Having a beautiful smile is a confidence booster and projects a youthful and healthy image. But the reality is that many people are unhappy with the appearance of their teeth. It could be an ongoing problem since a young age or a more recent injury that has affected your smile, but there is now a range of excellent solutions.
Braces are the most effective solution if you have crooked, uneven, or gapped teeth, and you may be considering orthodontic treatment. While metal braces were the only choice in the past, clear braces, also known as ceramic or contemporary braces are much more discrete and just as effective for complex malocclusions.
Clear Braces vs Metal Braces: Why Braces Are Necessary?
Before deciding between clear braces vs metal braces, your dentist can help you determine if you need corrective orthodontics. Braces are required to address cases of crooked teeth, unevenly spaced teeth, overbites and crossbites, gapped teeth, underbites, and teeth that are pushing against adjacent teeth.
These issues can be genetic or the result of poor dental care or restricted access to dental care. While it is optimal to undergo corrective treatment when you are a child, because the teeth and jaw are more malleable, you can still achieve significant teeth movement when you are an adult.
It is vital to consult with your dentist if you have misaligned teeth, as they can cause severe oral health conditions. If there are gaps between a tooth and gum, food can lodge in the space, potentially causing an infection. Teeth that are difficult to floss and brush are at greater risk of decay, which can have a serious impact on your oral and overall health.
Tooth decay can lead to gum disease, which can begin to break down your jawbone density if left untreated. Tooth loss from decay can also contribute to bone loss. Eventually, the loss of density in your jawbone can change the shape of your face and lead to further tooth loss.
Poor oral health is linked to serious health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, preterm births, pneumonia, and endocarditis.
Without proper dental care, misaligned teeth can affect how you chew and even cause communication problems if they affect your speech. Struggling to pronounce certain words can make you feel self-conscious, and you may start to withdraw from social contact.
Clear or metal braces can help correct these issues and straighten your teeth, so they don’t affect your chewing or speech.
Clear Braces vs Metal Braces
When most patients think of braces, they picture the traditional metal braces that were very common, particularly for children. However, modern orthodontic devices have improved both in their appearance and comfort, and clear braces are an excellent option for straightening your smile.
Clear braces and metal braces work in the same way and have the same design. The difference is their appearance. Both sets of braces have brackets that secure onto the teeth and archwires that apply a continuous, gentle pressure that realigns the teeth.
If you are considering using clear braces, Invisalign clear braces are another discrete option and are a series of custom-moulded trays that you replace every two weeks. Each tray gently pulls your teeth into your desired position. Because these clear braces are nearly invisible, they are more aesthetic and comfortable than metal wires and brackets. You can remove your Invisalign aligners to eat, brush, and floss, wearing your trays for 22 hours per day.
While more rigid metal braces can be abrasive and irritate the surrounding gums, the softer plastic materials used in clear braces and Invisalign trays are gentler to sensitive mouths.
Because clear braces are stain-resistant, they remain nearly invisible. However, it is vital to follow a good oral hygiene routine to keep your braces clean, and follow your dentist’s dietary guidelines because hard or sticky foods can damage the brackets.
The Final Word
For most people wearing clear or metal braces means a beautiful smile, but they also alleviate and prevent long-term oral health issues. Overlapping or crooked teeth can be challenging to clean, resulting in tooth decay and gum disease.
Metal braces are no longer the only option for straightening uneven or crooked teeth. Although metal braces are effective, especially for complicated malocclusion cases, they can be very noticeable and even irritate your teeth and gums.
Clear braces are an increasingly attractive alternative to metal braces for many patients. While metal braces are more affordable, clear braces can offer benefits for your quality of life as they are more gentle, and you may feel less self-conscious in public.
If you’re concerned about your oral health and debating the pros and cons of clear braces vs metal braces, contact Dental Spot on (02) 9158 6115 to book a consultation with one of our dental experts.
