Orthodontics is no longer just the preserve of the young, and it’s become commonplace to see many adults wearing braces, and those are just the visible braces! Today, approximately 25% of people receiving orthodontic treatment are adults. Best of all, healthy teeth can be moved at any age, so if you never had the chance to straighten your teeth as a child, why not consider treatment as an adult? There are a couple of important benefits of straightening up your teeth and you almost certainly haven’t considered one of them!
The Health Benefits of Straightening Your Teeth
This is one reason for straightening up a crooked smile that is frequently overlooked, but if you ask your dentist, it’s probably the most important. When teeth are significantly out of position or overlapping, it makes them much trickier to clean, which in turn increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Gum disease is a particular concern because it can even affect overall health. Advanced gum disease has been linked to serious health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Wearing braces could potentially protect your general health!
If your teeth don’t bite together correctly, it can cause problems with your jaw joints. A jaw joint disorder or can be extremely painful, causing not only jaw pain but also headaches, neck ache, and even tinnitus. Teeth that don’t bite together correctly tend to wear down unevenly because as you bite and chew food, more stresses are placed on some teeth, increasing the risk that they will fracture or wear significantly.
The Social Benefits of Straightening up
These are the benefits that make most people desire orthodontic treatment, as if your teeth are significantly crooked, it can make you feel very self-conscious about your smile. We live in an age where there is a huge emphasis on having straight and evenly spaced teeth that look healthy and attractive. It can be a huge benefit to have a straight, beautiful smile both personally and professionally. When you know that you look your best, you are more likely to feel confident and to interact with others more easily. Conversely, when you feel self-conscious about your teeth, you are more likely to hide your smile, and this can prevent your true personality from showing.
Provided your teeth are strong, and in reasonably good condition, you can almost certainly benefit from orthodontic treatment.
More Treatment Choices Than Ever before
You probably remember friends who wore braces during your schooldays and who had to put up with highly visible “train tracks” that were frequently tricky to keep clean. Also, the treatment seemed to go on for literally years. Luckily, although metal braces are still widely used because they are so effective, there are many other choices available and which can be extremely discreet. What’s even better is that often, treatment is quite quick as some braces options can provide significant results in just a matter of months. Possible choices will almost certainly include Invisalign clear aligners which are removable and fixed nearly invisible braces such as Mystique.
Invisalign
Invisalign is one of the most popular invisible braces worldwide using tried and tested technology. It can straighten your teeth without using any fixed brackets or wires. Instead, it uses a series of clear, BPA-free plastic aligners. Once these aligners are in the mouth, they are virtually invisible. You probably know at least one or two people who have straightened their teeth using Invisalign. However, if they didn’t tell you they were wearing braces, you may not have realized because treatment is so discreet.
How Does Invisalign Work?
Initially, you will need a consultation with a cosmetic dentist who is a certified Invisalign provider. They can assess your teeth to determine if you are a suitable candidate for Invisalign Brooklyn. The next stage is to plan your treatment carefully using advanced computerized technology. Your dentist will scan your teeth to create precise digital images. The information is used by Invisalign software to create virtual images showing how your teeth look now, and how they will move until they are finally straightened. It’s quite an exciting process because you can see the advantages of treatment. Also, it gives you a chance to have a say in your treatment plan and to decide exactly how you’d like your teeth to look. Once the treatment plan is complete, computerized technology is used to create your aligners.
You must wear your aligners each day, ensuring they remain in your mouth for at least 22 hours. Ideally, only remove them when you want to eat, or whenever you brush and floss your teeth. Every two weeks, you discard your current set of aligners, replacing them with the next set in the series. You continue doing this until all your aligners are worn, and your smile is beautifully straight. Invisalign is incredibly easy to use as you won’t need to change your lifestyle or your diet. It can correct most common bite or misalignment problems and is highly effective. Treatment times can vary from just a few months to one to two years. Most people complete their treatment within a year.
Mystique
Mystique braces are fixed onto teeth and consist of discreet clear brackets powered by thin wires. They blend in with natural teeth incredibly well and provide extremely precise results as the braces are fixed. One of the things that makes this treatment a little different is the way the brackets bond onto teeth, using a special system that helps to keep them in place right until the end of treatment. Once it’s time to remove them, the brackets are easier for dentists to take off, which is far more comfortable for patients. Mystique braces may be suitable for you if you have more complicated orthodontic issues that require precision tooth movements. The treatment time with Mystique is between 12 to 14 months, depending on the tooth movements required.
Retainers
Retainers are always needed regardless of the type of orthodontic treatment chosen. The length of time you will need to wear your retainers depends on how much your teeth needed to move. Usually, retainers must be worn for at least a year full-time, and another year at night only. Your retainers can be equally as discreet as your braces.
