Many adults have grown up without getting decent chance at smile correction even though they feel like they absolutely need to. We are impounded with ideas that we need a beautiful smile in order to make a good first impression, especially in the business aspect when are judged so much more our appearance. It was also affect our self-esteem, which will have effects on our social lives as well. If it is so important to have a better smile for you, then visiting an orthodontist needs to take place. Only then can you feel as though you have options, because very, very often will an orthodontist have good news to share with you.
The orthodontist will have several options available through treatment that is implemented by braces. This is not to say that you have to let all of your peers and co-workers know that you are going through orthodontic treatment, especially in your current age. Like I said, there are several options available for patients, four of the most common are traditional, clear, lingual and invisible braces.
Before we start talking about options for braces, know that it is likely that in your particular case, you may not even need braces. This is up to the discretion of your orthodontist, of course, but he or she may recommend that you try retainers or spacers instead of using braces. These are useful common tools that do a lot of work for smile correction. They are discreet, too, and easy to put and take off. These are certainly options that are better for patients that have more mild cases of crookedness in their teeth, and if they are not enough for your case, then your orthodontist will certainly suggest the use of braces.
The first option available is the ever common choice of traditional braces. These are the ones that we have made fun of as schoolchildren. They are made of steel, and the brackets that make up the braces are glued to the front of the teeth, and the wires that connect them are tightened for treatment. That is how they work. These are normally seen on children and teenagers, but considering that most people are wanting more discreet options, even teenagers are sometimes afraid of the stigma that they may face, and the thought of wearing steel braces can cause some anxiety. For adults, it’s not the best option, because it completely distracts from the professional appearance that they have to keep up at work. If you are one of these adults, then we should discuss the other options that may be better for you.
You have the option of wearing clear braces, which were designed and built around the same time as normal braces. They were designed for older patients who wanted discretion in the office. They are designed to work just like metal braces except that the brackets are made of material that makes them look somewhat invisible. They are by no means invisible, but they certainly grab far less attention than the normal braces do. It’s a good option if you want to save on money, and these work for almost everybody, no matter how crooked their teeth might get. Still, if you are hoping for more discretion, there are still a couple of other options that you can browse through.
There are lingual braces for those who need discretion. These are also called hidden braces. They are glued instead to the back of the teeth, and use the same bracket and wire system. The orthodontist will have to take better care of lingual braces, as it can be easy to hurt you. They are also more difficult to clean and are not as comfortable to wear. The upside to these is that no one will be able to tell that you are wearing them unless you tell them! You will need to be eligible to wear these types, as that will depend on whether your orthodontist thinks that these may fit you. Talk with your orthodontist about this option if you think you would like to wear this one.
The last option that we are going to talk about is the use of invisible braces. We recognize these by the brand of Invisalign. These braces have been rising in popularity. They are clear, plastic aligners that are designed by a computer program after it has scanned a layout of your teeth. You have to have them exchanged for a new set of aligners as your treatment progress, and they are put on like a mouth guard. It’s the new way of tightening for better alignment, except this can be a much more costly method of tooth alignment.
