What Are Your Options When You Have Crooked Teeth
It may seem difficult to know what your options are when you are uncomfortable with your smile. You may have heard about Invisalign and already know about braces but there have got to be some things about these methods that you should know in order to make a decision that is best for you, right? Well, talking to an orthodontist about the matter makes the most sense since they are the industry experts and after all, they are also doctors.
Orthodontics is a dental specialty that requires an extra two to four years of training in order to become board-certified after completing four-year dental school and a science-related four-year undergrad. So, when an orthodontist satisfies members of the American Board of Orthodontics with their mandatory presentation and they are able to pass the written examination, they have completed at least 10 years of education in preparation to become an orthodontist so it is safe to say that anyone who ends up in their care is in good hands.
There are at least several different approaches that an orthodontist can take with their patients in order to correct their misaligned bites and crooked or crowded teeth. They prefer to take a proactive approach whenever possible by applying the use of retainers and/or spacers during one’s childhood in order to help the developing bones in a child’s mouth develop in a way that is conducive to their permanent teeth coming in at the correct angle and in position. In most cases though, retainers and spacers are ineffective when it is obvious that braces are going to be needed in order to properly align one’s bite and teeth.
Retainers are very common after braces have been removed from children or adolescents for a time to keep the patient’s newly aligned teeth from moving out of position while the surrounding bones and tissue settle properly. Depending on the situation, it may be recommended that the patient wears a retainer during the day and at night for a year or more to make sure that their teeth stay where they are and the bones in their mouth are encouraged to fully form properly. Only an orthodontist can understand their patient’s individual situations enough to understand what exact approach needs to be taken in any given scenario.
Braces can be applied using materials other than traditional stainless steel and they can be administered at any time in your life. If you did not have the good fortune of getting the orthodontic care that you needed when you were a child or adolescent, that is not your fault and you have options at your disposal later in life. Teeth braces for adults have become much more common than used to be and they can apply using discrete materials that blend in nicely with the natural color of your teeth so you do not have to feel self-conscious about them causing a distraction in your life.
Brackets for braces are made out of three main materials: The first and most common are the ones that you see most children wearing that are made out of stainless steel. Second, clear or invisible braces are made out of transparent plastic that are more difficult to detect. Third, you could choose to get ceramic braces where the bracket’s natural ceramic color blends in well with your teeth and provide a smooth, comfortable exterior surface. It should be noted that both of these materials are less durable than stainless steel and if not taken care of properly could turn into maintenance visits that could cost more money that could have otherwise been avoided if stainless steel brackets were chosen. Braces are not always required in order to get your smile to a point where you are going to feel more comfortable showing it off. In some cases, the Invisalign method may be the best option because it does not even require brackets or wiring at all.
Invisalign burst into the orthodontics scene in 2000 the help of a lot of silicon valley investment capital and the advancement of crucial technologies in digital computer imaging and 3-D printing. These three factors combined to create a teeth-straightening method that TV personalities and celebrities have used to correct their smiles. It is as popular as it is because you can straighten your teeth by using a series of undetectable, transparent ‘aligners’ that are custom-designed to bring your smile into alignment. This method is not available for everyone because it is not always capable of producing the best results because everyone has their own highly individualized needs and expectations.
