Should You Choose Invisalign over Dental Braces?

Misaligned teeth, overbites, and underbitescan be a pain to deal with. If left uncorrected, you could have potential chewing difficulties and jaw problems. This also makes it hard for you to clean your teeth.Worse still, it also affects your smile and your self-esteem. And you do need both as they contribute to a more positive outlook and confident bearing.

One way to solve this involves using braces to correct tooth growth. Another way is through a solution called Invisalign, which uses BPA-free plastic alignment trays that are attached behind your teeth. Depending on the severity of the misalignment, one or the other might be required. Let’s go over each type of treatment and what they’re good for:

Invisalign

Unlike traditional braces, Invisalignis made specifically for the wearer using computer aided design. In effect, this leaves you with a solution unique to your own condition. The technology for Invisalign was also made available to orthodontists as early as 1999, according to a report published by the Canadian Dental Association.

The procedure involves a combination of computer-aided design and x-rays to map out your teeth. Doctors will then present a virtual map of the patient’s treatment plan before starting. Once the patient agrees, the aligners are made.

This differs from the former in several ways. For one thing, the aligners are made to be removable. Much like contacts, the patient can remove them before eating or drinking. This saves them time from having to clean braces thoroughly after each meal.

What can it help with?

Minor misalignments,overbites and slightly tipped teeth are the most common cases that these aligners can solve. These include Class 2 Division 2 malocclusions, according to the same report. Unlike braces, patients need to wear these for at least 20 hours a day. The aligners gently exert pressure over the misaligned teeth to shift them in place. They also need to be changed every two weeks, whichrequires additional aligners need to be fabricated to suit the new tooth positions.

That being said, there are more severe misalignments that require more traditional treatments. These aligners are also unusable if the patient has missing teeth. For these reasons, braces are required for more intensive corrections.

Braces

Braces are a more traditional method of correcting tooth alignment. This involves brackets and arch wires attached to the teeth, which are then bonded by the dentist. While the common ones are made of metal, there are also ceramic or plastic variants.

The installation procedure can also be performed on children to correct their tooth growth,though adults can also avail of the treatment. While the usual period for wearing them can take anywhere from 12 to 24 months, they may have to wear them longer depending on the severity of the misalignment.

Preparing the braces for attachment is more complex than Invisalign. The procedure involves using cheek retractors to keep the teeth dry during installation. The teeth are then polished, cleaned and air-dried. Once that’s done, the dentist may opt to use conditioners to further prepare the teeth. Adhesive primers are then used to enhance the bonding.

Following this, dental cement is then placed on the brackets and attached to the teeth. The excess adhesives are cleaned off and the cement is dried using a curing light. Arch wires are attached to finish the process.

There are two main problems with braces. First, they need periodic adjustments as the teeth move closer to the designed alignment. This means additional visits so that the dentist can tighten the wires. The other is that hard foods need to be avoided. Things like hard candies and nuts can potentially break braces, if not cause fragments to get stuck in them. Wearers should take extra care when cleaning them at this stage.

What can they help with?

Crowded, crooked and severely tipped teeth over 20 degrees are a few of the problems where bracesare needed. Since these are attached directly to your teeth, they tend to exert more pressure. This makes them suitable even for patients with cases of irregular tooth spacing and rotated teeth.

While they can be more difficult to clean, the treatment will only last until the dentist’s prescribed period. However, regular brushing and flossing will need to be observed during this time.

These two treatments are just some of the solutions offered at Be Well Dental. If you need consultations on which of them will be better for your needs, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.Our team of experts will be ready to assist you with what you need. You can also check out our other services today and book your appointment with us.