Four Types of Braces to Align Your Teeth

Dentists recommend braces to correct orthodontic problems like crooked or crowded teeth, incorrect jaw position, overbites or underbites, and disorders of the joints in the jaw.

Thanks to braces, a patient still has a chance to improve the appearance of his teeth to get that so-called ‘perfect smile’. You don’t need surgery to have your teeth aligned.

But did you know that there are actually four (4) types of braces now available for you to choose from? Most people know of metal braces and Invisalign only, but there are actually two more types of braces that you can choose, depending on your needs and preferences.

Metal Braces

The most common type, metal braces are made from high-quality stainless steel. Patients using metal braces have various brackets and wires attached to their teeth. The brackets keep your teeth in place, with adjustments done by the dentist every 2 to 3 weeks to move your teeth to the proper position.

Metal braces are the least expensive of all the types, but it is also the most noticeable. Although modern brackets are smaller and ‘less noticeable’ than its older predecessor that many adults might remember, metal braces are still more noticeable than the other types available these days.

Kids do have fun with the braces as these can be personalized using tiny elastic bands of different colors.

Ceramic Braces

Similar in design and shape as metal braces, ceramic braces make use of clear or teeth-colored brackets. It is also possible to get teeth-colored wires, giving the illusion that the braces are invisible.

Ceramic braces are more expensive than metal braces, but they move teeth faster than Invisalign plastic aligners. However, the clear brackets could easily stain and could soon become unsightly, making patients look like they have some food stuck on their teeth.

Unlike Invisalign where new aligner sets are used after a few weeks of treatment, you’re stuck with ceramic braces throughout the duration of the treatment (or at least until they break and become unsightly). Thus, a number of patients decide to choose Invisalign instead.

Invisalign

The treatment consists of a series of custom-made clear and nearly invisible plastic aligners that are replaced every 2 to 3 weeks. The aligners are removable, but it is recommended that patients use them for 22 hours a day.

While the aligners are prone discoloration when you enjoy colored food and drinks, that’s not a major problem considering that the trays are replaced every few weeks. However, these are also prone to warping when you eat hot food and liquids; thus, you either need to remove the aligners before taking hot items or just avoid these food and drinks altogether. 

Invisalign works about twice as fast as metal braces and are much less noticeable but if not used correctly and at the recommended duration, treatment could actually be longer. This treatment won’t work also with serious dental and teeth malformations.

Lingual Braces

The least common of all braces, very few people know about lingual braces. The brackets and wires used in lingual braces are the same as traditional metal braces, but they are placed inside the teeth.

Despite the materials being the same as metal braces, lingual braces are more expensive. They are also very difficult to clean, can be quite uncomfortable for longer periods of time, and not appropriate for severe cases. Adjustments might also be difficult as the braces pull the teeth in, instead of pushing them back to the proper place, making treatment much longer and more challenging.

The only advantage of lingual braces is that they are really invisible from the outside, but most patients would rather choose the other types than deal with this more difficult option.

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