Types of Braces: Orthodontic Treatment Never Looked So Good!
Laser Dentistry: Transforming Your Child’s Experience
July 14, 2016
Not too long ago, when patients were looking into what types of braces they could choose from, traditional (metal) braces were the only option. Today you have several options to meet your particular needs, budget, and goals. Hardy Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics stays up-to-date on the best dental science, medicine and technology can offer you. Now more than ever, you have orthodontic options for how you want to straighten your teeth and improve your smile. Are you a working professional who wants to improve the appearance of your smile but can’t have the appliance interfering with your speech or looks? We have solutions for you! With clear braces, Invisalign, short term braces and new Incognito lingual braces you can achieve a beautiful smile on your terms.
The Clear Braces Alternative
Unlike traditional types of braces, clear braces use ceramic brackets that are customized to match the color of your teeth. Matching the brackets to the color of your teeth helps them blend in allowing for a more discreet look than the traditional system of metal wires and brackets. Beyond the obvious cosmetic advantages that clear braces offer you over traditional braces, the composition of ceramic brackets make them stain resistant so you don’t have to worry that your smile beauty will diminish during the process of treatment–it will only get better! Ceramic brackets have also been found to preserve the health of your tooth enamel more over their metal bracket system counterpart. Younger patients that want to add some creativity and a pop of color to their clear braces can pair their brackets with a vast array of colored bands to add an element of fun to their smile.
The Removable Design of Invisalign® and ClearCorrect™
When you talk to someone about types of braces that are popular today, Invisalign® and ClearCorrect™ nearly always come up because they offer a clear, removable design for your orthodontic treatment needs. As an alternative to systems that use wires and brackets, Invisalign® and ClearCorrect™ work to straighten your teeth using clear and removable aligners, rendering these orthodontic treatments almost invisible to others. The bracketless system relies on a series of progressive, custom-fit aligners, that the patient rotates according to a doctor-prescribed schedule that gently moves their teeth into the ideal position. This treatment method with removable aligners allows patients to eat, drink, and clean their teeth with ease. The system is extremely efficient allowing most patients to achieve their cosmetic goals within 12 months. During your consultation process, Dr. T.C. Hardy will evaluate whether or not you are a candidate for this treatment and educate you on the specifics.
Exciting Options for Teens with Invisalign Teen®
The advantages and benefits of Invisalign for adults are also available in a popular form for teens, aptly named Invisalign Teen®. This version of Invisalign® was designed with the unique needs of teenagers in mind. Teenagers involved in sports and music don’t have to suspend these activities when using Invisalign Teen. The removable design allows teenagers to temporarily remove the aligners when playing an instrument or to put on a mouthguard during sports. Traditional braces don’t offer teens this amazing flexibility. This orthodontic method of correcting crooked, unevenly spaced teeth or bite issues allows our young patients to eat, drink, and clean their teeth without the hassle that metal braces can create. Our patients at Hardy Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics love the convenience and comfort Invisalign Teen® provides. This treatment options allows them to obtain the smile they desire with minimal impact to their daily lives.
Short-Term Braces for Short-Term Needs
When considering types of braces for your unique needs, we understand that some patients don’t desire the full orthodontic experience and are mainly concerned with the teeth that are visible when they smile–the front six teeth. Short-term (high-speed) braces are recommended for some who have the main goal of aligning these teeth, but are not interested in adjusting their bite (occlusion). If your malocclusion is not too severe, this may be a treatment option for you. Dr. Hardy will evaluate your needs and determine with you if short-term braces are an option. If you are a candidate, this is a great way to improve the beauty of your smile without the same time commitment of other orthodontic treatments.
Hidden Lingual Braces
One treatment option that is quickly rising in popularity–especially among our adults and professionals–are hidden lingual braces. 3M technology has produced a high-tech alternative to traditional braces with their Incognito™Lingual Braces system. Medical science has produced an innovative way to achieve the benefits of orthodontic treatment, but with a subtlety that some prefer. Brackets are contoured to hug your lingual (tongue-side) surfaces of your teeth making them invisible to others when you smile. Lingual braces give you the cosmetic advantage of being bonded behind the teeth rather than bonded to the front. Lingual braces provide you the same effective results, but with an approach that is undetectable to others during treatment. This option is especially attractive to athletes that wear mouthguards, musicians who play wind instruments, and patients who discover they are not candidates for Invisalign®.
Schedule a Consultation to Discuss Types of Braces
The last decade has brought us an array of different types of braces and orthodontic treatment options for all our patients’ unique needs. If you have more questions about the types of braces offered by Dr. Hardy at our Erie office, or would like to schedule a consultation, please contact our office today at 720-887-6003 to make an appointment.