The first feature we often notice about a person is their smile. In recent years, many adults have been undergoing orthodontic treatment to make their smiles look better. Modern orthodontic treatment offers several options to assist you in achieving the teeth alignment you deserve for a radiant smile, including clear aligners and metal braces.
The type of orthodontic treatment you opt for will depend on the unique teeth alignment issue you want to fix. Each orthodontic treatment has merits and demerits, and your dentist can help you choose the ideal one for your unique problem. Aside from being a cosmetic issue, misaligned teeth could significantly impact your self-confidence and oral health.
Therefore, if you plan to have your teeth aligned, you should look for a reliable orthodontist to help you achieve the best results.
Common Teeth Misalignment Issues Among Most Adults
Teeth alignment issues are not only a problem that affects teenagers and children, but adults can also face the same challenges, affecting their self-esteem and confidence. Common teeth misalignment issues that affect most adults include the following:
- Crowding—This condition occurs if you have insufficient space in your mouth to accommodate emerging and existing teeth
- Spacing—Also known as gapped teeth, this condition is characterized by too many gaps between your teeth
- Overbite—As the name suggests, this condition occurs when teeth in your upper jaw stick out over the teeth in your lower jaw
- Crossbite—This condition occurs when the teeth on your lower and upper jaw fail to align correctly when you bite down
- Underbite—You have an underbite if your teeth on the lower jaw stick out over the teeth on the upper jaw
- Open bite—You have an open bite if your teeth on the upper and lower jaw do not touch or overlap when you bite down
Also known as malocclusion, these teeth misalignment issues can affect your smile aesthetics and make it challenging to perform basic teeth functions like chewing.
What are the Causes of the Above Teeth Misalignment Problems?
Your teeth misalignment problem could be due to various factors, including the following:
- Natural aging
- Tooth loss
- Genetics
- Habits, like nail biting and thumb sucking
- Poor oral hygiene
- Traumatic injury to your jaw or mouth
- Teeth crowding caused by extra teeth or a small jaw size
When determining the appropriate treatment for your unique teeth misalignment or malocclusion, your orthodontist must determine the cause of your issue.
Reasons Most Adults Are Opting to Straighten Their Teeth Using Orthodontic Treatment Options
While wearing metal braces and aligners is more common among teenagers and children, adults can reap the benefits of these orthodontic treatment options. Here are some of the reasons many adults choose to undergo orthodontic treatment to have their teeth straightened:
- Improved Self-Confidence and Appearance
Orthodontic issues can make you feel embarrassed by your smile, affecting your self-esteem and confidence to interact with people freely. Fortunately, orthodontic treatment will help fix this issue and regain the confidence you need to interact with your friends, colleagues, and business partners.
- Enhanced Physical Health
The benefits of having your teeth straightened extend beyond aesthetics. Straighter teeth can help enhance your overall physical health and well-being by:
- Lessening TMJ disorders and jaw pain, especially when chewing
- Making it easier to floss and brush your teeth effectively, keeping oral and dental health issues like gum disease and cavities at bay
- Improving your chewing ability, which leads to better digestion
Straighter teeth can also lessen various symptoms caused by a misaligned bite, including sleep apnea, tooth wear, and migraines.
- Teeth Can Shift Over Time
Your teeth may eventually shift or move out of alignment for several reasons, even though you were lucky enough to grow with straight teeth or had braces as a teenager. For example, your teeth can shift out of proper alignment because of the following:
- Teeth grinding
- Aging process
- Injury
- Habits, like thumb sucking
- Missing teeth
When your teeth shift out of position, they can cause spacing, crowding, and bite issues. Fortunately, orthodontic treatments can help fix these changes to give you a straight smile that you deserve.
- It Expands Your Career Opportunities and Prospects
In the modern job market, having a straight and appealing smile could work out in your favor during job interviews. While your experience and qualifications are paramount, a prospective employer could consider you trustworthy and intelligent during a job interview due to an attractive smile.
- Innovations in Technology Surrounding Orthodontic Treatment
Unlike traditional metal braces, modern orthodontic teeth alignment options like clear aligners allow you to straighten your teeth discreetly without people noticing you are undergoing treatment. These modern orthodontic treatments are also comfortable and can help you achieve the desired results faster.
Orthodontic Treatment Options for Teeth Alignment
The great news is that an orthodontist can recommend various orthodontic treatments to fix your teeth misalignment issues. The specific treatment your orthodontist will recommend will depend on your preferences and unique needs. Here is an overview of common orthodontic treatment options that could help improve your teeth alignment as an adult:
Metal Braces
Most orthodontic problems are fixable using conventional metal braces. Metal braces utilize metallic brackets, which are bonded to each tooth and connected by a wire that helps shift your affected teeth into proper alignment. Your orthodontist will use elastic bands to apply more pressure on the affected teeth and control their movement. Below are the merits and demerits of conventional metal braces:
- Merits
Here are the merits of using metal braces to improve your teeth alignment:
- They are cost-effective
- They are durable
- They can help fix a wide range of teeth misalignment issues
- Demerits
The most common demerits of using metal braces to fix your bite issues include:
- They are conspicuous, making them noticeable during your treatment duration
- They can cause mild discomfort after installation and adjustment
- Maintaining optimal dental health when wearing metal braces could be challenging because food tends to stick in between the wires and brackets
- They are restrictive, meaning you should be mindful of what you consume after installation, because some foods, like candies and nuts, can cause them to shift
Lingual Braces
While lingual braces resemble conventional metal braces, the orthodontist will attach them to the back of the teeth, not the front side, making them less conspicuous. Like metal braces, lingual braces help shift your teeth into proper alignment using wires and brackets attached to the teeth. Below are some of the merits and demerits of this type of orthodontic treatment option:
- Merits
Here are notable advantages of using lingual braces to fix your teeth misalignment issues:
- They are less noticeable, meaning you can undergo your orthodontic treatment discreetly
- They are a strong and effective remedy for most teeth misalignment or bite issues
- Demerits
Below are a few disadvantages of lingual braces as an orthodontic treatment option:
- Becoming used to talking with them on your teeth could take some time
- They can be more uncomfortable compared to conventional metal braces because they are close to your tongue
- They are costly than metal braces because of the customization and technology involved
Clear Aligners
A clear aligner is a custom-made, clear plastic tray that fits over the surface of your teeth. They apply gently to your teeth, helping them shift into proper alignment over time during the treatment plan devised by the orthodontist.
