How Effective are Invisible Braces vs Traditional Braces?
If you’ve grown up with crooked teeth, an overbite or maybe even overcrowding, it’s likely you have considered getting braces to straighten your teeth. Or if you have children, your dentist may have recommended that your child needs braces.
Previously, the main choice for many patients was the traditional set of braces – you know, the ones with wire, tiny rubber bands and metal brackets. However, over the past decade, invisible braces such as Invisalign have grown as a popular alternative to traditional braces.
So what exactly is the difference between invisible braces and traditional braces, which type is more effective and what is better value for money? Check out the Pitt Street Dental Centre guide to invisible braces in Sydney below.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INVISIBLE AND TRADITIONAL BRACES?
INVISALIGN
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TRADITIONAL BRACES
ARE INVISIBLE BRACES & TRADITIONAL BRACES EFFECTIVE IN ALL CASES?
For more simple cases, such as crowded teeth, crooked teeth, overbites, underbites, open bites and gapped teeth, both invisible braces and traditional braces can be an effective treatment option.
However, with more severe problems such as malocclusions, extremely crooked teeth or crossbites, traditional braces are a more effective choice, as they are designed to provide more specialised alignment and treatment. Using the bonded metal brackets, wires and bands, traditional braces can adjust the teeth in a way that invisible braces may not.
As invisible braces are custom fit to suit your mouth, they are also a better choice for adults and teenagers, rather than young children. Most young children are losing baby teeth and growing their adult molars, which makes fitting a tight custom aligner a difficult task.
WHAT IS THE COST OF EACH OPTION?
When it comes to cost, investing in your smile provides more than just a cosmetic benefit – straight teeth are easier to clean, can make eating easier and can improve your gum health.
While straightening your teeth can certainly be considered an investment, patients will find that Invisalign treatments typically cost more than traditional braces. However, the overall cost of each type of braces will differ, depending on how extensive your treatment is.
At Pitt Street Dental Centre, we recognise the importance of straightening your teeth, so we offer payment plans to assist our patients to pay off the treatment over time.
LENGTH AND IMPACT OF THE TREATMENT
TREATMENT TIME AND CHECK UPS
Overall, Invisalign may take longer to adjust some problems, as the plastic aligners aren’t as strong as traditional braces and also require patients to follow their set schedule for wearing and changing aligners
When it comes to adjusting your braces to further your treatment, traditional braces require adjustment from an orthodontics specialist in Sydney every month, whilst the patient can change Invisalign aligner trays every two weeks, with a visit to your orthodontist for a check up every four to six weeks.
CLEANLINESS AND TOOTH DECAY
Traditional braces can often trap food under the wires, resulting in a build up of particles on your teeth, which can ultimately lead to staining. This type of braces may also be restrictive to the patient, making the consumption of sticky or hard foods difficult.
On the other hand, Invisalign must be removed before a patient eats. This allows the patient to consume food and drink without the build up around awkward wires and brackets, resulting in less chance of staining or tooth decay from bacteria build up.
However, keeping the teeth clean with Invisalign also relies on the patient brushing their teeth after each meal and flossing regularly. Without keeping up a basic hygiene regime after each meal, patients risk staining their teeth attachments – which leads many patients to having a “work” toothbrush kit, a “travel” toothbrush kit and a “home” toothbrush kit to ensure they keep their invisible braces, well, invisible!
PAIN AND DISCOMFORT
If patients opt for traditional braces, they may experience some pain, discomfort and potential sores from their brackets, wires or general tooth movement.
With Invisalign braces in Sydney, patients may, at most, have discomfort from the gradual tooth movement. The aligner trays are smooth and made from plastic, resulting in less pain from unfamiliar wires or brackets.
INVISIBLE BRACES IN SYDNEY
Take the first step in achieving that perfect, straight smile with Invisalign braces in Sydney, brought to you by the professional team at Pitt Street Dental Centre.
Our team are experienced in providing quality Invisalign treatments to our clients, with the aim to give you a confident, flawless smile.
So if you’re ready for a brand new smile, contact the team at Pitt Street Dental Centre today to find out more about invisible braces in Sydney!
The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. Pitt Street Dental Centre does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the content.
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional personal diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a dental or medical condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read or seen on the Site.
Services We Mentioned:
Invisalign
Cosmetic Dentistry
Orthodontic Braces
Comprehensive Examination & Dental Hygiene
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