A bright, toothy smile, with evenly aligned teeth, is what everyone yearns for these days. The advantages of having a perfect smile are innumerable. Still, due to some congenital or acquired reasons, your teeth may be crooked or stained, leading to the deterioration of your self-esteem. Thus, it becomes inevitable to transform your smile and give it a new look. Conway House Dental Practice presents before you a plethora of options which can help you with every cosmetic as well as functional issue.
Crooked teeth are amongst the most common dental issues faced by people in the UK. Braces have been used for ages to correct crooked teeth. With advancing time, the technology also improves, and now there are multiple alternatives for correcting crooked teeth. With such a wide variety, it becomes difficult to decide which option will suit you the most. Do you have to go with braces, considering the phrase, Old is gold, or should you give a try to the newer options?
To help you in clearing this dilemma, here is a comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about traditional braces and their advanced counterpart, i.e., Invisalign.
The word ‘braces’ conventionally refers to metallic braces. These are very commonly used to straighten crooked teeth. They also help in improving your bite. They are considered the most durable and most convenient method of straightening teeth for a long time. You must have even noticed your parents wearing metallic braces. These are typically made of stainless steel with elastic ties holding them in place. In some braces, precious metals such as titanium or gold may also be used to give strength to them and make them more biocompatible.
1. Affordable: Braces are amongst the cheapest methods of straightening your crooked teeth. They are straightforward in structure as well as function. However, if you choose gold braces or titanium braces, the price will alter accordingly.
2. Long-lasting: Once you have got your braces, you do not have to worry about getting them changed from time to time. These are a one-time investment and will be removed after a few months, when your teeth will be aligned back perfectly.
3. Sturdy: The material used in traditional braces is stainless steel, which is an extreme and durable metal. These are not easily broken unless there is some trauma.
4. Versatile: Metallic braces can straighten even those teeth which are hard to treat or straighten by other methods. This is due to the sturdy stainless steel used in their manufacturing. Other braces, such as those made of ceramic or plastic, won’t be able to serve the purpose with stubborn teeth.
1. Unpleasant look: A metallic glimpse whenever your smile is not at all appealing. The bulky braces are visible whenever you speak or laugh; this makes them cosmetically unsuitable.
2. Poor Oral Hygiene: The food often gets stuck in the minor crevices of the metallic braces, and this leads to bad breath. The food particles stuck in braces also give an appalling expression. You have to be very strict with your oral hygiene regimen to keep up with metal braces.
3. Not removable: You cannot remove them, and this may become a hindrance when you have to attend any special function. The unsightly look of braces may hamper your self-confidence in such gatherings.
4. Lengthy treatment: The straightening with braces is a gradual process and may take from 6-12 months or even more, depending on your teeth.
Invisalign consists of a series of aligner braces that are customised according to your teeth. You have to shift from one set of braces to the next set gradually, and your teeth keep getting straightened. These aligners are prepared from flexible plastic, a patented thermoplastic material known as SmartTrack®. These come under the category of clear aligners and are loaded with benefits.
1. Cosmetically suitable: Invisalign is made up of two words (Invis – Invisible and aligners), which means that these are invisible aligners. Hence, your teeth will be straightened without anyone even noticing. Invisalign is a transparent aligner, and therefore, when you wear them, they are indistinguishable from your natural teeth. This helps you get rid of the metallic glint that is visible with traditional braces. So, in the case of unannounced special events, these braces can save you from the embarrassment you might have to face with metallic braces.
2. Short treatment: The aligners are customised as per your needs, and each new set gives your teeth a progressively perfect alignment. This dramatically reduces the time of treatment. Your teeth can be straightened in as little as 6 months or even less. In this fast-paced world, this time’s benefit is unsurpassable.
3. Good Oral Hygiene: There are no crevices in braces, and no elastic ties to keep them in place, unlike metallic braces. This leaves no space for the food to get trapped. This allows you to maintain good oral hygiene. These also require very little maintenance; you can follow your oral hygiene regimen and not worry much about Invisalign.
4. Removable: You can easily remove these braces at the time of eating some special food item, which may otherwise get stuck in the braces. There is no food restriction with Invisalign braces. You can clean your teeth and wear them again comfortably; no special skills are required in placing them correctly. Just make sure that you wear them for at least 22 hours per day.
5. Comfortable: Invisalign braces make you feel as if they are not even there. Unlike the bulky metallic braces, these are soft, flexible, lightweight and highly comfortable to wear. Your mouth quickly adapts to them, and you don’t feel any pain or discomfort.
1. Expensive: These are slightly expensive because of the exceptional quality of the materials used.
2. Multiple visits required: You have to visit the dentist very frequently, as he will keep track of your progress and tell you when to get your aligners to the next set. Hence, it is a cumbersome process.
3. Less sturdy: When it comes to straightening stubborn teeth, Invisalign is not preferred. They are slightly less intense and less durable than traditional metallic braces.
After evaluating the subtle nuances of both braces as well as Invisalign, you can now have a rough idea of which will be more suitable for you. If you still have queries, feel free to contact Conway House in High Wycombe, a one-stop destination for all your dental issues. We will solve all your doubts and help you choose the best orthodontic treatment option for you. Call 01494 526 578 to book an appointment with us.
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