Been told you need braces as an adult?

Modern dental aligners that make orthodontic work easier to manage

When you are told by your dental practitioner that you need braces, it can feel worrying, especially as an adult. We all remember that one kid in high school who wore braces and was mocked, but now you have a job and a professional appearance to uphold – you don’t want to wear braces!

Luckily, orthodontic care has kept up with other advances in dental technology and now, there are a number of braces available from your dentist in Richmond, that can make wearing braces a breeze.

While you may initially require the traditional orthodontic brace, our dentist in Richmond feel more comfortable moving their patients on to more contemporary braces sooner, so depending on the severity of your misalignment, you can almost take your pick of which brace you want to wear.

Clear braces

Not to be confused with invisible aligners, clear braces are perfect for correcting issues with spacing, crowding and mild to moderate alignment issues. They can also help move protruding teeth into a more comfortable position.

While these braces are not as noticeable as metal ones, many clear braces are fitted to the front of your teeth with brackets. The only difference is that with clear braces, the brackets are typically made from a clear plastic or a colour matched one, so they blend in with your teeth.

There is usually a wire that runs along the front of your teeth, which will require adjusting or ‘tightening’ throughout your treatment, but depending on the discretion of your orthodontist, you may be able to have a clear or colour matched wire, making the overall appearance of this brace more discreet.

Clear braces can sometimes be removable, but this depends on the issue they are correcting.

Clear braces typically offered at most dental surgeries include the Damon Clear and the Clarity Advanced brace.

Invisible braces

The most coveted aligners in dentistry are the invisible ones.

Custom fitted over your teeth like a sports guard, invisible braces are made from a clear, flexible plastic, which makes them almost invisible at first glance.

Though they do not have wires, many invisible braces use a system of gently opposing coils, to ease your teeth into their new position. During your treatment, you will have a set of aligners, each designed for a different phase of your orthodontic treatment.

Invisible braces are usually removable, so they are easier to fit into your everyday life. As many of them use advanced computer software to predict the movement of your teeth, you and your dental professional will be able to predict the movement of your teeth and the final outcome with greater success.

The most popular invisible brace is the famous Invisalign, but other brands used in most dental practices include Smilelign and Clear Correct braces and aligners.

Remember, both clear and invisible braces can only correct mild to moderate misalignment issues and may not benefit everyone.