Crooked teeth are a common dental issue. Some are born with them, others develop them as they grow older and their mouth’s structure changes; luckily, there are several ways to correct this problem.
Fixed Orthodontic Braces
You may be really familiar with this method of teeth straightening, as it’s the one that’s most often poked fun at in the media. These braces are composed of metal wires that are attached to the fronts of your teeth with metal brackets. The brackets and wires are slowly tightened over time, which applies pressure to the teeth and encourages them to gradually change their positions. The required amount of time fully depends upon how much movement your teeth need to make; your dentist will be able to give you an idea of how long you’ll be wearing those braces in your initial examination.
Since technology has changed somewhat in this area, there are a wide variety of bracket/bracer choices available – even tooth-colored ceramic brackets.
Invisalign
Invisalign does not use metal wires and braces – instead, it uses clear aligners that look kind of like gum shields, which achieve the same effect as traditional braces. These aligners are changed every couple of weeks and can be removed for eating and when you brush your teeth. Since this method lacks elastics and metal bits, there is no inflammation of soft tissues and they are not quite as uncomfortable – unfortunately, Invisalign can be very expensive.
Damon Braces
These braces lack any friction element (they do not have elastic ties) so they are more comfortable than old-style braces and provide faster results. The downside here is that these braces are more expensive than the traditional set-up, but they are easier to clean and not as ugly.
Six Month Smile
This brand-new treatment uses brackets and wires that match the color of your teeth and only concentrate on moving around those that you see when you smile instead of working on moving all the teeth. This treatment takes around six months instead of up to (or over) two years and can be about half the cost of traditional braces – that’s quite a difference.
Inman Aligner
A combination of invisible braces and metal braces, it uses a removable aligner that moves your teeth by applying pressure to them. Only one device is needed for the whole treatment, making it more affordable than most other methods.
Lingual Braces
Much like traditional braces, but in reverse – this wire set-up is fitted to the backs of your teeth instead of the fronts. They are very uncomfortable but will straighten your teeth without the unsightly mess that traditional braces provide, and they can be used to correct severe cases of crooked teeth that can’t otherwise be adjusted.
Teeth Straightening Made Easy
There are a wide variety of ways to get your teeth straightened, some of which are easier on the wallet than others. If you’re in doubt about what’s the right way for you, consult with your dentist! What they say may surprise you.
