When most of us think of braces, we picture an adolescent child or young adult with a bulky combination of colorful bands and metal wires stuffed inside their mouths. But what if you’re well past your middle school years and you decide that you’re not quite happy with the smile that looks back at you in the mirror? Thanks to advancements in technology and some truly genius innovators, orthodontic solutions have come quite a long way in the past 15 years. People of any age are now making the move to correct their crooked teeth, close gaps and much more, without the need to use bulky metal wires anymore!
Today, many busy orthodontic practices are starting to see almost a 50/50 split in patients between adults and children! It’s important that better and more discreet solutions are being found, because adults for a wide variety of reasons, never had the opportunity to straighten their teeth when they were younger. It may have been because growing up their families couldn’t afford to invest in orthodontics, or perhaps they wore braces and failed to wear their retainer. It simply doesn’t matter whether your teeth have shifted over the years, you’ve become more conscious of the way they’ve always looked, or you have medical reasons for seeking proper alignment, there are some pretty amazing adult-friendly options for straightening your teeth.
Invisalign
Many adults decide it’s more important to put their children through orthodontics before worrying about themselves. Adult orthodontic patients across the US have made that exact choice and it’s safe to say that very few, if any, regret making that decision. But, when the children are all grown, and you have the ability to put yourself first now, one of the most discreet options for adult orthodontics is Invisalign.
Invisalign uses a series of clear, removable orthodontic aligners that straighten teeth without the use of metal or wires. Every Invisalign aligner is custom-made to slowly shift the teeth into the proper place. These aligners are designed to last about 1-2 weeks on average and at the end of your journey, you will go through a set of them to fully shift your teeth into the proper places. Invisalign can take longer than metal braces, but adult patients like them because they’re extremely discreet and can be taken out for special occasions or to eat. Occasionally, adult patients still wear metal braces, but because they also do Invisalign, they don’t need to wear the metal ones as long.
Lingual Braces
Lingual braces are essentially metal braces, but the benefit they provide is that they are attached behind the teeth, leaving them out-of-sight. Fewer patients choose this option though as lingual braces can be fairly uncomfortable, as the brackets rest on the inside of your mouth where your tongue is located. But, the benefit to these braces are that they’re just about impossible to see, even upon a close-up inspection. Lingual braces can also make it more difficult to keep your teeth clean, and may make you sound somewhat different as you first begin speaking with them. Nevertheless, lingual braces work just as effectively as traditional braces, so patients looking for a discreet option that works much quicker than Invisalign, should consider lingual braces.
Clear Ceramic Braces
Another nearly-invisible choice for an adult considering orthodontic help are clear ceramic braces. These braces look somewhat similar to a retainer, although many people won’t notice them at all, even from a couple of feet away. The reason why they appear to look like a retainer to some is because although the brackets and bands are either clear or tooth colored, the wire that connects them all still must be silver in color. This makes clear ceramic braces nearly indistinguishable to most and are able to straighten your teeth as quickly as traditional braces.
There are several other solutions out there on the market that provide adults with discreet teeth straightening options and it’s easier than ever to obtain your ideal smile. If you’re interested in learning more about any of our services, or just need to speak with a dentist, feel free to contact us today!
For those patients who want correction but don’t want to wear braces over a long period of time, fast braces are also available. Patients with minimal corrective needs can utilize this option. In our fast paced world, fast braces are becoming commonplace. After all, fast braces can be very effective in as short a period as one year.