Aligners Vs. Braces
Philadelphia, PA
The field of orthodontics, within dentistry, is meant to straighten out misaligned teeth to improve their function and enhance the appearance of the smile. While usually associated with young people, adults are also able to get such orthodontic work done. Since teeth move and behave the same way regardless of age, patients of any age can benefit from orthodontic treatment. Aligners vs. braces, which is right for you?
Dental Complications Corrected By Orthodontic Work
Overbites, underbites, overlapping teeth, gaps between teeth, misalignment, and premature erosion are a few of the more common problems that orthodontic treatment can fix. Even if you don’t have any of these problems, you can still benefit from orthodontic treatment, as it will improve the appearance of your smile and the function of your teeth and jaw muscles.
It is nevertheless crucial to have orthodontic treatment done if you have a dental disorder. When your teeth overlap, it becomes harder to clean them and, therefore easier for them to develop cavities. Improperly positioned teeth are more prone to fracture. Dental disorders can also cause gum inflammation and TMJ disorders.
If you’re planning to have orthodontic treatment, the two main options are traditional braces or clear aligners. Braces have been around longer and have a reputation for causing a rather undesirable appearance in their wearers. What many people don’t realize, however, is that braces have undergone a lot of improvements in recent years. The biggest change is that they are more discreet because they are smaller and use less metal as they once did, or they can be made out of ceramic porcelain materials.
You must practice proper oral hygiene to have braces installed.
Braces consist of small brackets made of porcelain or metal that are attached to the teeth and interconnected with a wire. They apply gentle yet constant pressure on your teeth to move them into the proper position. Your treatment plan will determine how much pressure the wires exert.
Once the braces are installed, we will adjust them once every 6 to 8 weeks to ensure they’re applying the proper amount of tension. Wires are repeatedly replaced throughout the treatment process to keep moving your teeth.
Clear aligners are a discreet alternative to braces. They are aligners that correct mild to moderate orthodontic problems, and because they’re transparent, onlookers won’t even know you’re wearing them. We make a digital model of your mouth to determine each phase of the tooth-straightening process and craft a pair of aligners for each step. You will receive multiple sets of aligners which will move your teeth closer to their final positions, as you change them every one to two weeks, on average.
Aligners also apply pressure to reposition teeth, but without metal wires. As with braces, we’ll schedule orthodontic appointments, but these can be less frequent than appointments for regular braces adjustments. With aligner treatment we can schedule virtual appointments to examine how well the aligners are working.
Another great benefit of aligners is that you can remove them to eat, so you can enjoy whatever food you’d like. But to achieve optimum results, you must wear your aligners at least 22 hours a day. If you don’t, you can prolong or even compromise your treatment.
Braces and aligners both come with their own share of advantages and disadvantages. Dr. James will help you determine which option is right for you during your consultation.
Choose the right path to a perfect smile with Art of Smile! Explore your options between aligners and braces. Schedule your consultation today and start your journey to a confident, beautiful smile. For more information, please contact our office: (215) 800-0015.