle option for adults. Clear braces give grown-ups the strength of fixed treatment without drawing attention.
- Color elastics are fun. Younger kids love picking new colors at every visit. Holidays, school colors, birthdays, it's a small thing that makes treatment something to look forward to.
Metal Braces vs. Clear Braces at a Glance
| Metal Braces | Clear Braces | |
|---|---|---|
| Bracket material | Stainless steel | Tooth-colored ceramic |
| Visibility | Visible | Barely-there appearance |
| Handles complex cases | Yes | Yes |
| Color elastic options | Yes, lots of them | Clear or white ties |
| Popular with | Kids and teens | Adults and older teens |
| Care requirements | Standard brushing and flossing | Standard, plus limiting staining foods |
Not sure which fits? Dr. Ward walks you through both during your free consult so you can decide with confidence.
The Braces Process at Ward Orthodontics: Step by Step
Getting braces in Irving takes five steps: a free consult with digital records, a custom plan review, a bonding visit to place your brackets and wire, adjustment visits every 6-8 weeks, and finally removal with a retainer fitting. Most treatment runs 12 to 24 months, depending on how much movement your smile needs.
Step 1: Your Free Consult
You'll meet Dr. Nick Ward, a board-certified orthodontist, and we'll take digital records, photos, and X-rays. No cost, no pressure. If getting across town is tough, ask about our virtual consult option.
Step 2: Review Your Custom Plan
Dr. Ward explains what he sees, what braces will accomplish, and roughly how long it will take. You'll also get real numbers up front, including insurance benefits and our in-house payment plans. Skip the stress of surprise pricing.
Step 3: Bonding Day
This is the visit where your braces go on. Plan for about 60 to 90 minutes. Your teeth get cleaned and prepped, each bracket is bonded into position, and the archwire is threaded and secured. Kids pick their first colors here. You'll leave with a care kit and instructions for the first few days.
Step 4: Adjustment Visits
Every 6-8 weeks, you'll come in so Dr. Ward can change or tighten the archwire and check progress. These visits are quick. He'll add elastics or other small components as the plan calls for them, and your teeth keep moving in the right direction.
Step 5: Removal and Retainers
Once your bite and alignment look right, the braces come off. That same day, Dr. Ward fits you for a retainer, because teeth naturally want to drift back. Wearing your retainer as directed is what protects everything you just accomplished. That's how we get you from day one to done.
Are You a Candidate for Irving Braces?
Most people with crowded teeth, spacing, an overbite, underbite, crossbite, or open bite are good candidates for braces. Age isn't the deciding factor. Healthy gums and supporting bone are. Dr. Ward evaluates all of it during your free consult and tells you honestly whether braces or clear aligners are the better fit for your smile.
Kids
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic evaluation at the first sign of an issue, or no later than age 7. Early evaluation doesn't always mean early treatment. It gives Dr. Ward the chance to watch growth and step in at the right moment, which can simplify things later.
Teens
This is the classic window. Most permanent teeth are in, jaws are still growing, and treatment tends to move along predictably.
Adults
Braces work at 25, 45, and 65. Adult treatment is common at Ward Orthodontics, and clear braces make it easy to go through treatment without announcing it.
Braces are often the better choice when your case involves severe rotations, significant bite correction, or teeth that need to move in more than one direction at once. If you deal with jaw clicking, tightness, or headaches, TMD/TMJD symptoms are worth an orthodontic evaluation too. Bite alignment and jaw comfort are closely connected.
Why Do Irving Families Choose Ward Orthodontics?
Braces are placed by all sorts of providers these days. Your plan should come from a specialist.
Orthodontist-led care. Dr. Nick Ward is a board-certified orthodontist through the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO), a voluntary distinction that goes beyond standard licensing and that not every orthodontist chooses to pursue. He's also a member of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), the American Dental Association (ADA), the Texas Association of Orthodontists (TAO), and the Texas Dental Association (TDA).
