Which Braces Are Right? Types of Braces You Have to Choose From

You wouldn’t think needing braces would present you with so many decisions.

There’s been a lot of progress over the years when it comes to braces. What used to be something that people dreaded having to do isn’t so bad these days. With many styles to choose from, you can have your teeth straightened without much hassle at all.

Today, we’re going to help you make this decision by discussing the different types of braces to choose between. From traditional metal braces to Invisalign, you can get whatever style you want or can afford. All you have to do is talk to your orthodontist.

Read on!

Traditional Braces

Traditional metal braces are what people typically think of when they talk about braces. They’re made of metal brackets – which are bonded to your teeth – and wire that is molded in the shape of what your bite should look like. These treatments stay in place all the time and put gentle pressure on your teeth to shift into place.

Metal braces used to be uncomfortable and cumbersome, but these days, they aren’t so bad. The brackets have gotten smaller and the wire is more inconspicuous than ever, so they aren’t as noticeable for you or anyone else.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces are the same type of metal bracket and wire mechanism as traditional braces, but they’re placed on the inside of your teeth instead of the outside. This is a better option for those that want invisible braces.

However, it should be noted that lingual braces are more expensive and more difficult to clean than traditional ones. The adjustments also take longer.

Ceramic Braces

Ceramic braces have clear or “tooth-colored” brackets, rather than metal ones, so they’re less noticeable. Like traditional braces, they use the bracket and wire system to align your bite and they’re much more durable now than they used to be.

These are a great option if you want something less visible but you want to avoid the pricier Invisalign braces. You do have to be careful and clean them often because they’re prone to staining from things like coffee and some foods.

Invisalign

Invisalign is the latest development in braces technology and you might even consider this a type of retainer more than actual braces. Rather than having metal or ceramic brackets fixed to your teeth, you get a series of (18-30) custom made, clear plastic aligners. 

These aligners are replaced every two weeks, so Invisalign braces are actually more mouthguard-like than anything. The process begins with your orthodontist taking a scan of your mouth to get a 3-D image.

With this image, they design custom aligners that you’ll wear for about 22 hours per day for the duration of the treatment. That means you can take out the aligners to eat and drink, which is a huge perk for many people.

Which Types of Braces Do You Prefer?

Choosing from the different types of braces is a big decision that you’ll have to live with for many months. If you want something inconspicuous that you can remove when you eat, Invisalign might be the best choice, but if you want something cheaper that will fix your teeth quickly, traditional braces could be for you.

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