Thinking about clear braces?

As one of the first things we notice about a person, our smile plays an important role in everyday life. It can help express character, build new relationships, and create a good first impression. However, if you are one of the many people self-conscious of your smile, these seemingly normal interactions could leave you with a sense of dread.

Tooth crowding and/or spacing can not only affect your confidence, it can also affect your oral health. In fact, badly aligned teeth can lead to a number of health problems, including: discomfort when chewing or biting, speech impediments, difficulty brushing & flossing, as well as increased risk of plaque, heart disease, strokes, and even diabetes.

What options are out there?

If you are interested in changing the position and appearance of your teeth, there are a number of options available. 

Previously, the only method of treatment for those with misaligned teeth was traditional ‘train track’ braces. Often uncomfortable, with an average treatment length of 24 months, these braces are often approached with a sense of disdain – particularly amongst adult patients. However, due to developments in dental technology, there are now a number of alternative treatments for patients to take.

Relatively new to the dental market and rapidly increasing in popularity, invisible braces can pose a number of benefits to the modern patient.

 

What are invisible braces?

As their name suggests, invisible braces slot over your teeth and discreetly fix any alignment issues – without drawing any unwanted attention. Completely removable, invisible braces consist of a series of clear trays that are custom-made to your specification. Each a marginally different shape in the sequence, they work by gradually moving your teeth in small increments until they are in the final position. 

Each brace is worn for a period of 2-3 weeks before progressing, rapidly decreasing the length of treatment. In some cases, orthodontic treatment with invisible braces can take as little as 12 weeks – a vast improvement on the treatment length with fixed braces.

Clear, removable and quick, not only do invisible braces pose a number of benefits for a patient’s lifestyle – they are also beneficial to oral health. They can be removed with ease for cleaning and flossing teeth, something that is very difficult to achieve with fixed braces. In addition, their clear, discreet appearance means that more and more people are opting for orthodontic treatment – vastly improving the population’s confidence and oral health.