Straightening your teeth can boost your confidence and restore the pleasure in smiling. How to straighten teeth most effectively depends on your age, the severity of the malocclusion, and personal preferences.
How to Straighten Teeth?
There are two primary treatment plans for fixing crooked teeth. The first is the metal wire and bracket combination that is commonly associated with getting braces. However, many modern dental braces are often tooth-coloured and lightweight to create a more comfortable teeth straightening experience. You can also have lingual braces applied in which the brackets and wires are attached to the back of your teeth for a more discreet straightening solution.
Contemporary braces can fix misaligned teeth, overcrowding, close large gaps, and improve an overbite or underbite. With a wire and bracket approach, your teeth will move roughly one millimetre each month, so the alignment process can take anywhere from six months to three years, depending on if your bite needs correcting. The majority of patients wear braces for approximately two years.
For mild-to-moderate teeth straightening, you might be a candidate for clear aligners. These are a discrete option which are nearly invisible so you can live life normally while simultaneously working towards the perfect smile.
Benefits of Clear Aligners
At Dapto Dentists, we offer Invisalign, a trusted orthodontic treatment option that works faster than traditional braces. The clear plastic trays are made from patented SmartTrack technology, which is BPA, BPS, gluten, and latex-free. These plastic trays provide a comfortable, custom fit and can be provided to you by an Invisalign certified dentist.
The benefits of invisible aligners for individuals with less complicated malocclusion are immense and makes the slightly higher price of this subtle alignment method worthwhile. Advantages include:
- Shorter treatment times
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Easy to remove
- Unobstructed brushing and flossing
- No dietary restrictions
Invisible aligners allow you to live life as you always have, making them a more convenient option, especially for adults. When you choose Invisalign, you’ll switch out your aligners every two weeks. Each new set is altered slightly to apply carefully calculated force to specific teeth, encouraging them to move into the desired position.
Your teeth are secured to the jawbone with a periodontal ligament. Invisalign aligners coax your teeth into a new position through manipulation of tension and compression, with the periodontal ligament being the first thing to move. For your teeth to stay in the new position, the bone must move as well, which is why you have to wear each set of aligners for the full two weeks. This allows enough time for the cementum to hold the bone in its new location. Failure to wear the trays as instructed can set back your progress because, without support, your teeth will begin moving back to their original position.
Invisalign is a gentler option for fixing crooked teeth than traditional braces because the force is incremental with each new aligner rather than constant. To achieve your desired look can take anywhere from 12-36 aligners or 24-72 weeks.
Dentists at Dapto Can Help
Contemporary braces are an aesthetically pleasing alternative to the traditional metal brackets most people are familiar with. Choosing this modern option for teens or adults can prevent drops in self-esteem due to the apparatus.
If you’ve been wondering how to straighten teeth discreetly, invisible aligners are an excellent solution. At Dapto Dentists, we offer Invisalign and contemporary braces for a modern, subtle tooth alignment approach. To book a consultation and find out which option is best for you, contact us today at (02) 4044 5520.
