Benefits of Invisalign vs. Metal Braces

May 6, 2021

Do you or your children have gapped, crowded, or crooked teeth? Metal Braces or Invisalign treatment options can go a long way in enabling you to achieve a perfect smile. However, one question remains: Which treatment alternative is best for you?

Dr. Kerri Hill answers your question by comparing Invisalign and traditional braces side by side. So, let's dive in and explore:

How They Work

Metal Braces

They are used to correct crowding, alignment issues, protrusions, crookedness, and irregular spacing of teeth. Braces adjust the placement of teeth over a predetermined time leading to attractive smiles.

Braces are composed of brackets with archwires placed through the teeth. The brackets are molded from ceramic, metal, or a hybrid combination of materials. Patients also have a wide range of colors to select, including gold-plated ones.

According to the treatment plan, metal braces exert constant pressure, repressing your teeth. Treatment takes about six to eight months or continues for two or more years.

Invisalign

This popular brand of clear teeth aligner trays treats conditions such as overly crowded teeth, overbite, widely spaced teeth, crossbite, simple bite irregularities, and mild relapse that sometimes occur after traditional braces.

These plastic appliances are also referred to as clear braces or clear aligners. They are computer manufactured. Since they are transparent, these braces can align your teeth without compromising your smile aesthetics.

Invisalign is tailored for the patient's specific needs and can slide comfortably over the surface of the teeth. You can also remove them during meal times, brushing, and flossing. However, dentists recommend that they stay put for a minimum of 20 hours a day.

At the initial stage of consultation, photos of your teeth are taken and sent to a dental lab, where they are used to fabricate aligners that are suitable for your teeth. Throughout treatment, new aligners are built to keep moving the teeth to the desired position.

The dentist will schedule check-up visits that you must make every four to six weeks. During these visits, the dentist in Beverly Hills will give you one or two sets of aligners for your teeth's bottom and top sets. In most cases, about 20-30 aligners are used before the end of treatment. The treatment lasts for about one year for adults.

Benefits of Invisalign over Metal Braces

Although wearing metal braces is a great way to align the teeth, they are less attractive, more uncomfortable, and sometimes even painful to wear. They are also quite embarrassing for adults to wear. Invisalign offers a great alternative.

Here are a few reasons why most people choose Invisalign over traditional metal braces:

• Appearance

A mouth with metal braces can look unattractive, as though it is filled with large chunks of easily noticeable awkward metal. It is also easy for food particles to be caught between the braces without the wearer noticing. Invisalign, on the other hand, is barely noticeable. They are therefore much more attractive than metal braces.

• Comfort

Invisalign wearers can remove them at any time, when necessary. However, their metal counterparts have to stay put until a trusted professional remove them.

• Safety

Though traditional braces contain wire as well as other protruding bits of metal that can injure gums and the insides of your mouth, clear aligners are smooth as well as comfortable.

Also, a lot of force is used to align the teeth when using metal braces. This can encourage demineralization and tooth decay. Clear braces can go a long way in correcting damage caused by traditional braces. Such damages include tooth cavities and gum disease.

• Duration of Treatment

Although someone wearing metal braces might continue to do so for as long as five years, Invisalign straightens teeth in a year or a year and a half.

As you can see, Invisalign has many advantages over traditional metal braces. Although it is a little bit more expensive, it is well worth the price. They are more comfortable to wear, are friendly to your gums and teeth, and provide beautiful smiles in a shorter time.

If you're in California and need help transforming your smile, get in touch with Kerri Hill, DDS, to set up a consultation today. We look forward to seeing your smile!