Having straight teeth and a perfect smile will certainly increase your self-confidence and enhance your looks. However, many people are not blessed with straight, perfect smiles. They suffer from various dental disorders, including misaligned, spaced-out, or crowded teeth, which affect their smiles and overall appearance. This is where modern dentistry comes into play, offering state-of-the-art options for straightening teeth. Explained are the common teeth-straightening options, their advantages, and disadvantages to help you select a treatment that will give you a beautiful smile and improve your overall dental health.
Traditional Braces
Traditional braces are a form of orthodontic treatment used to straighten crooked, crowded, irregularly spaced, protruding, or misaligned teeth. The treatment should start between eight and fourteen years for the best results. An orthodontist can monitor your child’s teeth and jawbone development at a young age and address any issues that arise. Adults can also benefit from the treatment, although the results take longer to achieve because the jawbone is fully developed.
Braces comprise brackets and arch wires. The brackets can be made of metal, composite, or a combination of both. Thanks to technological developments in the field, many different types of braces are available. They vary in terms of shape and color; you can even choose gold-plated brackets. These brackets are affixed to the surface of the teeth and interconnected with wires and elastic bands, which keep them together. The wires are periodically adjusted to increase the pressure on the teeth and move them into the required position. Modern brackets have become smaller than their predecessors and can be placed on the back of the teeth, making them less visible.
Pros of Traditional Braces
Traditional braces offer many benefits, including:
- Braces are bonded to the teeth, making them secure
- Braces are suitable for both children and adults who might not adhere to the hours one is required to wear aligners.
- Traditional braces are suitable for all orthodontic issues, including the severe ones
- Traditional braces have advanced to be more comfortable and easier to wear
- You achieve faster results in cases of severe spacing or crowding
Cons of Traditional Braces
The common disadvantages of traditional braces include:
- They can cause pain in the first few days and every time you go for adjustments. Also, the brackets and wires can irritate the tongue, causing discomfort.
- They restrict your diet, as you are required to steer clear of sticky or chewy foods
- Metal brackets are not aesthetically appealing. The achwires and elastic bands are also visible through the mouth, resulting in a conspicuous appearance.
Clear Braces
Modern braces have advanced significantly as dental experts work to address some of the challenges associated with their predecessors, leading to the birth of clear braces. Clear braces are aesthetically pleasing since they can either blend in with the natural teeth or be clear. These clear braces can easily blend with the existing teeth, thus making it hard to spot in the mouth. Therefore, if you want to avoid wearing traditional braces because of their appearance, consider clear braces. They function the same way as metal braces and provide similar results. The dentist bonds clear or tooth-colored brackets to the teeth and then connects the brackets with wires made of composite resin that resembles natural teeth. The only difference between the traditional and clear braces is that clear braces blend effortlessly with the teeth, keeping them unnoticeable for a long time. However, You must observe proper oral hygiene to prevent the brackets from staining.
Orthodontic Retainers
Another option for straightening teeth is orthodontic retainers. Your orthodontist recommends retainers after you complete a braces treatment. Retainers help you maintain the exceptional results of tooth straightening. During treatment, the dental provider takes an impression of your teeth and gums. The mold is taken to the dental lab for retainer fabrication.
When discussing treatment with your orthodontist, you will have two options: permanent and removable retainers. Removable retainers can be removed during eating or cleaning, while the permanent ones remain in position until you complete the treatment. Examples of removable retainers include the clear retainers and Howley retainers.
Each retainer type has its pros and cons. The permanent retainers, also called lingual or fixed retainers, are suitable when there is severe spacing or crowding. Also, they are long-lasting, as they require replacement after two years. Because they are fixed, they are not easy to lose, eliminating the need for frequent replacement. Nevertheless, because they are cemented onto the teeth, they are difficult to clean, which allows plaque and tartar buildup and increases the risk of oral issues such as decay or gum disease.
Conversely, removable retainers are thinner and more comfortable. Additionally, they can be removed during cleaning or eating, helping you maintain good oral hygiene. However, they are easy to lose or damage when you remove them for cleaning or to eat. When not properly cared for, removable retainers can harbor harmful bacteria, increasing the risk of oral infection. Lastly, they last only 12 months before requiring replacement.
Whatever orthodontic retainer type you opt for, it will help keep your teeth straight after braces have been removed.
Clear Aligners or Invisalign
Traditional braces and orthodontic retainers have evolved significantly, giving rise to a popular alternative known as clear aligners, or Invisalign. Invisible aligners are an orthodontic treatment used as an alternative to braces by individuals who find these traditional orthodontic solutions extremely unattractive, despite their proven results. Invisalign is suitable for minor orthodontic issues, meaning that if you have a complex bite issue, your dentist will still recommend traditional braces for faster and longer-lasting results. Even though they are less appealing than Invisalign, modern braces are less visible in the mouth and more comfortable than their predecessors.
The Invisalign system has not been introduced recently. It has existed since 1947 and consists of a series of removable aligners used to correct bite issues. In 1970, the treatment was updated to require dental experts to take only one set of impressions and a photograph of the teeth to determine the most suitable position for the teeth, rather than a series of impressions.
