Teeth Straightening Options: Clear Aligners vs. Traditional Braces
Crooked teeth can greatly diminish a person’s confidence, keeping them from smiling so much in public. But this can easily be fixed with a reliable teeth straightening procedure. If you are in Sydney, Marsfield Dental Care can give you the perfect smile that you have always wanted.
Who Can Undergo Teeth Straightening
Teeth straightening used to be a treatment that was mostly undergone by teenagers. These days, orthodontists and cosmetic dentists are seeing patients of all ages that want to get their teeth fixed.
Although teeth straightening can be done on young children, it is the recommendation of dental experts to wait until all adult teeth have emerged. Ordinarily, this would be at around the age of 12 years or so.
Adults can get orthodontic treatment but there are more qualifications. For instance, a cosmetic dentist wouldn’t want to work on straightening your teeth if you have other more pressing issues that need to be addressed first, like cavities or tooth decay. Also, you should have excellent oral hygiene if you want to get your teeth straightened.
Pros and Cons of Clear Aligners
One of the biggest advantages of using clear aligners is that they are not very noticeable when you wear them. Unless they really take a good look at your mouth, people won’t even realise that you are undergoing an alignment treatment.
Clear aligners are also removable. Because of this, your diet is not affected and so is your oral hygiene. You can take them off and eat whatever you like. Then you can do your usual brushing and flossing routine before wearing the aligners again.
This can also be a drawback if you are in a public place. It might be awkward to remove the aligners before eating, but this is something that you have to do. Also, you must make sure to wear the aligners at least 22 hours a day for them to deliver the expected results.
Another disadvantage is that clear aligners will not work for all cases. Severely crooked teeth, or extreme cases of overbites might require metal braces. The price is also a bit higher for clear aligners.
Pros and Cons of Traditional Braces
Traditional braces are those that use wires and metal brackets that are fixed onto the teeth. The biggest pro of this method is that it will fix any kind of teeth misalignment problem. Although metal braces are the most commonly used, you can also go for the porcelain variety, which is not as obvious. Braces also come in different colours.
Since the braces are attached to your teeth, you won’t have to worry about putting them back on when you take them off. This brings us to the biggest drawback of braces, which is the difficulty in maintaining good oral hygiene. Brushing properly can be a challenge with braces on, and the same goes for eating.
Making the Right Choice
In most cases, it is best to trust your dentist’s recommendation as to which teeth straightening procedure is best for you. Here at Marsfield Dental Care, we have highly qualified dentists and orthodontists who can assess your situation and make the right recommendations. Just call us anytime for enquiries or book online for an appointment!
