One of the most common reasons that people come to a dentist is to straighten their teeth. A clear, neat smile looks good, helps a person with their confidence and self esteem, and is more comfortable in the mouth itself.
At the same time, no one wants to wear the ugly metal braces that are traditionally used to straighten teeth. While that procedure is going on (and it can take months), the metal in the mouth feels uncomfortable, is a pain to maintain, and makes people unwilling to break a smile and show off their teeth; it’s the precise opposite of being good for the self esteem.
Thankfully, developments in technology have meant that metal braces are no longer the exclusive option for straightening crooked teeth. At Parra Dental, we’re happy to be able to offer our clients a couple of different alternatives, including:
Clear Braces
A popular choice of clear braces is ceramic braces, which are the same size, shape and design as metal braces, but have tooth coloured or clear brackets, which means that unless you’re looking really closely, you’re much less likely to notice that a person’s even wearing them. They require disciplined cleaning, because otherwise they can stain easily, and they are more expensive than standard metal braces, but more and more people are opting for these clear braces as a way to straighten teeth without feeling on display through the procedure.
Invisalign
For more minor straightening work, Invisalign is the most advanced solution for teeth straightening. Invisalign is effectively a mouthguard, in which 18 to 30 custom made aligners are installed to gently mould the teeth into position. The mouthguard is removeable and replaced every two weeks over the course of the treatment. The advantages to Invisalign – in addition to being invisible – is that you can eat and drink anything you like while wearing them, which is unlike other types of braces. The downside is that Invisalign can’t work for major straightening work, and the overall procedure can potentially take longer to complete.
If you’re looking to have straightening work done on your teeth, please feel free to discuss your options with the friendly team at Parra Dental. We will do an initial consultation, and then discuss with you the options that will give you the best results – and brightest smile – possible.