The impressions the dental provider takes are used to make a 3D projection of how your teeth will incrementally shift towards the desired position. The dentist then uses the projection to fabricate a series of aligners that will achieve the desired position.
Align Technology is the company that manufactures invisible aligners using CAD/CAM technology in its dental labs. When they receive impressions from the dentist, they fabricate these tools and then dispense them to the dentist in groups, every one or two weeks, which is when you are expected to return to the dentist to replace the aligners. The manufacturer dispenses aligners in the order they are supposed to be worn every two weeks. You are required to change the appliances every two weeks because this is when the teeth are estimated to shift incrementally in the desired direction by at least 0.25 millimeters. So, if you opt for these appliances, you should be prepared to visit the dentist every two weeks for aligner replacement. You will require 20-30 aligners to achieve your goal. The treatment could last up to a year if you wear the aligners for at least 20 hours a day.
- Pros of Clear Aligners
Invisalign treatment provides several benefits over traditional braces. These include:
- They are inconspicuous, as they are invisible, hence less likely to be noticed
- The treatment does not cause any pain or discomfort, unless on the first day, when you might experience slight discomfort.
- They do not restrict your diet because you can remove them when eating
- They straighten your teeth without anybody noticing
Clear aligners are used to fix overbites, overly crowded teeth, minor relapses, widely spaced teeth, and crossbites
- The Downside of Clear Aligners
While almost everyone is a candidate for Invisalign, it cannot fix major malocclusions, forcing you to turn to braces. Also, you must wear them consistently for at least 22 hours a day for optimal results. Failure to wear them for the duration recommended by the dentist could interfere with the healing process. So, if you do not follow the dental provider’s instructions, you should seek an alternative. The treatment is not suitable for children because, without proper supervision, they might not wear the aligners for the required duration, which could lead to treatment failure.
If your dentist evaluates your options and recommends clear aligners for straightening your teeth, ensure you rinse them with warm water. Also, store the appliances in a special container whenever you remove them for cleaning or eating.
If, after evaluation, your dentist determines that you are not a candidate for invisible aligners, you can still rely on conventional braces to treat various conditions, such as:
- Severely rotated teeth
- Severely tipped teeth
- Skeletal malocclusion
- Several missing teeth in the upper and lower jaws
- Centric occlusion
Lingual Braces
Lingual braces are excellent for straightening teeth and function like conventional braces. However, unlike traditional braces, which are visible, lingual braces are invisible because they are bonded to the back of the teeth. While this position makes them invisible, they are positioned close to the tongue, irritating it. It takes time to adapt to the appliances, with the risk of speech and eating problems being high during this transition period.
Additionally, lingual braces require you to adjust your diet. You must avoid sticky or chewy foods because they can dislodge the brackets. Additionally, the treatment cost is higher than that of traditional braces.
Space Maintainers
Tooth misalignment can also result from premature tooth loss in children. When you lose a baby tooth prematurely, the remaining adjacent teeth tend to shift towards the open sockets, leading to crooked or crowded teeth. You can place space maintainers in the space left by missing milk teeth, allowing the remaining teeth to remain in their natural positions while you await the growth of permanent teeth. So, instead of waiting for your teeth and jawbone to deteriorate after tooth loss, you can opt for space maintainers to keep your teeth and jaw straight. When choosing space maintainers, you can opt for permanent or removable ones. However, you can only use maintainers for small gaps between teeth. If the spaces are big, you will require artificial teeth to maintain the space.
Cost of Teeth Straightening Options
As you compare the pros and cons of each teeth-straightening option, it is crucial to have your budget in mind. Each of these treatment options has varying costs. The national average cost of clear aligners ranges from $3,000 to $9,000. Retainers can cost anywhere between $150 and $3,000, depending on the type. Dental braces cost approximately $4,800 to $7,200. However, it is crucial to visit the dentist for an evaluation first so they can determine the actual cost of treatment based on your oral needs.
Several factors affect the cost of teeth-straightening procedures, including the duration of the treatment, your choice of orthodontist, the location of the dental clinic, your dental insurance, and other complementary restorative procedures required.
Many dental providers provide flexible payment plans to ensure patients in need of orthodontic services access treatment, especially when they lack dental insurance coverage. Check with your dental insurance provider to find out whether they cover the treatment you seek. If you are not covered, discuss available financing options or repayment plans so you can access treatment. Do not let the cost of treatment prevent you from straightening your teeth for a flawless smile.
Find a Reputable Dentistry Service Near Me
Choosing the appropriate teeth-straightening treatment for a beautiful smile is a difficult decision. This is because several treatment options are available, each with advantages and disadvantages. The best way to pick the right treatment is to consult an experienced orthodontist to discuss your options and oral needs.
At Calabasas Smiles Advanced Dentistry, we understand the common treatment for misalignment. Our dental expert will evaluate your case and recommend the most appropriate treatment. Contact us at 818-878-7300 for a no-obligation consultation and to learn about your options for achieving a beautiful smile.
