Clear aligners are taking the world of orthodontics by storm at the moment, and — if anything — they only seem likely to continue to grow in popularity as time goes on.
Traditional wire braces have been the standard orthodontic on offer, every time anyone has wanted straight teeth in the past. But wire braces can be uncomfortable and visually unappealing, and even come with certain serious risks for overall dental health if they’re not applied and monitored carefully.
Here are just a few reasons why clear aligners have the edge over braces.
By being all but invisible on a day-to-day basis
One of the big selling points of clear aligners is the fact that as you wear them and go about your day-to-day life during your treatment, they are all but invisible to the naked eye.
In fact, it would often take someone staring into your mouth intently for a while in order to notice that you were wearing them at all.
Traditional wire braces, on the other hand, are immediately visually recognisable. Some people don’t mind the way they look and don’t feel discouraged from wearing them for that reason, but many other people do.
Due to their being essentially invisible, clear aligners are a great option for anyone who is potentially self-conscious about the appearance of their mouth. They are also a good option for adults who might feel that braces convey a childish look so, having looked up things like the Invisalign cost, have decided to save for this type of treatment as an alternative. The look of traditional braces ends up being the factor that prevents those individuals from getting their teeth straightened at all.
By allowing you to avoid any food restrictions — as you take out the aligners to eat and drink
One of the banes of traditional wire braces is that they end up quite seriously limiting the foods that their wearers are allowed to eat during treatment. Certain foods can end up damaging the braces, or are likely to get stuck and cause tooth decay or other issues.
Since braces are fitted “permanently” and don’t come off for the duration of treatment, this could mean that you might go for a couple of years without being able to eat some of your favourite foods.
Clear aligners, on the other hand, are taken out every time you eat or brush your teeth — and they are quick, easy and painless to remove.
As long as you remember to take them out when eating (this is extremely important), you can eat or drink whatever you want.
By allowing for better and easier cleaning of teeth
Many sets of teeth have ended up becoming badly damaged due to tooth decay that occurred while wearing traditional braces.
In some cases, this is because the braces weren’t being properly monitored by the orthodontist. In other cases, it’s because the patient wasn’t able to consistently clean their teeth properly while wearing the braces — as cleaning your teeth while wearing braces is significantly more tricky.
Clear aligners, on the other hand, are far less likely to lead to tooth decay and other dental issues. You simply take out the aligners and clean your teeth as you normally would, twice a day. Far less stressful. Just remember not to eat or drink anything other than water without taking the aligners out.
