Valley Creek Dental Care always encourages good oral health in the patients coming to us for the treatment. From the eruption of the first tooth in infants to a full mouth of adult teeth, everyone should take care of their teeth and keep them healthy. Many come to us for orthodontic treatment, but they have fear in their mind of looking odd. They know the only solution to get perfectly aligned teeth and a beautiful smile is nasty-looking metal braces that look bad and painful. Being a reputable McKinney dentist, we consider it our responsibility to guide our patients and help them get rid of this fear by telling them about alternatives to braces.
Yes, it’s true. There are several alternatives to braces for adults, which they can choose to align their teeth and have a healthy yet beautiful smile. There are several reasons why adults look for alternatives when it comes to braces. The appearance of the braces is the first and foremost reason why adults try to avoid them. Clean, white, and shiny teeth help them have confidence when they smile. They feel better about their appearance, which is reflected in their confidence in others. Crooked, broken, scratched, and uneven teeth appear unpleasant, making it challenging to keep such teeth clean. Adults with rough or damaged teeth develop stains in the corners that are hard to reach and clean; therefore, causing an unsightly appearance.
There are several health benefits of straight teeth. When you have correctly aligned teeth, you can actually experience better oral health because:
You can easily clean your teeth.
Your gums may support your teeth better.
You might not have to face risks of chipping, breaking, or wearing of teeth when they are fitted correctly.
The abnormal stress on your jaw caused due to misaligned teeth can be released quickly.
When you do not clean your teeth properly, then you could witness other problems start to develop. Tooth decay can ruin your teeth and cause severe problems with your jawbone. Therefore, you must get your teeth appropriately treated through orthodontic treatment. Apart from crooked teeth, other issues that you can fix with braces are:
Malocclusion or a bad bite
Disorders of jaw position or jaw joint
Headaches or earaches caused due to misaligned jaw
Difficulty in chewing or biting
Speaking problems
But if you have a fear of metal braces, there are several better alternatives to it such as:
Retainers: Retainers are usually removable dental devices used to position the teeth before or after treatment with braces correctly. These are a bit transparent version of braces that fit over the complete arch of the mouth. Retainers are the perfect example of how to achieve accurate positioning in place of braces. Orthodontists can easily attain minimal tooth movement using these devices. They are generally less expensive and easy to maintain than braces.
Headgear: Headgear is the most visible form of orthodontic treatment, which is the bad wrap. These are generally used to correct extreme overbites. This device exerts pressure on the upper teeth and jaw to put the teeth in a particular position. The dental header is not the preferred choice of adults because of its restrictive nature. But you need to wear it for a few hours a day. Typically patients wear dental headgears while they sleep at night. You have to remove them while playing sports, brushing your teeth, or eating.
Clear Aligners: Clear aligners such as Invisalign TX are the most popular and preferred alternative for adults. It can fix anything from minor overbites to underbites and other serious malocclusions. An orthodontist will provide you a series of clear, removable “molds” that you have to wear over your teeth. You have to wear them for at least 20 hours a day for 2 weeks till the time your dental expert moves on to the next series of molds. Each aligner slowly adjusts the teeth. Once it is done, then you can move through the next series. Invisalign is ideal for those patients who have gaps within their teeth.
Six Month Smiles: Six-month smile is a dental device. It includes a clear bracket with a wire that goes across the teeth. It is not actually visible and ideal to be used for mild corrective issues. Patients have to wear them for about six months. Sometimes, it may be longer depending on the patient’s dental structure.
Veneers: Veneers are popular among athletes, celebrities, and successful people. These are basically capped teeth ideal for dental patients with gaps, poor shape, fractured or contoured teeth. In this process, the dentist typically removes the enamel layer from the tooth and then fixes a veneer in place with the help of UV light-sensitive resin.
Accelerated Orthodontics: Accelerated Orthodontics is a fast-track orthodontic treatment in which micro-osteoperforation weakens the jawbones, which makes teeth loose enough so that they can quickly move when the dentist exerts pressure. This treatment works in tandem with clear aligners or a retainer for optimal results. The process increases cytokine production resulting in quick positioning of teeth.
Why Should You Consult a McKinney Dentist In Case You Have Doubts?
Valley Creek Dental Care always suggests you consult your nearby dentist before deciding not to go for braces. They will check your dental status and guide you on what can be done if you don’t want braces. They can also suggest alternatives through which you can resolve your dental problem.