For decades, if a person needed to straighten their teeth, the only way was with traditional metal braces. Now, however, there are more options than ever, allowing people to achieve their ideal smiles without having to wear noticeable brackets and wires. In today’s blog, a Westerville orthodontist discusses some of the most popular ways to fix crooked teeth that do NOT involve braces.
Clear Aligners
Clear aligners, like Invisalign, offer a more comfortable and discreet way to correct a wide range of orthodontic issues. In addition to allowing a patient to maintain their daily appearance throughout the treatment process, the aligners can also be removed whenever someone wants to eat or brush their teeth, making them much more flexible compared to braces. They are used by orthodontists around the world and have literally helped millions of people, and they are only getting better as more advancements are made.
Veneers
A veneer is a thin sheathe of porcelain that is bonded to the front of a tooth in order to improve its appearance. This popular cosmetic treatment can be used to mask a wide range of flaws with a single procedure, and they can even make slightly crooked teeth appear straighter. When it comes to orthodontics, they are extremely limited, as they can only handle mild cases and do nothing to adjust the bite or back teeth.
DIY Braces
A quick online search for “DIY braces” will send you down a rabbit hole filled with videos of people using all sorts of household objects to straighten their teeth. Needless to say, this approach is NOT recommended by orthodontists, because in addition to not being effective, DIY braces can often be dangerous. Moving the teeth too fast or using non-medical grade materials can lead to permanent damage or an infection that may require extensive treatment to fix.
In short, when it comes to straightening the teeth, your best alternative to braces is clear aligners. But, before deciding on any one treatment, you should definitely talk to a board-certified orthodontist first. They can go over all of your options in detail, and if they believe that braces would be the right choice, they can offer you a more aesthetically-friendly option with clear ceramic braces, which are specifically designed to blend into the smile.
About the Author
Dr. Jeffrey Shirck is an award-winning, board-certified orthodontist based in Westerville. He is able to offer both traditional and clear ceramic braces to patients of all ages, and he has been an Elite Invisalign Provider since 2017. To find out which treatment would be the best fit for you or your child, you can schedule a FREE in-person consultation by clicking here.