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Do your crooked teeth get in the way of your smile or even cause you to avoid social situations? Are you feeling frustrated that straightening your teeth would take years? Then we’ve got some excellent news for you. Thanks to innovation and advanced practices in dental care, children and adults now have more teeth alignment options to straighten their teeth or fix an irregular bite. What’s even better is that these orthodontic procedures are less invasive, and the recovery period is far shorter.
Many people are born with crooked teeth and looking for a cost-effective way to straighten them. But what else can you do if traditional treatment options seem to be too expensive? Luckily, orthodontics has come a long way in recent years. If you’ve been looking for ways on how to correct your normal bite, then this article is for you.
What is Teeth Straightening?
Teeth straightening is a dental practice that uses external pressure to fix a person’s bite. Simply put, whether you have uneven, misplaced, or misaligned teeth, there are still many ways for you to straighten it out.
Teeth straightening methods essentially aim to improve dental hygiene by fixing oral concerns. It involves the help of an orthodontist who performs different orthodontic procedures to correct various misalignment issues, including the following:
- Underbites
- Overbites
- Open bites
- Deep bites
- Crossbites
- Teeth gaps
What Are the Advantages of Straightening Your Teeth?
As innovations in dental practice start to take over, more people are paying attention to their oral health. Many are even claiming that fixing their misaligned teeth was one of the most significant treatments they’ve ever had. With the various teeth straightening options, you might be wondering what benefits are in store for you.
Here are the advantages you’ll get for straightening your teeth:
Improves Appearance and Self-Esteem
Understandably, many people want to improve their smiles in order to enhance their overall look. Getting rid of misaligned teeth can change the way you look, as your teeth contribute to your appearance. They improve the shape of the face by raising the mouth upwards, giving the skin a firmer and youthful appearance.
Our beauty has a significant influence on our perceptions and how we view ourselves in social situations. Therefore, being confident about our appearance can crucially affect our self-esteem.
One thing that you need to be careful is that it’s crucial to protect your teeth from blunt force. You can wear a mouthguard customized for you if you’re in to sports.
Boosts Oral Health
Besides its aesthetic purposes, having straight and well-aligned teeth can significantly lower your risk of developing oral health problems. Misaligned teeth can be painful to brush, resulting in plaque buildup and tooth decay. Straightening your teeth can help you fix crooked or crowded teeth, thus allowing you to steer away from unnecessary dental concerns.
Moreover, gaps and spaces that are too wide can lead to inflammation and redness on your gum line. Fortunately, there are several teeth straightening options that can increase gum hygiene and strengthen the body’s defenses against periodontal disease.
Prevent and Resolve Jaw Problems
Orthodontic procedures and teeth straightening options can help resolve jaw issues. When the teeth follow an incorrect bite, closing the jaws can cause malocclusion. According to dental experts, a bad bite, such as a significant underbite or overbite, can lead to functional issues.
Without enough support, the jawbones can deteriorate and cause simple tasks like swallowing or chewing to become more challenging. Luckily, dental appliances such as clear aligners and metal braces can assist you in chewing your food thoroughly, which is essential for proper digestion.
Improves your Speech
You’re more likely to have speech issues if the teeth aren’t correctly aligned. Teeth that are overlapping, crooked, or bent can alter the position of your tongue. This condition can cause extra air to flow through your teeth, causing a whistle as you talk.
The most common way to deal with speech concerns due to crooked teeth is through restorative dentistry. Teeth alignment procedures can restore the correct placement of your teeth and tongue, thus improving the quality of your speech.
What Are the Top Teeth Alignment Options?
The orthodontic industry has grown to become more inclusive than it was before. Advancements in cosmetic dentistry have opened up new treatment options that are easily accessible for all patients. Decades ago, many people considered traditional braces to be the only way to achieve a flawless smile. However, with all of the new solutions available today, there’s no need for someone to be left with a smile they don’t love.
If you want to know which option is right for you, you’ve come to the right place. We have compiled a comprehensive list of the top teeth alignment options, each with its disadvantages and advantages.
At-Home Clear Aligners
At-home clear aligners are somewhat similar to traditional clear aligners. However, unlike Invisalign, this dental appliance does not require going to a dental clinic. Instead, its design allows the patient to self-administer conveniently at the comfort of their home. People often call this type of aligners the do-it-yourself braces because of their easy-to-use and straightforward vibes.
