5 Points to Ponder before Straightening of Teeth

Most adults look in the mirror at some point and make a decision that they would like to straighten their teeth. Below are 5 points to ponder before straightening of teeth:

 

1. Time commitment – Straightening of Teeth

   1.  How much time do you have to spend going to and from dental visits? How many times a month will you need to be at the dental office for orthodontic visits? Typically, if you are wearing metal braces, you will need to come in about once a month to be seen . If you have clear aligners, you will need to be seen less often. If you’re interested in seeing our Invisalign process click here.

2. Metal or Plastic? Straightening of Teeth

   1. Cosmetically, you will want to decide if you want to see your braces or if you want them to be clear plastic. Some patients report that metal cuts their tongue and cheeks. The plastic clear aligners are removable and can come in and out of your mouth. After the first few days, the plastic feels more natural. Plastic is also great to use as a nightguard so that when you bite together, your bite forces are more dissipated and softer on your jaw joints. If you want to know if you’re a candidate for Invisalign, we offer free 3-minute online consultations.

3. Straightening of Teeth -Dental Treatment

   1. Patients usually want to have dental treatment done either before or after they do orthodontic treatment. If you are wearing metal braces, it is hard to do dentistry since the brackets are bonded to your teeth. This makes it harder to access the areas that needs to be treated. For clear aligners, the teeth can easily be accessed, and the decay can be removed without obstruction.  The new dental work then needs to be retrofitted to the existing aligner so that you can continue to wear them.  Below, is one of our happy Invisalign patients:

4. Oral Hygiene- May Need More Cleanings

   1. Keeping teeth clean during braces is very difficult. There are certain risks of metal braces. If you are wearing bonded metal braces, you may want to consider coming in for cleanings at least every 3 months during your orthodontics treatments. If you are wearing Clear Aligners, you can keep your teeth so much cleaner with ease. You can easily floss between the teeth and keep cavities away. Also, you can use your aligners as a prescription fluoride tray and add fluoride to you teeth.

5. Upcoming Life Events Like Weddings, Graduations, and Important Days

   1. Although life happens unexpectedly sometimes, if you do know of a big life event in the future, its helpful to time it with your orthodontic care. If you want straight teeth before your big time to shine, it best to start at least a year in advance. The sooner the better.  With some forms of orthodontics, you may be done a lot sooner and then have time for other cosmetic procedures, like whitening.

Most adults that would like to straighten their teeth are choosing to do Invisalign Clear Aligners. There is less time commitment involved for our busy schedules, they are easier to clean and maintain and it poses less cosmetic stigmas than traditional braces.

If you are interested in doing Clear Aligners, feel free to schedule a consult with a trained doctor at 661-259-4474. Or contact us here.