If you have orthodontic issues, your ultimate oral health goal is beautiful, straight teeth. Some of the solutions to achieve this are braces and clear aligners. However, each works differently and has advantages and disadvantages, sometimes making one option better depending on your oral health needs and preferences. This guide discusses how braces and aligners work and the pros and cons of each to help you make an informed decision that suits you.
How Metal Braces Work
Metal braces have stainless steel bands, wires, and brackets that gently shift teeth over time.
Your dentist will glue or bond a bracket to every tooth before placing a thin, flexible archwire over the brackets. They use small elastic bands known as ligatures to secure the wire.
Braces are visible whenever you smile. If you want your braces to be less noticeable, you can select tooth-colored or clear ligatures.
Braces exert pressure on your jaws and teeth, changing their position and altering your smile. With time, teeth shift into your preferred position.
The soft tissues surrounding your bone and teeth are called periodontal ligaments. They hold teeth in place and can compress or stretch as your teeth shift. When metal braces move your tooth to the left, the ligaments on the left compress, and new bone forms on the right, filling the gap.
Braces move teeth forward, across, and back when correcting overcrowding issues, creating adequate space for teeth to sit on all sides.
The treatment duration varies depending on the severity of the dental issues you are treating. Most patients use metal braces for up to two years. However, complicated dental health cases can take longer.
You should also make regular dental visits to adjust and ensure your teeth move according to your treatment plan. The dentist will tighten the archwire to maintain the pressure that shifts the teeth.
What is the Success Rate of Braces?
Starting orthodontic treatment using braces during childhood is more successful because the minor’s teeth and jaws are still developing. Early iteration supports proper development of jaws and teeth, preventing more complicated treatment in the future. Moreover, the treatment time in children is shorter because the teeth and jaws are more adaptable and change rapidly.
There is no age limit for using braces; even adults can undergo the treatment provided they are in good health and do not suffer from any systemic disease. The primary variation is that the treatment in an adult might take longer and require special techniques because the jawbone has stopped growing. However, with advances in modern dental technology, adult orthodontics has become more effective.
How Clear Aligners Work
Clear aligners are a set of personalized removable trays designed to shift teeth slowly into alignment. Unlike braces, the trays fit comfortably over teeth and use gentle pressure to move teeth to the preferred position.
You should wear one set of the clear aligners for one to two weeks before visiting your dentist and collecting a new set of clear aligners. Dentists create every set according to the adjustments your teeth make. Wear clear aligners for twenty to twenty-two hours to ensure better results.
Clear aligners work through a biological procedure called bone remodeling. As your teeth aligners exert pressure, the ligaments and jawbone slowly adjust, shifting your teeth over time. Sometimes, minimal reshaping between your teeth or little tooth-colored attachments can be essential to improve the outcomes.
Advanced 3D diagnostic imaging permits your dentist to map out the clear aligner treatment plan, giving them a precise view of how your smile will advance at every stage of the treatment.
Once your clear aligners have served their purpose, an orthodontist will offer you a custom retainer that helps maintain the new smile.
What is the Success Rate of Clear Aligners?
Clear aligners are effective, especially when treating mild orthodontic issues like gaps, bite issues, and tooth overcrowding. While their effectiveness is possible, the factors below play a significant role in ensuring a successful treatment:
- Consistency — You should wear your aligners for twenty to twenty-two hours. You should only remove it when eating, flossing, and brushing your teeth.
- Your oral health condition is less severe — Clear aligners will not be effective if your issue is severe and complicated.
- Adherence to your treatment plan — You should abide by your dentist’s guidelines, including changing aligners after a few weeks and using attachments when required. Failing to comply can result in setbacks in the treatment plan.
Advantages of Braces
Here are the pros of using braces as your orthodontic treatment option:
Ideal for Treating Different Conditions
Unlike clear aligners, metal braces can reliably and easily correct mild to complicated bite and tooth misalignments like:
- Large gaps between teeth
- Crooked teeth
- Overbite
- Crossbite
- Open bite
- Underbite
- Overcrowded teeth
You are More Likely to Complete Your Treatment on Time
Provided you attend your scheduled dental checkups, avoid habits that can damage your teeth, and practice proper oral hygiene, you are more likely to complete your treatment according to plan and on time. On the other hand, with clear aligners, you can forget to wear, break, or lose them, which could increase the costs and length of treatment.
Braces Come with Less Responsibility
While most patients love removable orthodontics, the freedom comes with a lot of responsibility, especially if you are busy. It takes a lot of dedication and discipline to wear clear aligners for twenty to twenty-two hours daily and remove them only when eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing. On the contrary, braces are fixed to the teeth, so you do not have to worry about forgetting to put them on or leaving them behind.
Disadvantages of Using Braces
While practising proper oral hygiene while using braces is essential, it can be difficult to clean your gums and teeth in the regions near the brackets and under the arch wires. When bacteria and food particles get trapped in these regions, they accumulate, increasing your likelihood of developing cavities and gum disease. Your dentist should advise you on how to clean your teeth while undergoing treatment and conduct professional cleaning. When you fail to clean your teeth properly during treatment, white marks can appear on your teeth after removing the braces. The white spots are regions of decalcification and could result in tooth decay without prompt treatment.
