Pros and Cons of Invisible Braces
Invisible braces, also known as clear aligners, can be a great option for those with mild to moderate teeth misalignment. But even though these are a fantastic and easy to use option, you should still consider all of the pros and cons before you try out clear aligners to help straighten your teeth. Below we have listed the clear advantages and disadvantages of these type of aligners so that you can make a fully informed decision.
What Are Clear Aligners?
Clear aligners are a relatively new technology that can help straighten your teeth without the use of metal braces. These aligners simply slip over your teeth and gently move them into place. When you first get a consultation, the dentist or orthodontist will ask for an impression of your mouth that they can make a perfect 3D rendering of your teeth.
They will then use this 3D image to create aligners that perfectly match your teeth and develop an individualized treatment plan it is perfectly matched to help straighten your smile. Typically, it takes about six months for this treatment to be complete. Millions of people around the world are now using clear aligners to help straighten their smile, so it is no wonder that you are interested in doing this for yourself too.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Clear Aligners
As with any medical procedure, you should always consider the pros and cons. When it comes to clear aligners, there are many advantages to using these straighteners over traditional metal braces. Even so, there are some things you should keep in mind before you fully commit to these clear aligners. In the sections to follow, we will go over the advantages and disadvantages of clear aligners and invisible braces.
Advantages of Clear Aligners
There are many advantages to using clear aligners. Besides the obvious fact that these teeth straighteners are clear and virtually undetectable, there are many other advantages that you should consider as you are shopping for the best invisible braces.
Straighter Teeth in Half the Time
On average, it takes about six months for people to complete treatment for clear aligners and invisible braces. However, many people you can experience a shorter treatment. That can last from three months to even four months. When compared to braces, this is significantly faster. When you get braces to straighten your teeth, it can easily take over a year or more to straighten your teeth fully.
Even if you opt to only wear your clear aligner at night, you will probably still have a shorter treatment period than if you did braces. Generally, it takes between six and eight months for you to complete a night only clear aligner treatment. This is still significantly faster than most braces treatments.
Comfortable
Besides treating your teeth in a shorter period of time, wearing the clear aligners is generally comfortable. Because the clear aligners are engineered to fit your teeth perfectly, they will slide over your teeth with ease as you take them in and out to eat food. As you wear them, the clear aligners will work to gently move your teeth into the right position. Further, many of the clear aligners are made from a soft BPA plastic that fits perfectly over your teeth and flexes as necessary.
Removeable
Unlike braces, clear aligners are removable. When you have braces attached to your teeth, they are virtually glued to your teeth and cannot come out. But with clear aligners, you can take them out to eat, drink, and participate in normal dental hygiene. This also is useful because you will likely not get food stuck in your aligner if you take care of it.
Easier to Clean Than Braces
Because they are removable, clear aligners are also significantly easier to clean than braces. When you wear braces, you have to be very careful to brush your teeth often and to brush around the braces so that you avoid any traces of the braces when you remove them. But with clear aligners, you can remove them the same way that you would a retainer, and you can brush and clean them every day.
Additionally, you won’t have to worry about lines around your braces on your teeth when you were done with the clear aligners because you can take your clear aligners out to brush your teeth as necessary.
Flexible Treatment Options
As you mentioned above, there are options to wear your clear aligners all day long or only at night. Because of this, you can participate in flexible treatment options that work with you and your schedule. If you are someone who is conscious of wearing a clear aligner during the day, you can opt for the night treatment options and only wear it while you sleep. That way, your teeth will become straighter during the night and you won’t have to worry about wearing it during the day.
Even further, if you want a quick treatment option, you can wear your clear aligner all day long and experience results faster. So if you were in a hurry to have a straighter smile, the orthodontists and dentists can work with you to create a treatment plan that can work with your schedule.
Fewer Dentist Visits
When you have braces, you need to go to the dentist or orthodontist every couple of weeks or so to readjust your braces. But with clear aligners, you have an online platform and a team of orthodontists who are ready to track your progress virtually. Additionally, many of the companies will send you a box with every one of your aligners included so you don’t need to go to a dentist orthodontist here the next aligner. Instead, you simply open the next packaging and switch out your aligners.
Progress Monitoring
Because you have an online platform, many of the companies offer consistent progress monitoring of your treatment plan. While some companies offer a check in every 14 days, others will monitor your progress virtually by using a system to help track and take pictures of your teeth. Even so, if you notice any problems or concerns with your treatment, you can simply set an appointment with your care team through the online platform to get the problem resolved.
