The orthodontic treatment can focus on improving the general appearance of patients' teeth by correcting crooked/displaced teeth or can deal with the control and manipulation of facial growth.

If the main goal of the treatment is to straighten crooked or misaligned teeth, most commonly a fixed multibracket therapy is used. In this case orthodontic wires are inserted into dental braces, which can be made from stainless steel or a more attractive ceramic material.

Functional and orthopaedic appliances are used in growing patients (age 5 to 13)with in order to modify the jaw dimensions and relationship if these are altered. This therapy is frequently followed by a fixed multibracket therapy to align the teeth. After orthodontic treatment, patients will often wear retainers, which will maintain the teeth in their improved position while the surrounding bone reforms around them. The retainers are generally worn full-time for a short period, perhaps 6 months to a year, and then worn periodically (typically nightly during sleep) for as long as the orthodontist recommends.