People who need teeth straightening and health have a hard time choosing between Invisalign aligners and traditional braces. While the ultimate choice or recommendation belongs to the dentist, patients still need to know what to expect from each of the two orthodontic solutions. Today, our Invisalign Fort Lauderdale FL specialists are here to offer you a quick and comprehensive guide on the pros, cons, and highlights of these two types of interventions.
What are Invisalign Aligners?
Invisalign Fort Lauderdale FL experts say that the Invisalign procedure is relatively new, becoming popular in the early 2000s. As opposed to braces, which consist of metal or ceramic brackets bonded to the teeth, Invisalign are clear plastic trays people wear on a daily basis and replace with newer, tighter trays every six weeks of their treatment.
From this definition, only you can extract some of the advantages and disadvantages of Invisalign, but let’s see a bigger picture, shall we?
Invisalign Pros
- Due to their transparent material and design, Invisalign aligners are almost invisible during regular conversations;
- Also due to their smooth material, Invisalign looks and feels more like a mouth guard, being more comfortable to wear in comparison to braces; they lack any metal, wires, prongs, sharp edges, or brackets that might cause pain or mouth injuries;
- Invisalign does not hurt patients’ self-esteem and does not determine them to become overly self-aware in public or social interactions; since they are almost invisible, they do not interfere with a person’s willingness to smile or have conversations;
- They are removable: you can and should remove them when you eat, brush your teeth, and floss;
- They need minimal maintenance, and your Invisalign Fort Lauderdale specialists will tell you how to keep them clean and safe.
Invisalign Cons
- In comparison to traditional braces, Invisalign has limitations; if you have severely crooked teeth and other critical orthodontic issues, our braces Fort Lauderdale FL specialists may be of more help with traditional braces instead of Invisalign;
- Invisalign aligners are traditionally more expensive;
- You have to wear them at least 22 hours per day for them to be effective; in other words, you should remove them only when you eat or practice oral health, otherwise, they stay on;
- The use of Invisalign attachments – a standard nowadays – can turn the aligners more visible than you like them to be;
- They can interfere with your routines (eating out for instance), as you have to remove them when you eat and then brush your teeth before putting them back.
Invisalign Fort Lauderdale FL Experts Talk about Braces
Braces have stood the test of time in orthodontic treatments and in solving severe issues with crooked or damaged teeth. The essential pros are the following:
- Despite their reputation, braces these days can look good (or at least better than they used to), so you should not worry about aesthetics;
- They do an excellent job at solving some of the most severe teeth misalignment issues in children and adults alike; moreover, for the patients at risk of non-compliance, they represent the most efficient course of treatment;
As cons go, besides the discomfort people feel when they wear braces, they also entertain the possibility of gum diseases development in case tiny fragments of food remain stuck in between wires, brackets, and prongs (or in between the teeth).
However, before you decide on one of these two solutions, you should consult with your Invisalign Fort Lauderdale FL expert to learn the severity of your dental problem, the best solutions at hand (including from a financial point of view), your compliance to the treatment, and more.