Orthodontic Treatments in Chelsea for Straighter, Healthier Smiles
Orthodontics is the speciality of dentistry that involves changing the position of teeth in your mouth, using braces or other orthodontic technologies. Using either brackets and wires or clear aligners, orthodontics can reposition your teeth in a variety of ways. It can straighten rotated teeth, separate crowded or overlapped teeth, and close gaps between teeth.
What is Orthodontics?
Improving your smile with orthodontics can increase your confidence and self-esteem. But straight teeth are beneficial for more than just your appearance. When teeth are not properly aligned, they can be difficult to clean well enough to prevent tooth decay. If you can’t get floss between your teeth to clean out plaque, you risk spreading tooth decay and gum disease.
Additionally, orthodontics can be used to treat problems with how the teeth of your upper and lower jaws line up, known as your bite. Called malocclusion by dentists, you might have an underbite, overbite, or crossbite that can cause a host of issues. For example, misaligned teeth may rub against each other or collide, wearing them down unnecessarily, or a misaligned jaw may cause TMD symptoms, such as pain in the head, neck, or shoulders.
Orthodontic Appliance Options
Clear Braces
Clear braces are also referred to as ceramic braces. That’s because the brackets that hold the arch wire in place are ceramic instead of metal. This special kind of dental ceramic can either be tooth-coloured or clear. They can easily blend in with a patient’s smile, meaning that from even a few feet away or in photos, the braces will barely be noticeable. Some versions of clear braces also include a tooth-coloured wire that can be used to make them even more subtle.
The Advantage of Clear Braces
One advantage that braces have over clear aligners is ease of compliance with treatment. With clear aligners, the speed and success of your treatment depend in part on whether you keep the aligners in place the full 22 hours per day that is recommended. Because braces are permanently attached to teeth until a dentist removes them, they don’t require compliance. Clear ceramic braces offer an option that minimally affects how your smile looks and can keep your treatment on track.
ClearCorrect™
ClearCorrect™ works by using a series of aligners that push crooked teeth into place. The dentist will take an impression of your teeth and send it off to a lab where your individualised aligners are made. You only wear each set for a few weeks, and you’ll get new pairs of aligners at every checkup appointment.
ClearCorrect™ has three options for your orthodontic treatment:
- Limited to 6 (six aligners to complete treatment)
- Limited to 12 (12 aligners to complete treatment)
- Unlimited (as many aligners as necessary)
Each pair of aligners will take you closer to your cosmetic goals. For most patients, it takes about a year on average to get their desired smile. Your dentist or orthodontist can tell you the approximate length of your treatment before you get started. It all depends on how complex your individual case is.
ClearCorrect™ vs. Other Clear Aligners
ClearCorrect™ has a couple of advantages over other brands of clear aligners. ClearCorrect™ aligners extend over the gum line, which helps apply more force with greater leverage. This means they require fewer engagers and are therefore less intrusive than other systems. ClearCorrect™ also offers “limited” treatment options, which can treat simple cases more affordably than other systems. Other than these differences, ClearCorrect™ and other brands of clear orthodontics are virtually the same in form and function.
Fastbraces®
Fastbraces® are an affordable alternative to traditional braces. Originally designed in 1992, Fastbraces® are available through trained and certified dentists at locations nationwide. We are proud to be a member of this growing group.
Fastbraces® work differently from traditional braces. Ordinarily, orthodontic devices move tooth roots first and then crowns in a long, multi-step process. The unique design of Fastbraces® enables us to move those roots and crowns at the same time, drastically reducing treatment time. With Fastbraces®, you can expect to find success in months, not years.
Invisalign®
Invisalign® uses a series of clear aligners to straighten your teeth. Each clear aligner only shifts your teeth slightly, so you need to “upgrade” them every two weeks. You’ll wear around 20 to 30 sets of aligners before your treatment is finished. Some patients need to wear more sets, and others need to wear fewer. It all depends on your specific case!
It is a powerful tool for treating minor to moderate orthodontic problems. If your problem is severe enough, we may not be able to treat your case with Invisalign® aligners. Traditional metal braces are a reliable alternative that can correct most bite issues. To find out which treatment is best for you, please call for a consultation today!
Invisalign® vs. Traditional Braces
Removable aligners are handy, but taking them out too frequently can make your treatment more difficult. If you spend too much time without wearing them, you can actually lose progress and increase the time and expense of your Invisalign® treatment. You may even need to go back to wearing an old pair of aligners! Dentists recommend keeping your aligners on for at least 22 hours a day. Only remove them for meals and special occasions, and keep track of the amount of time they aren’t in your mouth. If you tend to be forgetful, you may be better off with traditional braces.
Traditional (Metal) Braces
Metal braces use a small square metal bracket that is attached to the front of each tooth with special bonding cement. Some teeth, such as your back molars, may need a metal band that wraps around the whole tooth instead of a bracket. Wires are then placed onto the brackets, tightened, and kept in place with coloured rubber bands called ligatures. You may also need separate removable rubber bands that move your jaw into place. At each appointment, the orthodontist will check your progress, adjust the wires, and replace your ligatures.
The Advantages of Traditional Braces
Metal braces aren’t the most attractive option for straightening teeth, but they are the most effective. What metal braces lack in aesthetic quality, they make up for in their ability to correct most bite issues.
Forgoing prettier or more discreet options like clear aligners can improve treatment time and results. In more complicated or severe cases of misalignment, traditional braces may be the only orthodontic option that can do the job. Fortunately, recent advancements in orthodontics have also given us better-looking, more affordable, and more effective metal braces.
When Is the Best Time to Get Orthodontic Treatment?
The best time to get orthodontic treatment is between the ages of 10 and 14 while the teeth are still moving into their final places. However, teeth move throughout life, so there isn’t a bad time to get treatment. In fact, adults are straightening their teeth more commonly these days due to the benefits to both appearance and functionality of straight teeth, as well as the increased options available to them.
Traditional braces, using metal brackets and wires, are still common, but costs and treatment times have gone down over the years. Some braces systems were created to be quick, with treatment as short as six months. There are even ceramic or plastic options that are less visible than the metal brackets. And, of course, clear aligners are very popular because they are not visible and can be removed.
While orthodontic technologies work to move your teeth, it’s important to keep up with regular cleaning habits and visits to your dentist. If you have traditional braces, you might be tempted to skip flossing, but because food easily gets stuck in the hardware and between moving teeth, it’s even more important to floss every day, or even after every meal. Your dentist will show you how to thoroughly clean around your braces, including how to use threader tools to get floss behind the wires.
Cleaning your teeth is much easier with clear aligners, as you simply need to remove the aligners to brush and floss your teeth like normal.
Orthodontic treatments can give you the beautiful and straight smile you desire, but they can also benefit your oral health. So while you’ll certainly have a more beautiful smile at the end of your orthodontic treatment, you’ll also have a more functional, healthier smile!
We are proud to offer a range of orthodontics options for our patients. If you are interested in orthodontics for either cosmetic or functional reasons, please start a discussion with us about your options.
Achieve a Straighter, Healthier Smile
We offer tailored orthodontic solutions for children, teens, and adults. From early intervention to discreet aligners, we’ll help you find the right treatment. Call us today or click below to book your consultation.