Straight Talk About Straight Teeth
Do you look in the mirror and wish you had straighter teeth? If you had braces as a child, your teeth may have shifted over time. Or, like many people, you may not have had the opportunity to straighten your teeth when you were younger. Fortunately, we now have options for adults other than the traditional “metal” braces that we all remember.
Invisalign – An invisible way to straighten teeth
You may have heard of “Invisalign” due to the recognition it has received in the media. Invisalign is a system which uses invisible, removable, clear plastic trays called aligners instead of the traditional metal wires and brackets. Align Technology, Inc., the company that manufactures Invisalign, has manufactured over 10 million aligners and treated more than 250,000 patients. To straighten teeth, a series of aligners is made, and the patient wears each one for two weeks. Each aligner has the capability to move teeth approximately one-quarter of a millimeter. That does not sound like much in itself, but it quickly adds up to a lot of tooth movement in a few months. This is a terrific option for adults who want straighter teeth without braces.
Short Term Orthodontics
This is another option for adults that utilizes tooth-colored braces and is used to treat primarily the front teeth. Short term orthodontics utilizes the latest technology combined with time tested orthodontic techniques to move your teeth quickly and safely. We use tooth colored braces with a white wire so the braces are virtually invisible. This is targeted treatment for cosmetic concerns. We can fix rotations, crowding and spaces in your front teeth. We are able to do this treatment safely by using very low force to move the teeth with a special flexible wire. We are able to do this treatment in 6-8 months because the focus is on the front teeth, not on changing your bite or correcting major alignment problems.
Evaluating the Options
Short-term orthodontics have some advantages over Invisalign. Many adults prefer this option because they don’t have to think about managing the aligners, remembering to wear them or worrying about losing them. They are permanently fixed to the teeth for the duration of treatment, which eliminates the patient compliance factor in treatment. People who are in Invisalign treatment and don’t wear their aligners as directed will not get the desired results. Braces are also a bit less expensive than Invisalign. On the other hand, Invisalign’s removable aligners make it easy for people to clean their teeth, which can be quite difficult and time consuming with braces. People wearing traditional braces can be at an increased risk for tooth decay and gum disease from the excessive food which gets caught in the braces. With both of these treatment options, you will have to wear a retainer at night indefinitely to keep your teeth straight.
At Los Gatos Dental Group, we offer a variety of treatments so that our patients can choose the options that fit them the best. We hope this information will help you evaluate your own teeth-straightening needs.
How it works, how much it costs, and more.
Complimentary panoramic x-ray with first evaluation (Value of $145).