Your teeth rest inside pockets within your gums and are attached to your jaw bone by ligaments. They are not permanently adhered to your bone as some people may think. Braces apply pressure to one side of your tooth, causing the ligament to stretch on one side and compress on the other. This pressure forces your bone to grow on the side where the tooth is moving to and reabsorb on the other. An orthodontist in Laguna Niguel, CA, motions your progress to ensure the teeth only move where they are supposed to go. Over time, the teeth move into their ideal positions, and the bone solidifies to keep them in place.