Now you can wear braces as if you are not wearing any! As if they are invisible! Traditional dental braces with the metal parts and wires draw way too much attention to our teeth. Teenagers and adults may be conscientious of them, but find themselves needing the dental braces to correct alignments.

smiling with metal dental braces

No, we are not referring to lingual braces, where the braces are fixed at the back of the teeth. The tongue will keep bumping against them and they make cleaning difficult.

Other options include ceramic braces and removable plates with wires. They are a little less conspicuous than the metal braces.

dental braces
Left – ceramic braces
Right – Orthodontic plate

We are referring to a clear option – the invisible braces! They are made with clear plastics to fit uniquely to your teeth and precision cut to avoid causing friction with your gums.

Traditional Metal Braces Vs Invisible Braces

Traditional and most commonly used braces are made with metal.  The orthodontist will then manually adjust the braces to correct the teeth alignment. 

Metal braces are effective and the lower cost option compared with the invisible braces.  However, metal braces have a few disadvantages:

  • They are not flattering.
  • The metal on teeth may cause some wearer ulcers on the inner lip.
  • Difficult to clean and may cause cavities.
  • Getting used to a bigger and heavier addition to the lower part of the face.
  • Once set up, any discomfort the wearer may experience, the braces have to be removed, or readjusted, by an orthodontist.
eating with dental brace

Plastic braces – cleaner and easier to wear.  It looks more like a night guard that prevent wearers from grinding their teeth while asleep.

Advantages:

  • Less noticeable
  • Easier to clean
  • Removable before eating

Disadvantages:

  • More expensive than metal or ceramic braces
  • Takes longer
  • It requires a lot of commitment and discipline from the wearer
  • It may only be able to correct limited misalignments, but some orthodontists state their successful cases to expand palettes

How does it work

The orthodontists trained with these invisible solution providers will consult with the candidate to determine if he/she is suitable.  Once decided, the orthodontist will take a 3D scan of the candidate’s teeth and gums and programme to the desired results. The orthodontists then send the information to these invisible brace companies to manufacture a set of plastic braces for a set period of time.  Once the candidate receives the set of plastic braces, he/she could start the treatment. There are labels on each set of plastic braces to be worn for a period of time (depending on the individual, it could be 7-10 or more days) before moving on to the next set of plastic braces until the end for a desirable result. Then debut a new and broad confident smile in public!

Author: Guest Writer