In years gone by, if you were an adult who wanted to straighten your teeth, there were essentially 2 options open to you. The first was to wear a large, orthodontic aligner and hope that it was able to straighten the slight misalignment in the front of your mouth.
The second (and more popular), was to learn to love your smile and to go about your life as normal.
In 2020, the latter option is no longer required. Of course, body (and dental) positivity is a great thing, but if you want to straighten your smile, you no longer have to worry about wearing a metal brace. Thanks to advances in both orthodontic options and cosmetic alternatives, you can now get the straighter smile you want without the metal brace!
But it doesn’t stop there. There are many different types of adult/cosmetic orthodontics that are available, to help straighten and resolve your unique misalignment issues. Known as invisible braces, different brands from Incognito to Invisalign in Spa Dental Sydney CBD are now commonly used to straighten teeth, without the lack of discretion or discomfort of metal aligners.
What are invisible braces?
Made from clear, firm but malleable plastic, invisible braces like Invisalign are a set of custom-fitted trays which are designed to slot over your teeth.
Changed every 2-3 weeks, they gently apply pressure to your teeth and move them into the desired position. Depending on the severity of your misalignment, they may also be able to offer an accelerated treatment time, so you can get a straighter smile in as little as 6 months.
What can they treat?
As Invisalign has developed, so have the conditions that it can treat.
Now patients are able to have gaps closed, crowded teeth spread out and are even able to have under, over and crossbites corrected. However, if you have a tooth that requires a rotation of more than 20 degrees, your dentist may suggest a fitted brace in lieu of an invisible one.
Who can wear them?
Once your teeth have finished developing (usually by the age of 15), you may be suitable for invisible braces aimed at teenagers. Like the adult versions, they are removable, custom-fitted and may offer an accelerated treatment time.
Regardless of age, you have to have good oral health and must be committed and dedicated to wearing this aligner correctly; in short, you must remember to put it back in when you need to.
Do they work?
Yes, they do!
With a long-term success rate of over 96% after 5 years, invisible braces offer the same advantages as traditional ones in relation to achieving straighter smiles. However, once you have finished wearing your invisible brace, you will be required to wear a custom-fitted aligner for a set time, to prevent your teeth relapsing into their previous positions.
If you want to know whether invisible braces are for you, contact your dental team for an assessment.
DISCLAIMER
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
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