Traditional Braces vs Invisalign; What's the Right Choice for Me?

In 1728, French dentist Pierre Fauchard, who is often credited with inventing modern orthodontics, published a book entitled "The Surgeon Dentist" on methods of straightening teeth leading.

Orthodontics is the treatment of irregularities in the teeth (especially of alignment and occlusion) and jaws and includes the application of braces.

Modern braces come with different variation of materials like, metal (traditional braces), ceramic braces, lingual braces and self-ligating braces.

But you may have heard there's another alternative to traditional braces called Invisalign.

And you might first wonder, What is Invisalign?

Also called clear aligners, Invisalign was invented in 1997 by two Harvard students, Zia Christi and Kelsey Wirth. These two brilliant people invented and founded the invisalign Technology®.

Invisalign is also classified as a brace, though they do not look like traditional braces as they are clear, and nearly invisible, thus the name.

WHAT IS INVISALIGN AND HOW DO THEY WORK?

• The dentist takes a 3D image of your mouth and shows you using software what your smile will look like after the treatment.
• Multiple aligners are made to take your teeth from where they are to where you want them to be over the course of the treatment, a little change at a time.
• Invisalign is transparent and therefore most people won't notice you're wearing them.
• They can be removed easily.
• Easier to continue regular dental hygiene, brush, and floss as normal (meaning do it daily).
• Custom trimmed to gum line for a more comfortable fit.
• Often take less time than traditional braces.

Traditional Braces

• Effective method to straighten even severely maligned teeth.
• Made from high-grade stainless steel.
• Tends to be more affordable than Invisalign.
• Dentists usually recommend traditional braces for those who have overcrowded teeth.
• Better choice for people who can't or won't remember to wear their Invisalign 22 hours a day.
• Invisalign is an innovative class of braces but it is not a perfect tool. Though it is a high-tech tool for fixing your smile it still has its drawbacks. For example: it turns yellow when you casually smoke or drink soda, it is often more expensive than traditional braces, and you must remember to put them in and remove them while eating.

Traditional braces are the go-to for many dentists, especially for teenagers and children. Same as Invisalign, traditional braces are not perfect either. There are issues with eating; especially crunchy and sticky foods, wires tend to loosen, it usually takes 1 - 3 years depending on the patient's case. These are just some examples of the cons of having traditional braces.

Whichever method you choose, don't hesitate to gain the confidence and healthier life that a beautiful, straight smile can bring. We would love to help you achieve this.

Visit our website or call today at (281) 356-3351 to book your assessment and start on the path to a brilliant smile.