When it comes to the right treatment for their teeth, many patients have questioned us about which course of action would be best for them, or their parents. Since choosing this is an extremely private decision, we thought we would provide you some information to have with you in case you need more time to think things through.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that although aligners can solve most orthodontic issues, they cannot fix all of them. You must discuss which option could assist you in getting the greatest outcome with your orthodontist during your first session.
Aligners
Advantages
- Appearance: Since aligners are transparent and designed specifically to suit your teeth, they are less obvious than braces. This can be a factor for many patients, but not all of them.
- Diet: Your diet is unaffected when you take off your aligners to eat. The meals you like will still be available to you. Certain foods might be difficult or painful to consume while wearing braces, and they can break easily, delaying therapy and necessitating additional visits for repairs.
- Hygiene: Since your aligners are removable, you can get back to your regular brushing and flossing. This matters since many people find it difficult to clean their teeth while wearing braces.
- Appointments: Your orthodontist will have pre-planned the movement of your teeth, so the actual appointments are often considerably easier and, in some situations, even reduced in number. For everyone who leads a hectic life, this may be a significant benefit!
- Comfort: In general, aligners provide more comfort than braces. Because the plastic aligner is smoother than metal or porcelain braces, the lips and cheeks usually feel less uncomfortable even if the teeth might still be somewhat sensitive when they start to move. Those who participate in contact or semi-contact sports may find this especially pertinent.
Disadvantages
- Compliance: For alignment to be successful, they must be worn 22 hours a day. This implies that they are only taken out to feed and clean. Results follow compliance!
- Effectiveness: Most cases, albeit not all, can be treated using aligners. In more complicated cases, your orthodontist could suggest braces instead of aligners. The outcome may not be as accurate if you insist on using aligners in any case.
Braces
Advantages
- Applicable to all cases: Braces can be used to address all instances, but aligners can only treat the majority of them. Braces are thus always a possibility.
- Variety of braces: Braces come in a variety of metal styles, either colored or uncolored. In addition, braces made of porcelain are much more covert than those made of metal.
- Compliance: You are unable to lose or forget to wear the braces since they are affixed to your teeth. For some individuals, this can be helpful if they lack the internal motivation to wear their aligners as prescribed.
Disadvantages
- Hygiene: Compared to aligners, cleaning your teeth while wearing braces is much more difficult. If teeth are not cleaned thoroughly, serious harm may result. This might cause you to decide to take out your braces before you’ve reached the best possible outcome.
- Diet: Your diet will need to change if you have braces on your teeth. Hard meals (or grinding at night) might lead to fractures, which can impede or halt the course of your therapy. Additionally, sticky, sugary meals should be avoided since they increase the risk of decay while braces are worn. A bad diet combined with shoddy hygiene might lead to tragedy!
- Comfort: In general, since braces may rub on the lips and cheeks, they are more likely to cause pain. This affects certain patients more than others, and athletes and other participants in certain activities often have to take this into account.
While there are no right or wrong answers, it is crucial to understand the implications of your decision for day-to-day living. To make your selection simpler, decide which benefits or drawbacks are most important to you. Above everything, ask questions. Make sure you have all the data required to make a wise choice.
We recommend Vanderwall Orthodontics for all your dental needs, they have years of experience to help you make the right decision.