However, occasionally, some patients are allergic to metal in the braces or latex in orthodontic elastics. If you or your child is allergic to nickel or latex, inform your dentist during your initial consultation.
Braces can make your gums and cheeks sore after coming into contact with them. Canker sores can also form when your oral tissues rub against the metallic components. Your dentist can offer medication to lower inflammation and irritation, which assists in healing the sensitive areas.
Another complication of braces is root resorption (loss or shortening of your tooth’s root structure). It is a body’s natural response to particular stimuli like pressure. Your dentist should monitor your tooth movement during treatment using diagnostic imaging to ensure minimal root resorption. When detected early, your dentist can adjust braces to lower pressure or stop treatment, safeguarding the health of your teeth.
Ankylosis is another rare but severe complication while undergoing orthodontic treatment. The condition involves a fusion of your tooth root to your bone. If your tooth has fused to the jawbone, braces will not move your tooth; the surrounding teeth start moving around your ankylosed tooth and will not allow proper alignment of your bite and teeth.
Braces have delicate components that some foods can damage. Every time a wire loosens or a bracket breaks, it could set the treatment back. Additionally, some foods increase the likelihood of oral health issues developing whenever food particles and debris become trapped between the wires, making it challenging to clean. Foods that are safe for your braces include scrambled eggs, pasta, seafood, soft vegetables, mashed potatoes, and oatmeal. However, you should avoid the following:
- Nuts
- Popcorn
- Pizza crust
- Hard rolls
- Chewy cuts of meat
- Ice
- Sticky candy
- Hard candy
Advantages of Clear Aligners
The advantages of clear aligners are as follows:
Aesthetics Benefits
Compared to metal braces, clear aligners are transparent, making them blend into your natural smile. It can be hard for many to notice you are wearing clear aligners unless a person knows you are in treatment.
Easier to clean
With no brackets or wires partly obstructing your access to your teeth, brushing and flossing your teeth is easier. Accessing the spaces between your teeth to extract food debris and plaque helps reduce the likelihood of developing cavities.
Here are tips to clean your clear aligner:
- Rinse the clear aligners to keep them fresh and clean.
- Clean your teeth after eating.
- Use a soft brush and mild soap to clean the aligners
- Avoid rinsing or cleaning the aligners using hot or cold water. Using room-temperature water prevents damage or warping.
Fewer Consultations Needed
With clear aligners, most of the orthodontist’s work takes place before you wear them. They use a 3D scan of the teeth when making all personalized clear aligners in the dental lab. You change your set of aligners several times at your orthodontist’s instructions. You do not have to visit the orthodontist’s office for adjustments. Therefore, consultations are minimal, and you should only visit your dentist when they review your treatment’s progress. Fewer orthodontic appointments mean more time for other engagements.
Comfortable to Wear
There are fewer gum and mouth issues with clear aligners. Clear aligners are designed from plastics and fitted in a patient’s mouth, meaning no potential cuts on the inner cheeks or salt washes.
Common Clear Aligners Disadvantages
As with other dental health treatment options, there are disadvantages and risks related to using clear aligners, including the following:
Impaired Speech
Some patients experience mild changes in pronunciation at the beginning of the treatment, especially sounds that require the teeth and tongue to interact closely. For instance, the ‘ch,’ ‘sh,’ ‘th,’ and ‘s’ sounds cause some patients to speak with a mild lisp during treatment. However, the problem can disappear for some patients within days.
Allergic Reactions
Although it is not common, an allergic reaction to clear aligners is not impossible. If you notice any allergic reaction, you should contact your dentist promptly.
Dry Mouth
The aligners fit snugly against teeth, and the close fit can limit the natural flow of saliva in the mouth, which can cause dry mouth or xerostomia.
Effective ways to lower the risk of having a dry mouth are drinking plenty of water and avoiding caffeine and alcohol.
Dizziness and Nausea
While uncommon, clear aligners can cause dizziness and nausea in certain patients at the initial stages of the treatment. Some of the causes of these side effects include the following:
- The jaws and mouth require time to adapt to the clear aligners and the pressure they are exerting
- Jaw tension from the pressure exerted
- Allergic reaction
Typically, the symptoms disappear within days. Consider consulting your dentist if they persist.
Bleeding Gums
Clear aligners apply pressure on your teeth and can make your gums feel sore, and as the teeth move, they can become more sensitive and start bleeding. Only a few patients experience this side effect.
With time, the mouth gets used to aligners, and the bleeding stops. If it persists, consider consulting your dentist.
If you are reading this while wearing clear aligners and experiencing bleeding, here are tips to reduce the discomfort:
- Eating soft foods that do not need a lot of chewing
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush
- Clear the clear aligners daily
- Wear the clear aligners as the dentist instructs.
Find a skilled Orthodontic Dentist Near Me
The value of aligned, straight teeth is immeasurable; it improves your appearance, makes speaking and eating easier, and helps you avoid severe oral health issues like tooth decay and gum disease. If you want straighter teeth but are unsure whether to choose between clear aligners and metal braces, please consult The Lakewood Dentist. We can review your oral health to determine the appropriate orthodontic treatment plan. Please call us at 562-423-1441 to schedule your initial dental consultation.