Removable braces
You can take these braces in and out yourself

A removable brace is a type of brace that can be taken out of your mouth though they should be worn all of the time and taken out only for cleaning. There are advantages and limitations to using removable braces:

 What are the advantages of removable braces:

  1. They can be used to move only a few teeth at a time.
  2. Because they are removable, patients can take them out to clean their teeth more effectively.
  3. In growing patients/children a type of removable brace called a functional brace or functional appliance (link) can help correct certain problems such as sticking out teeth
  4. They can be used to help improve the bite while patients still have baby teeth, before all of their adult teeth have come through.

 Main 6 limitations of removable braces

  1. They usually need to be worn all of the time and if they are not worn enough, removable braces will not be able to move the teeth.
  2. Fixed braces control the movement of the teeth much better than removable braces.
  3. Fixed braces are better at achieving more complicated tooth movements.
  4. They can break more easily and will not work if they are not worn properly.
  5. They can affect speech and cause a temporary increase in the amount of saliva.
  6. If you do not look after your teeth by cleaning them well, there may be tooth decay and damage to your gums.

 Summary:

Removable braces can be an excellent alternative to fixed brace treatment in children who need some kind of early orthodontic treatment before they have fixed braces. They are also able to fix relatively simple problems. However, in more complicated situations they have a limited use and treatment with removable braces tends to be less predictable than with fixed braces.