Smile With Confidence: Your Best Options for Straighter Teeth

Crooked and severely misaligned teeth can cause significant health problems by affecting how you speak, breathe, and chew your food. People with severely misaligned teeth also can suffer from severe nutritional issues and are more at risk for chronic diseases.

Crooked teeth can also damage your mental health and confidence levels by affecting how you feel in social situations and in your relationships. If you’re looking to have straighter teeth, it’s important to know there are multiple options you can choose to fix your teeth and your smile.

Keep reading to learn about the best options to straighten your teeth and get your healthy smile back!

Traditional Metal Braces

Though metal braces are usually associated with children, many adults also get metal braces to straighten their teeth.

Traditional metal braces are the most effective method for straightening teeth due to problems like overcrowding, overbites, and underbites. Braces may be the better option for you if you have severe problems with your bite.

How Braces Work

Metal braces work by applying pressure on the teeth forcing them to move and realign to the correct position over time. You’ll have to see your orthodontist every 4 to 6 weeks to have them tightened and the wires adjusted to put enough pressure on your teeth.

Since metal braces are cemented into place, they allow for more precise movement of your teeth. They’re especially useful for treating teeth rotation, and your teeth tend to stay in place better after they’re removed. Metal braces are also strong and very durable, so you don’t need to worry about them breaking.

You can also customize the color of metal braces to a lighter shade to feel more comfortable during treatment. Typically you’ll need to wear braces between 1 to 3 years and wear a retainer after treatment to keep your teeth in their proper positions.

You’ll also need to practice good oral hygiene by brushing twice a day and flossing once daily as food particles can easily get caught in your braces, leading to cavities and gum disease.

Clear Aligners

Much like braces, clear aligners such as Invisalign move your teeth into the proper alignment over time. Many people choose clear aligners because they’re comfortable and discreet.

Clear aligners can treat many types of dental problems, such as:

• Crooked teeth
• Overcrowding of your teeth
• Gaps between your teeth
• Overbite
• Underbite

To get a clear aligner, you’ll need to visit an orthodontist so they can evaluate you to see if they’re suitable for your condition.

Your orthodontist will then create a 3D model of your bite to create custom aligners and develop a treatment plan to move your teeth gradually over a period of time.

Treatment Course

With clear aligners like Invisalign, you’ll receive a series of different aligners that you’ll need to switch out every two weeks as your teeth move. Each set of aligners forces your teeth to move more until they reach perfect alignment.

Most people go through at least 30 sets of aligners, but some people need as many as 50 sets. You’ll need to wear your aligners for at least 22 hours daily and only take them out to eat and drink.

It’s important to know that while you’re wearing aligners, you can only drink water. Anything you drink that contains sugar or that is acidic will seep into your aligners and stick onto your teeth until you remove your aligners.

Eventually, this stains both your aligners and teeth and also causes tooth decay. You’ll need to take special care to brush your teeth and clean your aligners thoroughly before putting them back in.

You can learn more about the differences between Invisalign vs braces to determine better which one might be right for you.

Veneers

If you’re looking to have straight teeth but don’t want to go with braces or clear aligners, then veneers could be a good option for you. If your bite is so severely misaligned that it affects your dental health, then veneers likely won’t work for you. Veneers are best suited for problems such as:

• Worn-down teeth
• Chipped or broken teeth
• Teeth that are slightly misaligned or uneven
• Irregularly shaped teeth
• Teeth with spaces between them

Veneers are thin custom-made shells that cover the surface of your teeth to improve their appearance. They’re made out of either porcelain or composite resin material. While porcelain is more expensive, it’s stronger, more durable, and resists stains better than composite resin veneers.

Dental Veneer Procedure

To get dental veneers, it typically takes a total of 2 to 3 dental procedures to complete the process. Your dentist will first need to prepare your tooth’s surface by reshaping and trimming the enamel. After the reshaping, you’ll have an impression or model made of your teeth to create the veneers.

After the veneers are created from the impressions, you’ll return back to the dentist so they can fit the veneers to your teeth.

Your dentist will then etch the surface of your tooth to create a rough surface which allows for better bonding of the veneer. They’ll also adjust the color and size of the veneer until they achieve the perfect appearance and fit.

Finally, a special cement is applied, and the veneer is placed on your tooth. Once it’s in place, your dentist will use a special light that activates the chemicals in the cement to cause it to harden quickly.

You can get a complete set of veneers or veneers for your front teeth only. The great thing about veneers is even just a few veneers make a vast difference in the appearance of your smile.

Talk to Your Dentist About Straighter Teeth Today

Now that you know more about the options available, you can make an appointment to talk to your dentist about what will work best for you.

Remember, straighter teeth are healthier teeth, and a happy and healthy smile improves your overall health and well-being.

Check out our blog for more health tips to help you live a healthier lifestyle!