What Are Invisible Braces?

The concept of invisible braces seems to be a simple one. However, these teeth aligners may be a little more complicated than you first thought. This is because the answer on what exactly invisible braces are is not necessarily clear. Even though these clear aligners are becoming a definite trend as far as orthodontic treatments, it’s important to clearly define what exactly invisible braces are and what they do. To learn everything you need to know about invisible braces, read on.

What Are Invisible Braces

Invisible braces, also known as clear aligners, have become one of the most popular types of orthodontic treatment for straightening teeth. Whereas braces used to be one of the most popular ways to help get a straighter smile, these clear aligners that are virtually unseen on your teeth have definitely become the preferred method of teeth straightening.

No longer do individuals need to wear heavy metal wires and brackets in their teeth. Instead, you can simply wear a clear casing around your teeth to help straighten them up. These are definitely a more attractive option for teens and adults alike because they are virtually undetectable and come with so many different treatment plans.

However, there are several different types of invisible braces, and the term “invisible braces” is more used as an umbrella term to cover several different orthodontic treatment options. In this article, we will explore the different types of invisible braces as well as explain exactly what these clear aligners can be used for.

What is the Use of Invisible Braces?

Invisible braces are used as a way to straighten your teeth. Similar to traditional metal braces, you will start to slowly realign your teeth and shift them into position by using the aligners. As you switch your aligners in, your teeth will slowly mold into a straighter smile. The real benefit of using invisible braces versus traditional braces is that these clear aligners and invisible braces are virtually undetectable and are not as visible as traditional braces.

Because of their convenience and ease of use, many people are now switching to using invisible braces for their mild to moderate orthodontic needs. Additionally, most of your progress monitoring can be done from the comfort of your own home. Many of the most popular invisible braces companies have all their consulting and progress monitoring done on their platform. You will also be paired with a care team or licensed orthodontist to track your progress and make sure your teeth are moving into a straight smile.

Who Can Get Invisible Braces?

Anyone can use invisible braces if they have a mild to moderate orthodontic problem that they would like to fix. That said, both teens and adults can be approved for invisible braces if they’re trying to fix an overbite, underbite, crossbite, gap, or other mild orthodontic issue. However, if you have more severe treatment needs, your dentist or orthodontist may recommend using traditional braces or a surgical procedure.

However, it won’t hurt to get a consultation or see if you’re a candidate for invisible braces. Most of the leading companies, such as Smile Direct Club, Candid, Byte, and Invisalign offer consultation services and a full money back guarantee if they find out you’re not a candidate for their services. So even if you’re interested, it wouldn’t hurt to get a consultation.

How Do Invisible Braces Work?

The process for using your invisible braces is incredibly simple. In fact, the convenience of using clear aligners from reputable companies is the reason why many people are switching to invisible braces instead of going to a traditional orthodontist or dentist for their orthodontic work.

The first step in getting your invisible braces or clear aligners is to choose a company that you want to work with. We recommend checking out our expert reviews on this topic because we have taken a look at the most popular and highest quality clear aligner companies currently on the market. We evaluated their website, reviews, and services so that you can find the company that’s right for you without having to do hours of Internet research.

Once you have chosen your company, it’s time to get your consultation. This will likely start by purchasing your impressions kit so that you can send the 3D mold of your mouth to the licensed orthodontist. While most of the companies do charge a fee to send you the impressions kit, a few other companies, such as Smile Direct Club, have free locations where you can go and get the impressions done with no cost to you.

Once you have sent in your impressions and the orthodontists and care teams have decided that you are indeed a candidate for clear aligners, the orthodontist will create an online model of your mouth that will help them design your individualized trays. Once your trays are designed and created, you will get them delivered right to your door.

Once you receive your aligners, you simply put them in your mouth for you specified period of time and watch as your teeth start to straighten. Typically, treatments last around six months, but they may be shorter or longer depending on the severity of your orthodontic work and how long you wear your aligner each day.

Do Invisible Braces Really Work?

