Orthodontic Options For The Year Ahead In Ipswich
Straightening teeth brings many benefits and there are now a number of methods to help you achieve this
Before we start today’s blog, we would like to take the opportunity to wish all of our Ipswich patients a very happy new year.
We hope to continue providing you with useful information through our blogs, whether this be about your general oral health or specific treatments such as in today’s post.
Having an attractive even set of teeth is something that we would all like, but few of us will have naturally, without some dental intervention. Because straightening teeth can take a significant length of time, depending on the issue, it is one treatment that some people won’t commit to.
Although it is, by necessity, a slower treatment than many other cosmetic dental procedures, it is worthwhile and, with modern orthodontic systems, is a lot more convenient than in the past.
Is it worth having teeth straightened?
For anyone who wants to have a great looking smile, the answer is obviously yes. There is little point in having beautifully white teeth if they are crooked. For those less concerned about how their teeth look, the answer should still be ‘yes’. An even set of teeth is not only more attractive, but also a lot easier to keep clean. There is less chance of food and bacteria becoming trapped if your teeth don’t overlap or crowd together. If you want to have really healthy teeth, then we recommend that you consult one of the dentists at the Foxhall Dental Practice to arrange a consultation to discuss your options.
Dental braces
The only way to straighten teeth is through a form of tooth brace which assert pressure on the teeth to adjust their position. Naturally, this has to be done slowly as trying to produce quick results through too much pressure could cause real and permanent damage to the teeth. As most people associate braces with the old style metal ones, there is a natural reluctance in some people, not to have this treatment because of the way that it makes them look. Some will, no doubt, recall fellow classmates being bullied at school because they had to wear braces. We would like to assure patients that modern orthodontic systems are much more discreet and often more comfortable and convenient too.
General teeth straightening
In many cases, people will have a number of teeth that require straightening or have teeth that are very crooked. It is these types of cases that often require lengthier treatment, sometimes of a year or so. One of the biggest advances in dentistry in this area, is the advent of a new type of ‘brace’ that is not made from metal and, whilst achieving the same aim, offers a greater degree of comfort and convenience for the wearer. One of the best known orthodontics of this type is ‘Invisalign’. Instead of requiring the teeth to be adjusted using wires and brackets, the patient will be provided with a series of clear aligner ‘trays’ that fit over the teeth. These trays are made following scans that we will take of your teeth. Each tray is worn for a short period of time, gently moving the teeth towards their desired position. When the first tray has achieved what it was designed to do, it is replaced and the next tray put in. This process continues until the teeth are straight and even.
There are two very significant advantages to this method, over traditional braces. Firstly, the trays are made from a medical grade transparent plastic and are much less visible than older types. This removes a significant barrier to some people from wearing them and will hopefully help to encourage more people to have their teeth straightened.
The second benefit is that you can remove the Invisalign trays when you are eating meals and for cleaning your teeth. There are no barriers to what you can eat when you have these and no reason why your teeth shouldn’t be cleaned effectively either. All in all, we think that this has been a great advance in oral care and we are pleased to be able to offer it at our Ipswich dental clinic.
Cosmetic teeth straightening
Some people may have fairly even teeth but have small issues that spoil their smile. A good example of this would be where front teeth overlap a little. It is usually not necessary to use Invisalign in areas like this and where a cosmetic improvement is needed, an alternative is likely to be used, such as Quick Straight Teeth. This system is designed to make small adjustments and usually in a relatively fast time, depending on the nature of the correction needed.
Quick Straight Teeth cosmetic braces do use the more traditional method of wires and brackets, and because of the shorter treatment time, this is usually less of an issue. Even so, it is understandable that patients don’t want to wear visible braces, even for a short time. To alleviate any concerns in this area, this system uses teeth coloured wires and brackets that will blend in well with your own natural teeth and are barely visible except perhaps, at closer quarters. They are a great improvement on the old ‘train track’ visible braces and are a great way to aesthetically straighten your teeth and help you achieve an attractive even smile.
If you would like to discover how we can help you have a great looking smile, please arrange to have an initial consultation with one of our cosmetic dentists by calling the Foxhall Dental Practice on 01473 258396.