What is Teeth Straightening? Teeth straightening is a dental treatment that works by using either braces or clear aligners to carefully and gradually move your teeth into a new, straighter position. It is a dental specialty that comes under the branch of orthodontics. In this, specialists are highly skilled in offering solutions using fixed or removable braces so that the teeth can expertly align to reveal your dream smile. Whether the patient is seeking something like traditional fixed braces or removable like Invisalign clear aligners, the dentist has various options to suit the patient’s needs and pricing to suit their pocket. Both clear aligners and braces are effective means of treating misalignment of the top and bottom teeth. Types of Teeth Straightening There are two main types of material available for teeth straightening. These include traditional metallic dental braces and Invisalign clear aligners. Traditional Dental Braces: Dental braces are the devices used in orthodontics that are used to align and straighten the teeth and help position them concerning a person’s occlusion while aiming to improve dental health. These are the dental tools that help correct other problems with your teeth, like crowding of teeth, crooked teeth, or teeth out of alignment. As a person wears the braces, these slowly straighten and align the teeth to achieve a normal bite. Some people get braces to improve their smile. Dental braces are often used in conjunction with other orthodontic devices to help widen the palate or jaws and to otherwise assist in shaping and contouring the teeth and jaws. Invisalign Clear Aligners: Invisalign is a set of clear aligners that straightens the teeth and aligns them to redefine a smile more comfortably and easily. It is a popular solution for correcting misaligned teeth and closing the gap (diastema) between the teeth. The Invisalign or clear aligner is easy to use and adapts to the patient’s lifestyle. It is more comfortable to wear and can easily be removed while eating or drinking. Clear aligners provide a more esthetic and comfortable treatment experience. It also facilitates oral hygiene and causes less pain as compared to fixed orthodontic appliances. It is more comfortable as it reduces the number and duration of appointments and requires fewer emergency visits. Invisalign or clear aligners are custom-made for the teeth and jaw. They come in different numbered sets that are easily adapted to the patient’s dental progression. Invisalign aligner sets need to be changed every two weeks.

Why You May Need Teeth Straightening Teeth straightening sometimes becomes more of a need when there is a misalignment of the teeth. Misaligned teeth and an incorrect bite may influence more than just the appearance of the smile. There are some conditions that may potentially be corrected through teeth straightening. These conditions include: · When the teeth look crooked or crowded · When a person loses baby teeth too early in life, and their permanent teeth haven't erupted for a while · When the jaw makes some sounds or shifts · When the patient is constantly biting the cheek or hitting the roof of the mouth · When a person is forced to breathe through their mouth · When there is difficulty in chewing food · When there are speech impediments · In case of jaw or TMJ pain · When there is sleep apnea caused by snoring and breathing · When there is grinding or clenching of the teeth · In case of gum disease and tooth decay

Procedure of Getting Dental Braces Initial Consultation and Examination: In the first orthodontist appointment, the teeth should be examined manually and with the help of radiographs such as X-ray images. It is also important to consider the dental history of the patient, which will help guide further treatment decisions. If from the initial examination and consultation it seems that treatment with dental braces is appropriate for the patient’s situation, additional choices will be made, such as the type of braces and the duration of treatment. The Fitting of Dental Braces: A cheek retractor ensures that the teeth remain dry and visible throughout the procedure to place dental braces with more accuracy. The teeth should then be polished well, conditioned, air-dried, and primed before the brackets are placed on them to help the bonds to form correctly. An appropriate dental cement is used to hold the brackets in place on the teeth in the exact position determined during the initial examinations. The excessive dental cement can then be removed, and the bonding of the brackets to the teeth is strengthened with the help of high-intensity light. Once the dental braces are in a desirable place, the cheek retractor can be removed, and then dental arch wires can be put in place. The complete placement procedure is relatively fast and typically takes less than 20 minutes. Adjustment of Dental Braces: During this step of adjustment, appointments are made during which the movement of teeth and progress so far with the dental braces should be evaluated, which helps to make other decisions. The elastic ties that hold the braces in place and arch wires are then removed, and new ties and wires are placed. Procedure of Getting Invisalign Clear Aligners: Booking of an appointment with the orthodontist: The first step in Invisalign treatment is a dental consultation with your orthodontist. If the patient decides to get Invisalign aligners, the orthodontist will take a 3D digital scan of your teeth. Receiving Invisalign Aligners: Once an orthodontist takes the dental scan, they will send all the necessary information about the patient's teeth to the Invisalign manufacturer. Invisalign clear aligners are made precisely according to the shape and structure of the patient's teeth. They usually take 3 to 4 weeks to be completely fabricated, and the patient will then get a numbered set of Invisalign aligners to change every two weeks. Wearing the Invisalign Aligners Daily: Now it is the patient’s responsibility to wear the Invisalign aligner every day to get the desired results. It is recommended to wear the Invisalign clear aligners for 20 to 22 hours a day for the best results.