Teeth aligners have emerged as an alternative dental solution to braces. It’s a relief considering that you don’t need to have loose brackets, or wires poking the inside of your cheek. But you can make your teeth straightening journey even more comfortable by finding the right aligners for your set of teeth. Here’s a breakdown of the seven different types of teeth aligners available by providers.
Traditional Clear Aligners
These are the standard aligners that are commonly used. They have to be worn for 22 hours a day for the best results. You can take them off while you’re brushing your teeth, or eating something like hard candy, but you need to put them back on right after so that your teeth don’t start moving back to their previous position. If you use these aligners religiously, you will start seeing results much sooner than with braces.
You could wear these aligners if you have mild crowding, crooked teeth, or gaps in your teeth. However, it is important to get a prior assessment with a dentist or service provider. A proper evaluation would highlight any hidden problems that might hinder your teeth alignment. The prescribed aligners would be more suited to your oral condition and provide an effective treatment process.
Nighttime Aligners
If you’re okay with sticking with your alignment treatment for a couple of months longer than the full-day aligners, this is an option to consider. With nighttime aligners, you can go about your day as you please, and put them on a few hours before you sleep. You have to wear them for around 10 hours continuously. Since these nighttime aligners are unlike the traditional full-day ones, you can’t wear them for longer than prescribed. Aligners, especially those that are night-specific, are customized by your dental health providers according to your specific teeth position and treatment plan.
Switching between different aligners or changing the duration of use is not advisable, unless recommended by a professional. It is also important to know that nighttime aligners may cause some discomfort during sleep. Your teeth move their position throughout the day when the aligners are not worn. So you might feel the pressure on your teeth when you put them on at night.
Aligners With Attachments
As effective as clear aligners are, they don’t possess the type of grip that braces have. Normally, this shouldn’t be an issue. But if you have overcrowding or a bad bite, combining aligners with attachments can push the teeth in the right direction. Attachments are small buttons that are glued directly onto the teeth, and the aligners are then worn over them.
If your aligners don’t fit properly at the beginning of the treatment, their grip on the teeth would worsen over time. This would mean remaking the aligners to fit better. But using aligners with attachments from the start can be cost-effective and prevent prolonging of the treatment. You could explore this option with your dentist to determine how aligner attachments are beneficial and if you need them for your teeth.
Aligners For Minor Movement
In case your bite is fine and your teeth aren’t overcrowded yet there is some misalignment, these aligners are a viable option for you. Braces or traditional clear aligners may be more costly or unsuitable for your teeth since there isn’t any heavy dental treatment required. For a minor orthodontic adjustment, you would only need to wear aligners for around 3-6 months depending on your treatment plan. The aligners would also be designed to apply less pressure on your teeth. However, you would still need to wear them throughout the day just like regular aligners.
You might want to realign your teeth because of their natural repositioning over time or after a dental treatment. Regardless of the reason, misaligned teeth can intensify tooth decay or gum issues. Hence, aligners for minor teeth movement may help with aesthetics and health. With professional consultation, you can decide how useful these aligners would be for you.
Deep Bite Aligners
A deep bite happens when your lower teeth are behind your upper teeth which makes chewing painful and causes ulcers. Deep bite aligners tackle this problem by pushing the upper and lower teeth in their own directions simultaneously. These sort of aligners are especially useful when compared with braces that take much longer to work on each dental arch. Since deep bite is a common dental problem, there are various aligner providers that provide treatments for it.
Even so, it can be an intensive and thorough process. As a result, it is important to choose durable and comfortable bite aligners that would provide an efficient solution to your deep bite.
Overcorrection/ Refinement Aligners
Refinement aligners are usually recommended during the alignment process by the dentist. When certain teeth don’t move as expected, these aligners are added as an extra stage to update the treatment. Overcorrection is a common orthodontic technique that pushes teeth a bit beyond the desired position. This extra refinement makes up for the repositioning of teeth which is expected once the aligners are taken off entirely.
Your teeth can respond differently to dental treatments, which makes it difficult to accurately predict how they would reposition. Many people get disappointed to see their teeth move backwards once the treatment has ended. To avoid feeling dissatisfied, you can discuss whether it would help to add refinement aligners to your teeth straightening process with your dentist.
BPA-Free Aligners
Most teeth aligners are made of plastic which threatens your health as well as the environment. BPA is a harmful chemical found in plastics that can cause various diseases. It is also harmful to the wildlife and ecosystem. Fortunately, there are dental providers that offer BPA-free teeth aligners.
By opting for a set of BPA-free aligners, you make a safe and nontoxic choice for your personal and environmental wellbeing, which is a great step toward making environmentally-friendly consumer decisions.
Which Teeth Aligner Should I Choose?
These different types of aligners show how there are comfortable options available according to the need or situation. But to make the right choice for your own teeth, you should get a professional consultation and dental examination.
