Clear Aligners Vs Braces - Which one is a better choice?

Straightening your teeth not only enhances your appearance but also improves your overall quality of life, making it a worthwhile decision. It's natural to feel hesitant about orthodontic treatment initially due to concerns about pain, discomfort, and the look of traditional braces. However, advancements in orthodontics have significantly improved the treatment process. Many people are now choosing modern orthodontic options because they offer greater convenience and efficiency than traditional methods.

Aim for undergoing orthodontic treatment:

• To correct misaligned teeth.
• To correct an overbite, underbite or overjet.
• To correct gap in between teeth or cross bite.
• To improve aesthetics as well as functioning of the teeth and the jaw muscles.
• To treat crowding of teeth.

There are two types of orthodontic treatments: traditional/conventional braces and clear aligners.

Whether your teeth are maligned, crowded or there are spaces between your teeth, one can always get a healthy, aesthetically pleasing smile with braces or clear aligner treatment. So, to ease the burden off your shoulder we are here to aid you to opt for the right orthodontic treatment for you, hence we have compared both the treatment options.

What are Clear Aligners?

It is a newer and modern version of orthodontic treatment, that aligns teeth with invisible braces comprising of plastic aligners to correct the misaligned teeth. They align teeth just as braces do, but using a transparent, removable aligner. There is no age restriction, and anyone can opt for it if you have good oral hygiene.

• They are clear, modern, nearly invisible and you can boast your smile with confidence without anyone knowing that you are undergoing treatment. Concerned about your uploading selfies on Facebook and Instagram with braces on then – clear aligner is the best choice.
• It is generally best to treat the patient when all teeth have sufficiently erupted.
• Just like with conventional braces, adjustment appointments are generally every six to eight weeks and they are changed every 2 weeks on average as per individual’s requirements and are adjusted as per your devised plan.
• Clear aligners make treatment less time consuming than with traditional braces.
• Your orthodontist will make a virtual model of your teeth and will show you all of the steps involved, to the end desired result.
• Oral hygiene is easy since you simply remove the aligner to brush your teeth and floss as compared to the braces.

However, it requires most of the teeth to be erupted and it might not be suitable for all young children. Since patient compliance is integral for the success, they must be sincere, disciplined about wearing their aligners at all times to avoid delaying the treatment or compromising the results.

What are Conventional/Traditional Braces?

Traditional braces are the conventional treatment to treat misaligned teeth. Small metal or porcelain brackets are bonded to the front of the teeth and are interconnected by an arch wire, the tightness of which may vary, to gradually shift the teeth according to a predetermined plan. This puts very slight but stable pressure on the teeth to move them into their optimal position. Braces correct the position of the teeth both individually and simultaneously.

Metal or ceramic braces are attached to your teeth, and you cannot remove them. They are visible, and people find it unaesthetic in appearance. They are not comfortable and can be inconvenient while speaking and eating. It requires difficult manoeuvring techniques when it comes to brushing your teeth. The wire needs to be changes several times with a thicker wire to continue shifting the teeth until the desired results are obtained.

Once the braces have been installed, they have to be adjusted in order to maintain the correct degree of tension. Regular follow-up appointments (every 6-8 weeks on average) are necessary to permit the professional to monitor the treatment. Wearing braces requires excellent oral hygiene.

Clear Aligners Vs Braces- Which one is more elite?

There is no great difference in both the treatments when it comes to comparing the orthodontic principles applied to correct misaligned teeth and in both pressure is applied on the specific areas of your teeth. However, some factor distinguishes clear aligners different from traditional braces and have more added advantage.

• Clear aligners are removable, and one can brush normally as they used to do, however braces cannot be removes and hence requires tricky techniques to maintain oral hygiene.
• You can eat your meals with comfort as in clear aligners and you can opt to remove them while having food while in braces there is no option to remove.
• With clear aligners, you socialize with confidence without having to worry about your looks. On the other hand, traditional braces might make you feel diffident.
• Clear aligners are the least intrusive appliance for teeth straightening - speaking with clear aligners is usually normal.
• Although clear aligners can treat most cases however, in some complicated cases one might need fixed braces or a combination of fixed appliances and clear aligners.

Why Does a Patient choose Clear Aligners over the traditional braces?

Clear aligners are comfortable and convenient, blending well with your lifestyle. They can brush as they used to do without any complicated techniques that need to be used in case of braces.

Clear aligner is usually recommended to be worn for 22 hours/day for successful results, and if you choose night time aligners, those must be worn for 10 continuous hours/day (meaning you should not take them off during the 10 hours). Once you finish all your clear aligner steps, you wear your retainers as directed to prevent teeth shifting in the original position.

Summary

Overall, clear aligners are an easy way to get your confident smile back. They are invisible, comfortable, easy to use, and convenient while you do your routine daily tasks.

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