Everybody in San Jose wants straight teeth and a great smile. Straighter teeth mean better looks, healthier teeth, and less plaque buildup, and less potential for gum disease. For people with gaps between their teeth or crooked teeth, getting them straightened used to mean wearing silver-colored metal braces for at least a year. Unfortunately, there weren’t any other choices.
The embarrassment of having a mouth full of metal can be bad enough for children and teens, but even worse for adults. Oftentimes, adults who didn’t wear braces when they were younger, would choose to keep their imperfect smile instead of enduring the embarrassment of wearing braces.
Luckily, attitudes about adults wearing braces have changed, and it is more common to see adults with them. There are also different types of braces available, like clear braces, or Invisalign. These options for better braces have helped more people straighten their smile with more confidence and comfort than ever before.
Invisalign: New Age Braces
Invisalign is an appealing option for many because they are, as the name suggests, invisible (clear), and they are not actually braces. These new-age braces involve wearing a clear tray over your teeth, and it is removable. Usually, you wear a tray daily for two weeks and then replace it with a new tray. You should remove the clear aligners to eat or drink. After a year, you will find that your teeth have moved into their proper alignment and your treatment is complete.
Invisalign generally costs more than braces, but for many people, it is worth the extra cost to have the near invisibility and ease of use. Clear aligners are a great choice for people who have minor issues with the alignment of their teeth.
Invisalign works well for vertical problems with the teeth: teeth that are different heights. Finally, with Invisalign, there are fewer dentist visits, and eating with them is not an issue because you can remove them. Many patients find that Invisalign is the better braces option in comparison to metal braces.
Although there are many different clear or hidden braces options out there, we recommend avoiding imitators like Smile Direct Club where a dentist doesn’t supervise your entire treatment.
Metal Braces: Better Braces?
Although new-age braces like Invisalign can straighten a smile, they can’t solve all problems traditional braces can solve. For moderate to severe bite, crowding or space issues, metal braces are the better option. There are other ways you can straighten your teeth without the unsightly appearance of metal braces though. For example, lingual braces are metal braces that go behind your teeth instead of on the front of your teeth.
In some mild cases, you might not even need braces or Invisalign to accomplish a perfect smile. Some patients can achieve the same results using porcelain veneers.