At any one time, over 4,000,000 Americans are wearing braces to straighten their teeth. While you may think of braces as a teenager’s right of passage — or nightmare, depending on one’s perspective — today, one in five people who received orthodontics near you is likely to be over 18 years old. The number of adults who receive orthodontic treatment, including from a dentist in Kissimmee, has increased by 40% since 1990.
Wire and metal braces are the traditional options
Wire and metal braces continue to be the most commonly used form of orthodontic treatment for two main reasons. First, they’re able to treat multiple teeth at the same time. Second, they can move your teeth in multiple directions. Do you know braces work? Understanding that may help you make sense of your options.
With traditional braces, an archwire is threaded between brackets cemented onto your teeth. That archwire is anchored to the molars at the back of your mouth and applies direct pressure to the teeth. That pressure causes the roots of targeted teeth to press and impose pressure against the alveolar bone in your jaw. That persistent pressure causes that bone to actually dissolve. When that bone dissolves, the pressured tooth slides gradually into its new position. The space left behind is then filled by new bone tissue.
Alternatives to traditional wire and metal braces
The fact that braces have been around for so long — since being created by Cristophe-Francois Delabarre way back in 1819 — has given them a head start on many of the new options. Despite the versatility and tradition of braces, though, you have options when it comes to orthodontics in Kissimmee. Those alternatives to traditional wire and metal braces include:
Ceramic braces
Also called “clear” braces, they’re identical to traditional wire and metal braces except that the brackets on your teeth are made from ceramic materials. The earliest versions of ceramic braces were far less durable than metal brackets but, thanks to recent improvements in materials technology, ceramic braces have become increasingly durable in recent years.
Self-ligating orthodontics
Traditional wire and metal braces use rubber bands in addition to their two main components, the brackets, and the archwire. Rubber bands connected to brackets on your teeth align your bite during the bite-fixing stage of your treatment. That “bite-fixing” stage of treatment is typically the longest and most significant stage of straightening your teeth with braces. Self-ligating braces do not use rubber bands. Instead, a special clip eases the archwire into the appropriate position. The use of self-ligating orthodontics in Kissimmee has, in many cases, meant shorter treatment time, less discomfort, and fewer visits to the orthodontist.
Lingual braces
Lingual braces are identical to traditional wire and metal braces with one very significant exception. They’re placed on the back of your teeth rather than the front of your teeth. As a result, they’re completely invisible to you in the mirror or to outside observers. They are harder to access for dentists in Kissimmee and do make keeping the rear surfaces of your teeth clean much harder.
Clear aligners
By now, you’ve probably heard of Invisalign — the most widely used orthodontic system that uses clear and removable aligners to straighten your teeth. With Invisalign, brackets are not placed on your teeth or connected with wires. Instead, you’ll wear a series of clear and removable aligners for a couple of weeks at a time to gradually move your teeth into the correct position. You’ll be able to remove your aligners to eat, brush, and floss as if you weren’t wearing braces at all — because you won’t be.
If your or your child has crooked or enigmatically spaced teeth, you should consult with your dentist or an orthodontist to identify your best options for achieving perfectly straight teeth. Braces may be the best option, but there are others. Your dentist will help you understand the ones best for you.