Dental Braces: A Perfect Long-Term Fix for a Brilliant Smile

We all know just how appealing a healthy smile is. Unfortunately, for most people, it’s not a given. The good news is that you can do a few things to turn a less-than-perfect smile into a brilliant one. In addition to taking care of cavities and pigmentations and observing standard oral hygiene recommendations, in some cases, you will need to get braces to take your smile from lackluster to beautiful. In most cases, your dentist will tell you if you should get dental braces, but when they do so, you’ll be faced with quite a big range of product types and dental braces materials available on the market.

To improve teeth alignment, you can opt for different types of dental braces such as classic metal, lingual, ceramic, Invisalign, or self-ligating braces. Depending on the severity of the condition of your teeth and the effects you desire to achieve, your dentist will probably tell you all types of dental braces and recommend whether you should go with metal fixtures or if you can use clear braces instead. The difference between these is huge. The choice will mainly depend on the extent of the corrections that need to be achieved, as well as the time the alignment process will require and your own budget.

On top of that, different types of dental braces are characterized by distinct features and uses, and each of them has its pros and cons, which you should take into account when making the final decision. To make the choice easier and the treatment better for your long-term oral health, you might want to take a quick look at the most common dental braces types currently available on the market.

Metal, Self-Ligating, and Lingual Braces: A Sparkling Smile, the Old Way

Traditional braces are usually made of metal and involve brackets that are attached to teeth. They can be worn by children and adults alike without any health risks. Still, there are a few differences between traditional metal, self-ligating, and lingual braces.

All traditional metal brackets feature wires made from metal and secured to the brackets with elastic bands to make positioning and regular adjustments easier and safer. Also, the bands are applied to aesthetically enhance the braces’ appearance.

On the other hand, their self-ligating counterparts are fitted with clips and not elastic bands to reduce friction and simplify hygiene routines. Lastly, lingual braces don’t differ much from traditional braces since they are also crafted from metal, but they are secured to the inside of the teeth to avoid unpleasant visual effects. Unfortunately, the cost of the improved image is lower effectiveness, longer treatment duration, greater discomfort (since they are in direct contact with the tongue), and additional difficulties when it comes to hygiene.

Also, it has become a trend of late to fit traditional metal brackets with heat-activated archwires that use body heat in the mouth to make teeth alignment faster and easier while at the same time minimizing discomfort.

Traditional braces are currently the most cost-effective option, which provides relatively good results for the money, and are thus most commonly used nowadays. Self-ligating braces have a similar degree of efficiency and allow for greater precision of tooth alignment, but they are somewhat more expensive than the traditional ones. Due to their visibility and aesthetics, though, most people are usually self-conscious about using traditional braces. That is why other options have appeared on the market and are growing increasingly popular these days.

Ceramic Braces: Inconspicuous Solution to Achieve a Sparkling Smile

Compared to traditional braces, their ceramic alternative is pretty similar as far as size and shape are concerned. The main difference is that they are constructed from ceramics instead of metal. Due to their sleek and inconspicuous design, ceramic braces will blend in with the natural color of your teeth, which makes them far less noticeable. That’s why these are among the types of dental braces for adults, whereas types of dental braces for children generally fall in the traditional category.

As for efficiency, ceramic braces are as effective as the traditional alternatives in terms of achieving optimal alignment of teeth. Nevertheless, the aesthetic value comes with a price tag — since they are made from costlier material than that used in regular, self-ligating, and lingual metal braces, the price of ceramic fixtures is somewhat steeper. As another downside, ceramic braces can get stained if not properly cared for, which is why you should do your best to follow the instructions from your dentist regarding oral hygiene and fixture cleaning.

Invisalign: A Clean, Clear, and Carefree Way to Get a Gorgeous Smile

Invisalign braces are one of the fastest-growing trends on the global market of dental products. They differ greatly from all other types in that they don’t use brackets. In place of brackets and wires, Invisalign features a set of custom-built plastic clear aligners worn over the teeth to achieve the desired corrective movements.

The aligners are simple to remove and are typically replaced by a new set every two weeks or so. This type of braces also differs from the other products in the category in that the number of aligners ranges from 18 to 30, depending on the goal of the treatment. Still, their effect is the same as that of other, old-school alternatives.

Clear braces are a favorite for most patients since they are difficult to notice and allow for greater freedom when it comes to food and drinks. Nevertheless, the price of Invisalign braces is considerably higher than that of other products in this category, which means you’ll have to save up for the treatment if you want to jump onto the stealth wagon braces-wise. 

One more disadvantage of clear braces is that they can be used only to correct minor to moderate dental problems in teenagers and adults. More complex teeth alignment will, unfortunately, require a different type of braces if you want to achieve optimal and lasting effects.

Help Your Smile Shine Bright

Dental braces are a perfect solution for people with crooked or uneven teeth who are looking to achieve a lasting perfect smile. Still, there are quite a few different fixtures that you can use to get the smile you deserve.

Hopefully, this article has helped you figure out the type that best fits your dental needs and budget. Traditional metal, self-ligating, and lingual braces are the old-school tools, which will help you achieve a smile that turns heads. On the other hand, ceramic and clear braces are aesthetically better choices if you don’t want your dental treatment to be visible to everyone. Keep smiling!