12 Mar Is Invisalign better than Braces?
Invisalign vs Braces
Invisalign and braces are both designed to straighten teeth while improving your smile and dental health. Invisalign was first created in 1997 and has treated over 12 million smiles to date.
Traditionally braces were metal brackets that are cemented to your teeth and are held together by wires and small rubber bands also known as train track braces. These are fixed to the teeth and are non-removable. At each visit, your dentist or orthodontist will assess the tooth positions and will then replace the wires and bands until the desired result.
What is Invisalign Treatment?
Invisalign is a clear removable aligner and is designed to be discrete and removable. During the Invisalign journey, a digital treatment plan is created to produce a series of aligners to map out the desired movements. Each Invisalign aligner is unique and made precisely to apply the right amount of force to your teeth to straighten your teeth.
What are Invisalign aligners made of?
Invisalign clear aligners are made of flexible plastic — specifically, a patented thermoplastic material that contains no BPA, BPS or latex.
How does clear aligner treatment work compared to braces?
Your Invisalign dentist/orthodontist will create a unique, digital treatment plan that maps out the exact movements of your teeth. You will then wear a series of Invisalign clear aligners designed to apply the right amount of force to the right place at the right time based on your plan. Generally, you will wear each aligner for 7-14 days. Your Invisalign dentist will be with you every step of the way to monitor your progress and ensure your aligners fit correctly.
Fixed braces work by the wire exerting pressure on the brackets to achieve the desired movements on the teeth. Generally, you may see the clinician once every 4-12 weeks to adjust or change the wires.
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What are the benefits of Invisalign treatment compared to braces?
Invisalign clear aligners are virtually invisible — they are a lot more hidden and discreet compared with fixed braces. You can remove them to eat and drink, to brush and floss, or for special occasions. There are no metal brackets or wires that could irritate your mouth or break. Invisalign aligners are trimmed around our gum line for comfort and appearance.
Is Invisalign more expensive than braces?
Typically Invisalign fees are similar to braces though this depends on the complexity.
What are the advantages of Invisalign compared to braces?
With Invisalign, you can clean your teeth more easily compared to braces and so there is less risk of gum disease and tooth decay compared to braces but ultimately this is down to the user. You will still need to brush and use floss or interdental brushes regularly with Invisalign or braces.
Are there dietary restrictions with Invisalign compared to braces?
There are no food or dietary restrictions with Invisalign as long as you remove them before you eat and drink. With fixed braces, hard and sticky foods will get caught in the wires and may cause the brackets to break.
Consequently, Invisalign review appointments tend to be shorter, more predictable and fewer in total as there is less likely to be breakages, there are no bracket or wire changes or placements of bands or springs.
Is Invisalign painful?
Invisalign are more comfortable than braces. The forces exerted on the teeth is more steady compared to braces through the course of treatment. As there are no wires and brackets there tends to be less irritation.
What are the negatives of Invisalign compared to braces?
The main drawback with Invisalign treatment is that it relies on you the patient to wear them for about 22 hours a day. You must have good self-motivation and compliance for Invisalign treatment to be successful. If the aligners are worn sufficiently, the teeth will not move and so treatment will either be slower or less than ideal.
For the majority of situations, teeth straightening can be corrected with either Invisalign or braces. There are scenarios where the dentist or orthodontist may deem the treatment too complex and fixed braces more be more predictable to achieve a better result.
If you would like more information about how Invisalign can help straighten your teeth, why not give us a call on 01772 335207 or please fill out the contact form and we will be in touch.
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