For adults, at-home aligners are by far the most cost-effective yet comfortable choice to improve their smile. Therefore, if the difficulty and costs of regular dental treatments stop you from getting the orthodontic care you need, home aligners may be the answer you’re looking for.
Traditional Clear Aligners
Traditional aligners are a common treatment choice for young adults because it offers a less noticeable substitute to conventional braces. Clear aligners resemble clear retainers in appearance. These come from special plastic materials that are customized to suit the teeth. Patients must wear these aligners for twenty-two hours per day, taking them out only when eating or drinking colored beverages. Invisalign and ClearCorrect are the most common in-office clear aligner labels.
Metal Braces
Classic metal braces often get a bad reputation due to the proliferation of modern, groundbreaking orthodontic procedures. However, there are no reasons to rule braces out of the treatment choices. Traditional braces continue to be available for a reason- they’re the most thorough and effective treatment available.
Braces may be helpful to correct a wide range of complex teeth misalignments and bite problems. Because of this feature, they’re often an alternative solution for individuals who don’t seem to be a suitable match for less conventional orthodontic options like home aligners or Invisalign.
Ceramic Braces
For young adults, ceramic braces are the far more discreet option to fix misaligned teeth. While these braces are somewhat similar to conventional braces, they serve more advantages. Instead of metal brackets, ceramic braces make use of clear or tooth-colored brackets. Sometimes, wires for ceramic braces are available in an off-white shade.
Additionally, other materials for ceramic braces tend to be less painful yet slightly faster than traditional braces. As a result, patients can easily see improvements in their alignment while staying comfortable.
Lingual Braces
Lingual braces are the most discreet kind of braces. While lingual braces use the same brackets and wires as conventional braces, dentists place them at the back of the teeth rather than the front. To the naked eye, lingual braces are almost undetectable. Lingual braces are a perfect choice for those who don’t believe ceramic braces would be discreet enough.
Lingual braces can usually cost between eight to ten thousand dollars, making them an expensive choice. Still, if your primary concern with braces is their appearance, lingual braces may be the best option for you.
Dental Bonding
Bonding is a less common treatment choice, but it stands out because of its near-instant results and affordability. Dental bonding is a procedure that uses a resin-based filler to make minor modifications to your teeth. Dentists often recommend this treatment to repair chipped teeth, correct irregularly-formed teeth, and close gaps or spaces.
If you are looking for ways to make minor improvements to your smile, bonding can be an excellent budget-friendly option.
Dental Veneers
If you want to experience an overall improvement to your smile, a dental veneer should be your choice. Veneers are porcelain shells that closely resemble natural teeth. During this procedure, the cosmetic dentist will carefully place and cement the veneers over the problematic teeth.
Your dentist would most likely need to shave off a thin layer of enamel before positioning the veneers onto your teeth. Since this procedure is permanent, it is crucial to ensure that you are ready for the treatment. On the other hand, some veneers do not require any preparation. However, you need to consult your dentist first to determine if you’re a good candidate for this treatment. Typically, the process takes only about an hour, although you should also consider significant factors.
Do I Need Teeth Alignment?
There are many reasons why you need teeth alignments. One of the most significant aspects revolves around gaining a sense of confidence in your smile.
On the other hand, straightening your teeth is vital, not just for aesthetic reasons. This treatment is also essential to maintain good oral health and prevent health issues and injuries caused by crooked or misaligned teeth.
Therefore, having perfectly aligned teeth can lead to an overall improvement in your quality of life.
Final Thoughts
If you want to straighten your teeth, there are several teeth alignment options available. With the proper orthodontic procedure, teeth alignment methods are effective for individuals of all ages. The only requirement is that your gums are healthy since teeth alignment places more strain on the teeth and gums.
To get the most out of your teeth straightening experience, it’s still the best to get expert advice from a board-certified dentist. They will be the ones to recommend different treatment options suitable for your oral care needs. Since every set of teeth is different, the treatment options may also vary.
References:
Appleby, J. (January 2020). In-Home Teeth-Straightening Business Is Booming ― But Better Brace Yourself.
https://khn.org/news/in-home-teeth-straightening-business-is-booming-―-but-better-brace-yourself/
Stanborough, R. (August 2019). What is Dental Plaque?
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/plaque
Archibald, J. (May 2020). What to know about dental veneers.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dental-veneers
(October 2020). 6 Innovations in the Dental Industry.
https://www.adia.org.au/blog/what-is-new-and-innovative-in-dentistry
