Advantages and Disadvantages

Straightening teeth can be a tricky and expensive business, so it’s wise to take a look at your options from every angle before you decide on a certain treatment. If your teeth are severely miss-aligned, your dentist will probably be in favour of some type of brace, which allows you to keep your natural teeth and avoid surgical treatment like drilling and re-shaping, but they can sometimes take years to provide the desired results. You might have heard of so-called ‘invisible braces’ – a transparent shield that fits tightly over the teeth to gently push them into position – but are they suitable for you? Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of invisible braces;

What are the advantages of invisible braces?

They’re invisible! – Well, not completely, but they are very difficult to spot when worn in public, you can see the natural enamel through the clear shield, making it much easier to fit your braces in with your everyday routine, rather than the other way around. This cosmetic advantage is the reason why this type of brace is so popular, there are lots of people who don’t want to wear obvious braces – adults in particular – invisible braces eliminate this issue and allow them to go through orthodontic treatment discreetly.

Comfortable – No one wants uncomfortable mouth pieces that irritate the gums and cause tooth pain, invisible braces are known to be very comfortable, mainly because they are removable and each appliance only forces a small amount of movement, before moving onto the next one. With metal braces, the teeth are constantly under pressure, which causes more pain than with removable devices.

Removable – The shield is not permanently attached to the teeth at all, it can be taken out for cleaning and eating. This is a vast improvement on the ‘train track’ braces of old, which were notoriously difficult to clean around, and they were known for catching bits of food in hard to reach places.

Less chance of resorption – In traditional orthodontics, the roots of the teeth were likely to shorten as a result of strong, permanent braces; this is not the case with invisible braces. As mentioned earlier, the clear aligners are less forceful than their metal counterparts, causing less pain and a smaller risk of resorption. New moulds are taken and new braces manufactured every few weeks, slowly pushing from different angles, rather than forcefully dragging the teeth into the desired position, over months of constant pressure.

More accurate treatment – The aligners are produced using up-to-date computer programs that can predict to the millimetre where the teeth will move to, with the right pressure application. This eliminates the human error and guesswork commonly associated with traditional ‘train tracks’ and other types of orthodontics. What’s more, if you can see the outcome before you have even begun treatment, it’s more of an incentive to follow your dentist’s instructions to the letter, and get the best out of your braces.

Faster treatment – Thanks to modern technology, treatment using invisible braces is among the fastest on the market. Compared to metal braces, invisible braces have been known to complete treatment in half the time, often with far superior results. Countless patients have seen their smile become straighter and more perfectly aligned in a period of just a few months.

What are the disadvantages of invisible braces?

They require a bit more commitment from the patient – Where traditional braces are constantly working to align the teeth, it’s easy to leave a removable device on the bedside table and forget about it – it’s not as effective if it’s nowhere near the teeth. It’s generally advised that the patient keeps the braces in for between twenty and twenty-two hours of the day, to get maximum results, without a little dedication on the part of the patient, the treatment could be slowed down considerably. Teenagers, in particular, are known to be quite difficult to treat because they don’t want to wear braces of any kind, and will usually try to get away with wearing them as little as possible.

Cost – Like other high-end treatments, invisible braces can be a bit on the expensive side, but if you want the best, you have to pay for it. Traditional metal braces are cheaper, but generally less effective and they take longer to do the job. There may be some financing options if you have your heart set on this style of orthodontics, otherwise, start saving those pennies.

Movement is limited – Not everyone is suitable for a set of invisible braces, if your teeth are severely crooked, your dentist might advise a different method. It might be the case that you need some more traditional procedures performed, before an aligner can be fitted to finish the work off.

Vulnerable to grinding – For grinders and clenchers, these clear shields might be too fragile. Over time, excessive wear on the resin can cause it to fracture or break down, limiting its ability to perform accurately. However, this would probably take quite a long time – and a huge amount of grinding – because the shield is quite durable, and is only worn for a few weeks before it is replaced with a different one.

Occasionally affects speech – It’s not very common, but sometimes the patient can take some time to get used to their new appliance, and the braces might interfere with the movement of the tongue, causing a slight lisp. This is nothing to worry about, and shouldn’t put you off treatment, it will disappear as you get used to the device.

Allergic reaction – Very very rarely, the patient may have an allergic reaction to the chemicals used in the resin. This is hardly ever happens, and when it does, it’s seldom life-threatening. If you have had allergic reactions to stimuli in the past, talk to your consultant about it at your first appointment.

For more information, or to see if you are a candidate for invisible braces, give the Pearl Dental Clinic a call today, they offer all the best quality treatments at reasonable prices, and can answer all your questions about orthodontic techniques and their results.