While we do know that braces typically work to help straighten your teeth, you may be wondering if invisible braces and clear aligners actually work. Well, you can simply ask the millions of people who have already tried using clear aligners. Some companies, such as Invisalign, have fixed over 10 million smiles. Other companies, such as Smile Direct Club, have helped straighten over a million smiles.

Additionally, if you check out our reviews, you can see our summary of the Google and Trust Pilot reviews of the various clear aligner companies. Most of these reviews are highly regarded and many people rave about how easy the aligners are to use and how effective they are. So, yes clear aligners and invisible braces really work.

Types of Invisible Braces

Invisible braces is an umbrella term that covers several types of orthodontic treatments that can help you straighten your smile. Typically, there are three types of invisible braces that are offered as treatment options for those who want to straighten their teeth. These include clear aligners, ceramic or clear braces, and lingual braces.

Ceramic or Clear Braces

The first type of invisible braces that we will discuss are clear or ceramic braces. These are very similar to the traditional metal braces that you typically think of as a way to straighten your teeth. These types of braces, like traditional braces, use a series of brackets, wires, and elastics that will help straighten your teeth.

The only difference between ceramic or clear braces and the traditional metal braces is the color. Whereas metal braces are typically stainless steel and come in a variety of elastic colors, ceramic or clear braces are either clear or tooth colored. That way, the clear braces or ceramic braces can easily be hidden and blend in with your teeth.

Other than the color, however, there really is no more differences between metal braces and the clear and ceramic ones. As far as care and treatment, all this will be the same with clear ceramic braces. They also typically take a little longer to help straighten your teeth than clear aligners will. This is generally a good option for individuals who need traditional braces because of a more severe tooth alignment treatment plan. And, they are a little better than regular braces because of that color change.

Clear Aligners

Clear aligners are the focus of this article as well as the reviews on our website. Clear aligners are drastically growing in popularity because they are a lot easier to care for and they are completely invisible on your teeth. Clear aligners are made out of custom made trays that are designed to gradually shift your teeth into a straighter position. You start by giving your orthodontist a mold or impression of your teeth and then they will design your own customized trays from there.

It takes only about six months for your clear aligner treatment to be complete. This is drastically shorter than traditional braces or even the other types of invisible braces that are discussed in this article. And, the aligners and trays are generally shipped right to your door so you don’t have to even go to the dentist or orthodontist to monitor your progress. Everything can be done online.

Similar to retainers, it is up to you to make sure that your clear aligner orthodontic treatment progresses. Because these aligners can be taken in and out as you eat or drink, it’s important to make sure that you wear yours for the specified amount of time.

While some people may be a little hesitant to try this because you have the option of taking it out, the convenience that clear aligners provide are definitely what makes them so popular. Particularly if you have mild to moderate orthodontic issues, clear aligners can absolutely help straighten your teeth with little effort on your part.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are pretty much exactly like traditional metal braces except that they are placed behind your teeth instead of on the front of your teeth. These types of braces are generally offered to adults and teens who need orthodontic treatment but don’t want to have braces on the front of their teeth.

Lingual braces work the same way as traditional braces, but they are invisible from the outside. That said, you will still have to take care of them the same way that you would with traditional braces and some people have reported that it makes it harder for them to speak and because of the braces that are inside their teeth.

Even so, lingual braces are a great option for those who don’t want to have their braces visible but still need more severe orthodontic treatment.

Final Thoughts

Now that you finally have the answer on what exactly invisible braces are and what they can do for you, it’s time to start your search. However, there are numerous different options for clear aligners as well as several different companies that can help you straighten your teeth. Additionally, you don’t necessarily need to go to your dentist or orthodontist to get clear aligners. Instead, there are many different companies who can ship the aligners straight to your door.

If you are interested in finding the right company to help you straighten your smile, make sure you check out our expert reviews. Our expert reviewers have gone online to check out each of the companies on our website and figure out which ones are the best for helping you align your teeth. For a comprehensive review of the top companies for invisible braces, check out our reviews in the links above.