Why Braces?
Why Braces?
Why not?
The benefit of having a nice smile is obvious. It can enhance confidence and self-esteem. Once you have invested in your smile, you can wear it for the rest of your life!
Braces straighten teeth without cutting the enamel and causing irreversible damage to the tooth structure. The benefit of preserving the health of the teeth far outweighs the longer timescale involved to achieve a cosmetic result. Many forward thinking dentists are advising orthodontic treatment over multiple crowns and veneers for that reason.
Braces are not as embarrassing as they used to be. People are used to seeing them in adults as well as children. Braces can be very discrete these days…tooth-coloured and invisible braces don’t stand out. (After having their “discrete” braces fitted, most people then go around showing it off to everybody!!)
Wearing braces is the sensible way to straighten teeth in most people.
Invisible Braces
- Tooth-coloured braces
Tooth coloured braces are very discrete versions of the silver train tracks worn by children. They are made of tooth-coloured porcelain as opposed to metal and are an excellent choice for those who need to wear fixed braces but don’t want to advertise it.
- Lingual braces
This brace is essentially a train-track fitted to the inside surfaces of the teeth and is totally hidden from view. It is the most invisible a brace can be. The gold attachments are custom made to fit the contours of the back surfaces of the teeth which makes it as thin as possible, reducing speech problems. This is the ultimate in invisible brace options.
- Clear or “invisible” braces
These clear removable braces are like thin gumshields and almost invisible. They are excellent for aligning teeth where there is a mild problem.
To move the teeth, a series of these positioners are required. An impression of the teeth is sent to the laboratory where a model is cast and scanned into a special software. The software morphs the desired movement half a millimeter at a time and generates aseries of models. A positioner is made on each of the models and worn in order. The positioners are changed every 10 days and the new one will feel tight therefore placing a force on the teeth to move it slightly. by the end of the series, the teeth hould be in the desired position. They are very easy to wear and need to be worn night and day except for eating.
Other Braces
- Silver braces
These look great with different coloured elastic ties and children can have fun choosing the colours.
- Modern Low friction (self-ligating) braces
Although these braces are silver, they have a distinct advantage in allowing teeth to move faster by reducing friction. This means quicker treatment and in some cases it can reduce the need for removal of teeth.
- Plastic removable braces
These are useful for treating certain specific problems particularly in children, sometimes prior to placing fixed braces. Functional braces are upper and lower plastic removable braces which are especially used to treat sticking out front teeth in children.
There are many types of braces! Please come and see us to discuss the options most suitable for you…