Dental braces are devices used to align and straighten teeth and make them stay in their proper position. They help to improve the appearance of teeth. They take anywhere between 12 months to 3 years to align the teeth. Dental braces work by pushing back protruded teeth and straightening crooked teeth. Modern dentistry has made it possible for the patient to opt for the right kind of braces – you can choose from several available options.
Types of braces
Metal braces are suggested for patients with extremely crooked teeth and complex teeth design. They have wires that push back the teeth and elastic bands to hold the wire in place. Ceramic braces are less visible than metallic braces. They also have a wire going through them, holding the braces together. The only difference is that the brackets are made to match the original colour of the teeth, hence, making them less noticeable. Invisible braces or Invisalign are a set of aligners that are transparent and far less noticeable than metallic or ceramic braces. They are also custom made and hence very comfortable. Self-ligating braces have brackets and clips for the sliding of wire on the surface of teeth. These braces provide faster results. Lingual braces are attached to the back of the teeth. They also have a wire that pulls misaligned teeth to a straighter position.
What braces type is suitable for you?
The dentist will assess the patient’s aesthetic concerns and the type of braces suitable for the particular set of teeth. They will then advise the patient on the best options that are available. Adults are typically suggested to get clear aligners or lingual braces, as they are the least visible out of all the options available and won’t affect the appearance.
Braces are suitable for patients of all age groups. Children and adolescents are the most common patients opting for braces. However, it is never too late to fix your smile. Adults can also opt for braces suitable for them. Nowadays, it is very common for adults to opt for braces to repair their smile because later is always better than never.
Let us try to understand some ways in which dental braces have helped adults and fixed their smiles.
1. No effect on the appearance
Many adults are conscious about getting braces as traditional braces can very much affect appearance by covering the teeth and making them look caged. Modern dentistry has a solution for this concern as well. Many types of braces are available that do not affect the appearance that much.
Clear Invisalign aligners are suitable for such patients. The aligners are transparent and cover the surface of the teeth without giving them a caged look. They can also be removed whenever the patient wants, by the patient himself. They are also very flexible and easy to clean, hence very convenient.
Lingual braces are another option available. Such braces are attached to the back of the teeth and align the teeth by pulling them back into place instead of pushing like other braces. These braces are next to invisible and don’t affect the appearance at all. However, these braces can affect the speech and can be hard to clean sometimes.
2. Suitable braces for all age groups
Dental braces are suitable for children as well as adults. The only requirement for these braces is that the patient should have good oral health and a strong jawline. Children and adults have softer bone tissues hence it is much easier and faster to correct their teeth structure. This is the only reason they are the most common age group getting braces. In adults, with the help of new and effective tools, smile correction is becoming easier.
3. Improved dental health
Braces work efficiently and provide good results. The properly aligned, straightened teeth make it thousand times easier to clean teeth and take care of them. With crooked teeth, the patient has to make sure that the teeth are properly cleaned as the toothbrushes, flosses, etc. cleaning tools cannot reach spaces in between crooked teeth. Also, food gets stuck in crooked teeth much more easily and causes bacterial growth. With straight teeth, food does not get stuck easily and microbial growth can be avoided.
4. Increased confidence
As dental braces slowly align the teeth, the confidence of the patient also builds up. Crooked teeth rather cause the patient to hide their teeth, not smile fully, speak with difficulty, etc. Straight, aligned teeth help the patient express themselves fully and not be so conscious about their appearance, hence making them more confident. Also, straight, clean teeth increase the likability of the patient at his workplace, at friends’ houses, or at any social gathering, because clean straightened teeth show that the patient cares about his health.
The patient also begins feeling good about his appearance and automatically exhibits high self-esteem and experiences a boost in confidence.
5. Affordable treatments
Braces are mostly required for improving appearance, straightening crooked teeth, etc. are not that expensive and an adult patient can easily afford them. Dental braces which are opted for medical conditions like prevention of tooth decay, prevention of cavities, preventing tooth loss, etc. can be costly sometimes. Such braces can be covered under insurance and the patient can easily opt for them.
6. Shorter duration of treatment
Braces will take anywhere between 18 to 36 months to properly align the patient’s teeth. They can also be removed sooner than this if the patient takes good care of the teeth. While wearing the braces, the patients are advised to clean their teeth with antibacterial toothpastes and mouthwashes to prevent any microbial growth. Younger patients like children and adolescents are also advised the same. But it has been repeatedly observed that adult patients are more consistent and responsible with cleaning and taking care of their braces than younger patients. This results in faster correcting of the teeth and early removal of the braces.
With the above information, we hope it is clear that adults can also opt for braces. If you are conscious about your teeth and want to redesign your smile, do consider getting braces and schedule a consultation with your dentist.
