Nothing makes a face look as attractive as a big smile. But if your teeth are crooked, you’re probably reluctant to show your pearly whites.
Teeth straightening options like braces and aligners can give you a reason to smile again. Discover the facts about dental care for adults with these 5 differences between braces vs aligners.
Aesthetics
Dental braces have been relied on for years as the answer to fixing crowded, crooked, misaligned, or gap teeth. But they are very noticeable and not the least bit attractive. Understandably, wearing metal braces may affect your confidence and self-esteem.
Invisalign clear aligners, on the other hand, offer the same benefits without unsightly metal ruining your smile. That’s because aligners are hardly noticeable. Made from transparent plastic, an aligner is the best choice if you want to fix your smile but still look good.
Comfort
We all want to show our best face to the world. And we want to do so without undergoing risky or invasive procedures. That’s why non-surgical procedures like facial sculpting are becoming so popular. Yet there are other non-surgical options for improving your look, especially in dental care.
Unfortunately, traditional metal braces were never the most comfortable item to wear in your mouth. The metal brackets and wires can cause tiny cuts to your tongue, lips, and the insides of your cheeks. And when they get tightened, the pressure they exert on your teeth can be rather painful.
That’s why aligners are becoming so popular. They’re far more comfortable to wear than conventional metal braces. Aligners are thin and lightweight, with no wires or brackets. Although they’re strong enough to move teeth into position, they apply gentle pressure.
Practicality
With a dental aligner, you maintain complete control over your dental care while enjoying your life. And you needn’t stress about going on that first date. Just remove it before you go out to eat and drink, and reapply it when you’re home for the evening.
Because dental aligners are easy to remove and reinsert, you don’t have to worry about food getting stuck in them. Aligners are easy to remove, clean, and reposition. You can’t remove traditional braces to do these things. They’re permanently affixed to your teeth until the orthodontist removes them for you.
A big drawback with conventional metal dental braces is that food particles inevitably get stuck in them. From the view of practicality and ease of use, removable dental aligners are superior to metal braces.
Efficiency
There comes a time in your life when you want to freshen up your look. One way to do this is to re-evaluate your skincare routine. But isn’t it time you re-evaluated your dental care, too? The condition your teeth are in will determine which is more effective – dental aligners, or metal braces.
Metal braces and clear dental aligners work in much the same way. They apply constant pressure against the teeth, to gradually move them into the correct position. Over time, your teeth move into a straighter position, and you get the braces readjusted or a new aligner fitted.
However, metal braces are more effective in cases of severe teeth misalignment. As they exert more force, they are the preferred choice if your teeth are very crooked. Also, because they exert more pressure, they can deliver much faster results.
Maintenance
None of us have time to waste, so any dental option that requires less maintenance is a winner in our book. You’ll have to periodically be fitted with a new dental aligner. The same goes for conventional metal dental braces, as you’ll have to get them adjusted every couple of months.
But because dental aligners have no wires or brackets, nothing can loosen as with metal braces. Nothing can get stuck in your aligner. Because nothing much can go wrong, you’ll have less to worry about, and fewer emergency trips to the orthodontist. And that means less time and money wasted.
Don’t misplace your aligner after removing it and you won’t need to worry about anything going wrong. Keep it in a safe place when you remove it to eat, drink, brush your teeth, or floss.