Generally speaking, your dentist will require you to wear each tailor-made aligner for about two (2) weeks before you switch to the next one in the series. Below are some of the merits and demerits of using clear aligners to straighten your teeth:
- Merits
When you choose to straighten your teeth with clear aligners like Invisalign, you will reap the following benefits:
- Unlike metal braces, you will not experience mouth irritation when wearing your clear aligners
- They are clear and virtually invisible, meaning you will enjoy some discretion during the treatment
- You can remove them whenever you want to brush your teeth or eat
- Demerits
Here are a few demerits of using clear aligners to fix your orthodontic issues:
- The success of the treatment will rely heavily on your discipline since they are removable
- They are costly than conventional metal braces
- They are not an ideal orthodontic treatment option for severe misalignment issues
Self-Ligating Braces
Self-ligating braces resemble the conventional metal braces. However, rather than using elastic bands, an orthodontist uses a special sliding device to hold the wires in place firmly. Unlike clear braces, self-ligating braces are firmly attached to your teeth, meaning you cannot remove them without an orthodontist’s help. Here are the pros and cons of using this orthodontic treatment option:
- Pros
The pros of using this orthodontic treatment option include:
- Adjustments are quicker, and you will need to schedule adjustment appointments with your dentist less frequently compared to conventional metal braces
- There is reduced mouth irritation and discomfort because the elastic bands are unnecessary to hold them in place
- Cons
Some of the cons that could discourage you from using self-litigating braces to straighten your misaligned teeth include:
- They are noticeable during your treatment duration
- They are costly than conventional metal braces
Ceramic Braces
Ceramic braces are another orthodontic treatment your dentist could recommend for misaligned teeth or bite issues. While they function the same way as conventional metal braces, this orthodontic treatment option is less noticeable.
As the name suggests, the brackets used to make ceramic braces are ceramic-made, a tooth-colored material that blends seamlessly with your natural teeth for a brighter smile. Here are the pros and cons of using ceramic braces to align your bite issues or crooked smile:
- Pros
Using ceramic braces to align your teeth has the following notable advantages:
- They are less noticeable compared to conventional metal braces, making them ideal if you want a discreet treatment
- They can fix various orthodontic issues
- They are more stain-tolerant compared to clear aligners
- Cons
Like any other orthodontic treatment option, choosing ceramic braces as your orthodontic treatment option has its disadvantages, including:
- They are slightly costly than compared to conventional metal braces
- They are more likely to break compared to conventional metal braces, necessitating more care and attention during the treatment duration
What to Anticipate During Your Initial Consultation With an Orthodontist
Your orthodontic treatment journey will begin with scheduling an appointment with a qualified and licensed orthodontist. During this first appointment, your orthodontist will diagnose your unique orthodontic problem, explore your treatment remedies, and inform you of what to anticipate during the entire treatment duration.
When determining the ideal orthodontic treatment option for your unique dental issue, your orthodontist will do the following:
- Conduct a comprehensive assessment of your jaws, gums, and the overall teeth misalignment or bite issue
- Use specialized dental instruments to measure the jaws and teeth
- Use imaging technologies like X-rays to reveal the position of your tooth roots and the jawbone
- Check how your teeth align once you bite down
After this thorough examination, your orthodontist will explain the suitable orthodontic treatment remedies for your unique problem. A reliable orthodontist will also discuss the merits and demerits of various orthodontic treatment options to help you decide on the best treatment for your unique teeth misalignment or bite issue.
During this initial appointment, your orthodontist will also address the anticipated treatment duration for various orthodontic treatment options and respond to any queries about your dental condition or the treatment. Therefore, if you have questions regarding the treatment costs, including this consultation fee, this is the appropriate time to discuss those issues with your dentist to prepare yourself financially.
Fortunately, most dentists nowadays accept various modes of payment for their services, including cash, Western Union, PayPal, a banker’s check, credit card, and insurance. If you have insurance coverage, it could offer full or partial coverage of your treatment costs.
However, you should consult with your insurer first because some insurance providers do not offer coverage for cosmetic dental procedures unless the procedure is necessary to address a dental condition that could compromise your overall health.
Find a Credible Orthodontist Near Me
If you think you could be an excellent candidate for orthodontic treatment, consulting with an orthodontist could help you make an informed decision. Like most health issues, the sooner you seek treatment for your orthodontic issue, the better your chances of achieving excellent results quicker.
We invite you to call our reputable orthodontists at The Lakewood Dentist at 562-423-1441 if you or a loved one requires orthodontic treatment to address teeth misalignment or malocclusion issues.