Knowing More about Orthodontics and Aligners

Braces are the foremost things that come to laymen’s mind when they hear the word orthodontics.

Most people don’t know is that orthodontics is more than just braces.

An orthodontist is mainly concerned about the state and the position of the teeth. He/she investigates how the teeth arrived at the current state. The orthodontist will find out how to improve a patient’s bite.

Most often, the cosmetic dentist may have some background in orthodontics. One may have a variety of options to improve the bite ranging from traditional braces or invisible braces, which features some aligners.

Each option has corresponding treatment method, length of time for the treatment, and treatment cost. These things may vary from patient to patient. It is best to ask your dentist about the beet treatment that suits your condition so that the bite can be improved.

Most patient are opting for clear orthodontic aligners as a way to improve the bite and align the teeth without the use of wires or brackets, which are the features of conventional braces.

Aligners are composed of series of clear, removable trays that are placed over the teeth with the aim of straightening them.

The patient need to wear the transparent trays for a certain timeframe, more often about 20 hours a day for the next two (2) weeks.

After a couple of weeks, the patient will progress to wear another tray. It usually takes around six (6) to 18 months before the teeth will have an improved bite.

The clear aligners are the best for those with mild or moderate crowding, or minor spacing issues. 

Patients with severe crowding or spacing should avoid using clear aligners.

Dentists require advanced orthodontics for patients with severe underbites, overbites, or crossbites.

Aligners can be removed when the patient brushes his/her teeth. It can be removed when the patient is flossing or even eating.

This is something that one cannot do with conventional braces.

With trays, patients are not subjected to usual discomfort associated with the use of conventional braces.

The downside of aligners is the fact that they can be a tad expensive compared to conventional braces.