When many people think of orthodontic treatments, they instantly picture a small child wearing the traditional orthodontic, or metal brace.
However, if people are asked to picture an adult undertaking an orthodontic treatment, they again often imagine an adult wearing a traditional, metal brace. Strangely, the entire area of options for adult orthodontics is overlooked, or perhaps not even known about by many people.
This is a shame; many adult based braces are either clear, invisible or cosmetic and, as their names suggest, they are visually discreet, offering the person wearing them a more aesthetically pleasing way to straighten their teeth. Also, while metal braces will need to be overseen by an orthodontist in Liverpool, some types of adult aimed braces can be fitted, adjusted and removed by a general dentist too.
If you are one of the many adults who are new to the world of adult based orthodontics, this article offers a simple introduction to the most popular brands of clear and invisible braces.
Invisalign
As the name suggests, this brace is invisible.
While many people assume that an invisible brace will need an orthodontist in order to fit it, this brace is typically created using a handheld, 3-D scanner, which takes an image of your mouth.
Also, Invisalign is removable and the treatment process involves wearing a plastic, customised set of aligners to straighten your smile. On average, the wear time of Invisalign is 6 months, meaning it also offers an accelerated treatment over other braces. It can treat gaps, spacing, overcrowding and even overbites! No tightening, no metal and no hassle, this is one of the most popular (but also fairly expensive) adult-based braces.
Inman Aligner
A fitted brace that does not necessarily need an orthodontist from Liverpool to fit or tighten, the Inman Aligner is a clear brace.
While there is a thin piece of wire that is adjusted on this aligner, the brackets which hold the metal to your teeth are clear or enamel coloured, helping to camouflage the presence of the aligner.
This aligner will require adjusting from your dentist, but due to its design, it is more comfortable and the wearing time is between 2-6 months. Since it is fitted, it can treat slightly more complex orthodontic issues than Invisalign, while allowing your dental practitioner the flexibility to correct issues like a single protruding tooth without interfering with the surrounding teeth.
Six Month Smiles
And finally, Six Month Smiles is the brace used by dentists to alleviate purely cosmetic based misalignments of the front teeth.
Fitted like the Inman Aligner and with its clear brackets, this brace will also need tightening from your dentist about every 6 weeks, but, as it is focused on realigning the teeth at the front of the mouth, the treatment time is (as the name suggests) about 6 months.
If you have minor gaps, spacing or even overcrowding of your front teeth, but the rest of your teeth are perfectly aligned, then your dentist will probably choose this brace for your treatment.
