After being diagnosed with an orthodontic condition, you need to determine which treatment option is right for you and the issue you are having corrected. Today, our Barrie dentistry team talks about the different orthodontic products your dentist or orthodontist could have available.
Popular Orthodontic Products
The orthodontic treatment option or product that is right for you will probably be determined by the nature of your orthodontic condition, its severity or complexity, and other elements. Financial considerations are also an issue. Here are some orthodontic treatment options that are often recommended by orthodontists and dentists to help straighten patients' teeth. You and your orthodontist or dentist will need to make the decision regarding which one works for you.
Traditional Braces
Thanks to advances in orthodontic technology, traditional braces have received some upgrades in the past few decades to become more streamlined and lighter in structure and weight than in previous years.
Made from high-quality stainless steel with metal brackets connected by a thin archwire and tiny elastics, braces apply pressure to your teeth to move them gradually into their prescribed positions. Braces can be used to fix a wide variety of simple and complex orthodontic issues, from misalignment to excess spacing, overcrowding, crooked teeth, and crossbite.
Braces are fixed, which means you can’t remove them to eat, drink, brush or floss. Though braces treatment will necessarily eliminate some foods from your diet (very hard or sticky foods, for instance), you won’t have to do the mental work of counting your hours of wear time every day as you would with clear aligners (see below).
Ceramic Braces
These braces work similarly to traditional braces. The difference is that the brackets are made out of tooth-coloured ceramic, making them look transparent.
A popular choice for adults who need orthodontic treatment but may not be candidates for clear aligners, these braces are lower profile in appearance than traditional braces. Though you have to remember that the elastics can become discoloured, and will require extra special attention when brushing and flossing.
Clear & Removable Aligners
Clear aligners are a popular alternative to braces for adults who need orthodontic treatment but want an option more low-profile in appearance. Clear aligners are removable, which means that you can take them out to eat, drink, brush and floss. Many patients find they fit comfortably into their lifestyle and allow them to keep eating the foods they love.
However, in order for them to work, you’ll have to wear them for 22 hours a day. This makes it essential to stick with your custom treatment plan and remember to track your daily wear time, meal times, and any time your clear aligners aren't being worn.
You’ll also need to brush and floss your teeth every time you eat or drink anything other than water, before you put your braces back in, to prevent bacteria from getting trapped between your teeth and the aligners and causing tooth decay and cavities.
Retainers
A custom-made retainer may be either a fixed or removable device and is typically made of wires and clear plastic. They are mostly used to keep your teeth straight after treatment with braces or clear aligners. If yours is removable, it should be worn at all times at first, except when you are eating or brushing your teeth.
Like braces, retainers also require careful care and maintenance to work as they should and keep your teeth in place.
Palate Expanders
Commonly used for patients with overcrowded teeth, palatal expansion and tooth extraction are two common options.
Though tooth extraction was used more often in the past, today’s orthodontists will often recommend a palate expander, which is custom fit to your palate and applies pressure to the backs of your upper molars, gradually moving your teeth further apart.
Over time, this expands your palate, making it possible for other types of braces to be used to correct the position of misaligned teeth.
Forsus Appliances
Orthodontists and dentists can now screen children as young as 7 years old to find out whether they are candidates for early orthodontic treatment. If they are, there are various appliances that can be used for treatment, including a Forsus appliance.
A spring on the Forsus appliance attaches to braces to bring the upper or lower jaw into position. These have mostly replaced the use of headgear for braces and are commonly used to help correct stubborn overbites.