Teeth Whitening Bonus
Many of the clear aligner companies also include teeth whitening with their treatment plan. For the most part, this is an added bonus and included with your plan. However, some companies may charge extra for teeth whitening. Even so, you are already working on a straighter smile so it may be convenient to simply add teeth whitening into that so that you can not only have straight teeth, but bright white teeth as well.
Improved Dental Health and Wellness
Finally, straightening your teeth will impact your overall dental health and wellness. Because your teeth are straighter and you’re working with licensed orthodontists and dentists to prove your smile, you can make sure that your teeth are happy and healthy. Plus, you likely now have connections with a dentist or orthodontist who can help you with finding other dental services should you find them necessary.
Disadvantages of Clear Aligners
Even though there are clearly many advantages to clear aligners, there are some disadvantages that we should discuss before moving forward. However, many of these disadvantages are still better compared to having to use braces to straighten your teeth.
Not Recommended for Severe Cases
If you have severely misaligned teeth or dental problems, you may not be a candidate for clear aligners. Unfortunately, these clear aligners can only work if you have slight problems that can be fixed with simple movements.
The best ways to figure out if you are a candidate for clear aligners is to talk to a orthodontic specialist or your dentist to see if they can give you any insight. Additionally, many of the online clear aligner companies offer free trials and consultations to make sure you are a candidate for their services. If you find out that you are not a candidate for the clear liner services, they typically give you a full refund.
Buttons May Be Used to Keep Aligners in Place
Sometimes, you may need to have buttons or small attachment devices attached to your teeth to keep the aligners in place. These are likely going to be little things attached to your teeth to help hold the aligner in place. However, they shouldn’t be super uncomfortable or get in the way of your daily habits.
You’ll Need to Brush and Floss Often
If you want to avoid having food stuck in your teeth or getting your clear line or dirty, it’s advised to brush and floss your teeth after every meal. This is because some food can get stuck in your teeth, and you do not want all of that food stuck there can put your clear aligner back in. Even so, it’s really only adds a couple of minutes to your daily routine and your teeth will probably thank you because you’re taking such good care of them.
Clean Your Aligners
Along with brushing and flossing your teeth, it’s important to keep your clear aligner clean. This simply involves cleaning it every evening after a long day and making sure that there is no food or debris stuck in it when you put it out. Again, this simply is adding some time to your daily routine and should not change your schedule significantly.
May Be More Expensive
If you end up needing clear aligners to improve severely or moderate align teeth, it is possible that they could be more expensive than braces. However, clear aligners are typically less expensive than braces, but it really does depend on which brand you go with and the extensiveness of your treatment. If you have any questions about pricing, it’s best to talk to your orthodontic specialist or call customer service line about pricing options.
You Are in Charge of Your Own Progress
If you choose not to wear clear aligner and not follow achievement plan, it should not come as a surprise to you to hear that your teeth will not straighten. Because you can remove the aligners, your progress is in your own hands. If you want straighter teeth, you need to follow the treatment plan and wear your clear aligner as directed by your orthodontic team.
Some Pressure and Discomfort
Similar to braces and other orthodontic work, you will likely feel some pressure and discomfort whenever you switch to a new aligner. This simply means that the aligner is working to move your teeth and can be expected. If you want to avoid a little bit of pain and discover you might feel, it’s best to take over the counter pain medication.
Are Clear Aligners Right for You?
When comparing the advantages and disadvantages, it is clear that invisible braces are definitely worth the amount you pay for them. While they do have a couple of drawbacks, when compared to braces they are clearly the easier, more convenient, and more comfortable option. However, not everyone may be a candidate for clear aligners.
Clear aligners will work for nearly any mild to moderate case of misaliged teeth, overbites, underbites, cross bites, and gaps. However, more severe cases may need to be consulted by a dentist or orthodontist before you go further. To find out if you are a candidate for invisible braces, the best thing to do is to go online to one of the leading clear aligner brands to take a smile assessment or talk to a licensed orthodontist.
That said, if you want a straighter and brighter smile, you really cannot go wrong with checking out the leading brands for clear aligners. To start your search today, check out our comprehensive reviews of top companies such as Smile Direct Club, Invisalign, Candid, Aligner-Co, and Byte.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know all of you disadvantages and advantages of clear aligners, it’s time to start searching for the right invisible braces company for you. While there are many different options available, there are some companies that are paving the way for the best quality invisible braces.
Even though you could spend hours on the Internet researching these companies, we suggest that you check out our expert reviews. Our experts have reviewed everything you could possibly need to know about invisible braces and have compiled comprehensive reviews for you to read and review. So start your search for a straighter smile today by checking out our reviews.