Braces and Braces Alternatives
If your child has a smile that is a little crooked and/or uneven, it may be time to take them to an orthodontist to be assessed for braces. For better alignment teeth braces put steady pressure on each tooth in order to move it to a different spot. Another word for braces for teeth is orthodonture. As an alternative for braces, dental aligner trays can be used. This system is often preferred because no one can tell that the trays are being worn, unlike braces.
As an alternative to Invisalign braces can be painful to be installed and to have tightened month after month. The aligner trays work by putting the same kind of steady pressure on each tooth that is created by braces. When one tray has been worn for a few weeks, it is replaced with one that is tighter to continue the pressure on the teeth. Many wearers like the choice of clear aligner trays because they can be removed when eating. That means that there are no off-limits foods for those who use the tray system. IT also makes them incredibly easy to clean when braces can be difficult and require special tools to do so.
Think children and teenagers are the only ones who can benefit from braces and braces alternatives? Think again!
While it’s true that orthodontists fit braces to more children and teenagers than adults, the numbers are changing. Since 1989, the number of adults undergoing orthodontic treatment has increased over 25%. Many of these adults grew up without the financial resources to have braces, but are now making their own money, can afford the orthodontics cost, and are choosing to undergo correction.
However, fewer adults are eager to be seen wearing metal braces—looking younger is good, but doing so be having metal braces is not a popular option. Luckily, traditional braces alternatives such as Invisalign, ceramic braces, and lingual braces are providing adult patients with solutions for correction that don’t make them self-conscious.
There is still a market for traditional metal braces in the school-aged crowd, for two major reasons. First is the cost. The average cost for braces alternatives puts lingual and ceramic braces slightly out of the normal family budget. Metal braces are still the most affordable option.
The second reason is responsibility. Invisalign braces have an easily removed plastic tray, so the wearers are not limited in what foods they can eat. This tray also makes regular brushing and oral care easier. However, such an easily removed tray can also be an easily forgotten tray—in the morning, in the lunchroom, or even in a movie theater when passing the popcorn. Traditional, fixed metal braces are a safeguard that the correction will stay in place for an age-group that may not yet be responsible enough for Invisalign.
As new technologies are continually developed and refined, the prices for braces and braces alternatives will continue to decline. But if you’re waiting for a massive price-drop, keep this in mind: the sooner you correct your misaligned teeth, the sooner you can start enjoying a healthy, straight, winning smile.
