Whether you’re an adult or a child deciding if you should opt for clear aligners or metal braces, it is an important part of the orthodontic journey and one which can have big impacts on the success of the appliance and your feeling toward straightening. How you decide on which option to opt for will come down to you and your dentist but in order to give you a basic level of knowledge to help inform your decision here’s the pro’s and con’s to both metal braces and invisible braces in Clapham.
Understanding Metal Braces
Metal braces are the most common form of teeth straightening and are likely the method you are most familiar with. They are made up of wire brack and metal plates that fit to the tooth’s surface. The wires are threaded through the plates and held in place by rubber bands, this system works by putting a slow, steady pressure on the teeth to force them into a new alignment.
Understanding Invisible Braces in Clapham
There are two main types of invisible braces. The first being Invisalign, which are clear, plastic mould trays that fit snugly over the patients’ teeth. These aligners come in a series and patients work their way through the series slowly moving the teeth into the new position.
The other systems are wired, fixed braces that are clear and don’t require the bands; these systems aren’t quite so invisible but offer patients an option between Invisalign and metal wired braces.
Benefits of Fixed Metal Braces
One of the major benefits of teeth straightening through metal braces is that they are able to tackle really complex orthodontic issues. For those patients who have a mix, match of orthodontic problems including, crowding, over/underbites, crooked or gapped teeth, the wire systems are fantastic at tackling multiple issues at once.
Wire braces are also super accessible and affordable and for most children will be available on the NHS as a dental treatment place.
Fixed braces can be great for those people (usually teens) who might get into a habit of removing their Invisalign style brace which could result in a slower straightening process.
Benefits of Invisible Braces
The obvious benefit of both Invisalign and other styles of invisible braces are that they are far more subtle to live with day to day and enable users to carry on their life pre-orthodontic treatment without too much disruption to their oral hygiene routine or their self-image.
When specifically looking at Invisalign one of the major benefits is that you can remove the appliances without assistance from your dentist. This means you are able to keep on top of a proper clean every day without having to work around wires and fixtures. It’s very common for people to show signs of gum disease and decay when they end orthodontic treatment as thorough cleaning can be neglected.
How To Choose
When it comes deciding what’s right for you, really that’s a conversation for you and your dentist, only between you will you be able to really delve into what benefits work best for you.