During your teen years most of you must have seen your friends, classmates having braces on their teeth. Maybe you had too. If you have misaligned teeth and didn’t opt for braces in their teen, you can opt for braces now to fix your smile.
What if you don’t want to go for traditional braces? Clear aligners are the alternative option which you can opt for to fix your crooked teeth.
There are different types of braces to choose from metal or ceramic with or without colours. Braces are permanently fixed on the teeth; wires are threaded through the slot in the brackets. The wire put constant yet gentle force to properly align your teeth.
Advantages:
Braces can be used to treat all type of cases
Braces has different variety to choose from
Because braces are fixed on your teeth compliance is very good.
Cost effective
Disadvantages:
Hygiene: it is much more difficult to clean teeth with braces, which can be damaging to teeth.
Diet: with braces your diet need to be modified. Hard foods can cause breakage of brackets or wire and slow the treatment process. You need to avoid sticky or sugary foods as it can lead to poor oral hygiene.
Comfort: braces and wires can lead to discomfort, as they can cause cut or irritate the cheek or lips.
Appearance: braces are noticeable more than aligners, which can be cause of concern for some patients.
Appointments: The appointments with braces need to be longer and more involved than aligners. Frequent visits are required.
Aligners are thin, clear custom made trays made to fit your teeth. These are removable. You are responsible for putting and taking out. They also put constant and gentle pressure to fix your teeth.
Advantages:
Appearance: aligners are less noticeable than braces, as they are clear and custom made to fit your teeth.
Diet: diet is not as much affected as you have to remove aligners while eating.
Hygiene: with aligners you can brush and floss your teeth normally.
Appointments: visits are much simpler and pre planned by orthodontics.
Comfort: aligners are much more comfortable than braces. Cheeks and lips are not irritated as aligners are smoother.
Disadvantages:
Compliance: aligners need to be worn 22hours a day to be effective. Which means it should be removed while eating and cleaning. Compliance equals result!
Effectiveness: aligners can treat most cases, but not all.
Cost: Costs of aligners are much more than braces.
There’s a lot to consider when you are weighing the option for the treatment. There is not right or wrong options, however being informed about your choices is important. You should decide what pros or cons matter to you most, to help you make the decision.
Talk to your dentist, ask your doubts. This will help to choose the better option for you!