A legacy worth continuing. Our family-first practice carries forward the work of Dr. Patrick Ohlenforst, a Baylor-trained orthodontist who earned his Master's from UT Houston and cared for Irving families through nearly 50 years of smiles. His standard of care is the one we still hold ourselves to every day. Dr. Ward, born and raised in Irving, keeps that legacy of excellence and convenience going. We're not just orthodontists; we're your neighbors.
Every option in one place. Metal braces, clear braces, and clear aligners, including Angel Aligners, since Ward Orthodontics is a certified Angel Aligner provider. Same office, same doctor, whichever path fits best. Your treatment should fit your life, not the other way around.
Easy to get started. Free consults, virtual consult availability, extended flexible hours, and in-house payment plans discussed openly at your first visit.
Care for the whole household. Orthodontics for children, teens, adults, and seniors, plus TMD/TMJD evaluation and treatment. Great smiles grow here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Braces in Irving
How much do braces cost in Irving, TX?
What braces cost depends on how complex your case is and how long treatment takes, so there's no single number that applies to everyone. At your free consult, Dr. Ward gives you an exact figure before you commit to anything. We check your insurance benefits and set up in-house payment plans that spread the cost across your treatment. Many families find the monthly number lands lower than they expected, and we walk through every line of it together so nothing turns up later as a surprise.
How long do braces take?
Most people wear braces 12 to 24 months. Mild crowding or spacing can finish faster, while significant bite correction takes longer. Wearing your elastics as directed and keeping your adjustment visits on schedule are the two biggest things within your control.
Are braces uncomfortable?
Placing braces itself is straightforward, and there's nothing sharp about it. Your teeth will feel snug and a little different for about three to five days after bonding, and you'll notice that same adjusting feeling for a day or two after each wire change, similar to how muscles feel after a good workout. Soft foods, cold water, and the simple over-the-counter options we suggest smooth it out easily. After the first week, most folks stop noticing their braces at all.
Metal braces, clear braces, or clear aligners: which is right for me?
| Best For | Removable | Visibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal braces | Complex bites, kids and teens, color fun | No | Visible |
| Clear braces | Adults and teens wanting subtlety with full strength | No | Low |
| Clear aligners | Mild to moderate cases, adults and responsible teens | Yes | Nearly invisible |
Dr. Ward reviews all three during your free consult based on what your teeth actually need, plus your schedule and preferences.
What foods should I avoid with braces?
Skip anything hard, sticky, or chewy: ice, hard candy, caramel, taffy, gum, nuts, and popcorn. Cut apples, corn on the cob, and hard rolls into pieces instead of biting straight in. Go easy on soda and sugary drinks, which raise decay risk around brackets. With clear braces, limit coffee, tea, curry, and tomato sauce to keep your ties looking bright.
Can adults get braces?
Absolutely. Teeth respond to steady pressure at any age, as long as your gums and supporting bone are healthy. Plenty of adults at Ward Orthodontics choose clear braces so treatment stays low-key at work and in photos. Adult treatment sometimes takes a bit longer than teen treatment, but the results last just as well.
How often are adjustment visits?
Every 6-8 weeks. Each one is short, usually 15 to 30 minutes, and we offer extended hours so you're not rearranging your whole week. Missing visits stalls tooth movement and stretches out your total time in braces.
Schedule Your Free Braces Consultation in Irving
Ready to see what braces could do for your smile? Book a free consult with Dr. Nick Ward at our Irving office. You'll get digital records, a straight answer about whether braces or clear aligners fit best, and clear pricing with in-house payment plans reviewed before you decide anything. No obligation, ever.
Starting sooner usually means a shorter overall timeline, especially for growing kids and teens.
Ward Orthodontics
3200 N. O'Connor Rd., Irving, TX 75062
Call 972-257-3200 or book online at irvingorthodontist.com/free-consult
Prefer to start from your couch? Ask about our virtual consult. Se habla español.
Where your smile feels at home.