Misaligned, crooked, and spaced teeth affect your smile and confidence. They may also affect your speech, bite, and other teeth’s functionality. However, dentists offer several solutions, mainly traditional braces and Invisalign, to straighten your teeth and boost your confidence.
Traditional braces and Invisalign work similarly in straightening crooked, misaligned, or overly spaced teeth. However, they differ in the actual mechanism of their work and the speed at which they deliver results. When choosing between them, choose the one that offers faster results. A skilled dentist can help you make this choice by explaining how they work, what to expect, and other factors that will help in effective decision-making.
An Overview of Traditional Braces
Straightening crooked or misaligned teeth is one way to enhance your smile, boost your confidence, improve your speech, and maintain your dental health. Traditional braces have been around for decades, helping people achieve a more beautiful smile by gradually shifting teeth in their rightful positions on the gums. Generally, braces are metal brackets that dentists fix to your teeth. They are attached to wires, which are fastened to gradually move your teeth to specific positions.
You are expected to wear braces for a specified period (two years on average) to achieve the desired results. However, your dentist must periodically adjust the braces and wires as your teeth shift to their rightful positions. The pressure exerted by the adjusted wires on your teeth helps move them into their proper alignment.
Traditional metal braces are permanently fixed on your teeth. You cannot remove them during the treatment period, even when eating or brushing your teeth. Thus, it takes time before you are entirely accustomed to them. This means you may experience challenges when eating or speaking at first, but these improve with time.
Metal braces are also noticeable. The metallic brackets and wires are clearly visible, which may affect your smile and confidence. This makes them unsuitable for some adults, especially celebrities who are particularly concerned about their facial appearance.
However, they are very effective in straightening your teeth and aligning your bite. You can solve many dental problems with metal braces, including bite issues, which affect your speech and cause TMJ disorders.
An Overview of Invisalign
Invisalign is a clear teeth aligner that straightens or aligns crooked, misaligned, or spaced teeth. They, too, have been around for a long time, but not as long as the traditional braces. They are more modern and solve most of the issues reported against traditional braces. For example, they are clear and not visible, unlike traditional braces, meaning you can discreetly align your teeth.
Additionally, clear aligners are removable. This makes eating and cleaning your teeth easier, even when on treatment. You can remove and wear the aligners back easily, without interfering with the treatment process. However, you must wear them for the recommended period every day to achieve the desired results within the set period.
Invisalign is also a customized set of clear aligners. They are designed for a perfect fit, ensuring that your teeth receive adequate pressure to move into their rightful positions. Your dentist will create a few sets of aligners, depending on the severity of your condition. You wear one set for a particular period, then the next set, and so on, until you reach the last set, which yields the desired results.
Most people prefer Invisalign over metal braces, especially adults, because it allows them to maintain their lifestyle while still enjoying the benefits of straight teeth. There are minimal dietary restrictions with Invisalign, since you can remove them when eating and wear them again afterward. The discreet appearance is also advantageous, especially for individuals whose personal appearance is crucial to their lifestyle or career.
Additionally, you can maintain excellent oral hygiene better with Invisalign than with traditional metal braces. This is because you can remove the aligners to brush your teeth and floss, then put them back.
Does Invisalign Work Faster Than Braces?
When choosing between metal braces and Invisalign, your dentist will discuss several factors to help you make an informed decision. In addition to being removable and discreet, Invisalign offers a treatment that delivers faster results. Although both options deliver desired results after treatment, they do not work the same and for the same treatment period. However, the length of your treatment is also dependent on the severity of your dental issue, and your willingness to wear the aligners for the recommended number of hours per day.
Generally, Invisalign works faster than traditional metal braces, especially for mild or moderate teeth alignment issues. Your treatment with Invisalign typically takes between 12 and 18 months, depending on the complexity of your case. On the other hand, braces generally take 18 to 36 months to deliver the desired results. The exact time also depends on the severity of your dental issue.
The duration of your treatment is crucial to consider, as you will need to follow strict instructions during this period. This could affect some aspects of your life. A faster treatment option will give you excellent results quickly enough to move on with your life.
Thus, Invisalign could be your best treatment option, especially if you have less severe delta alignment issues. However, you also determine how fast you will enjoy the results, especially considering that Invisalign is removable. If you follow the treatment plan well, you will enjoy faster results. However, if you leave your aligners out for more time than required, this can significantly delay your treatment.
Reasons Why Invisalign Could Be Faster
There are several reasons why dentists offer a shorter treatment period for individuals who choose Invisalign over traditional metal braces. Some of the reasons include the following:
Invisalign Requires Fewer Adjustments
Both Invisalign and traditional metal braces require adjustments throughout the treatment period as your teeth gradually shift to their proper positions. When you choose metal braces, your dentist will require you to visit their office regularly for physical adjustments (generally every four to six weeks). The adjustments involve tightening the wires to put more pressure on the teeth. Although the number of dental visits is generally higher for wearers of metal braces, it depends on the severity of your dental issue.
When you choose clear aligners, your dentist will create a few sets of aligners in different sizes to suit your specific dental needs. You will start with the bigger number and switch to the smaller ones as your teeth align. Your dentist will require you to visit them every six to eight weeks for review to determine the progress of your treatment. Once you are due for a change, they will switch your aligners to the next size, which continues until you have completed the last set.
Invisalign Works Faster
Remember that Invisalign is customized to fit your teeth and to suit your treatment needs. Dentists design clear aligners that fit your teeth precisely. They also customize smaller sizes of the aligners, according to their prediction of how your teeth will align over time.
Due to the perfect fit achieved through customization, clear aligners work faster than metal braces. This explains why you only wear them for a shorter period than metal braces, even for the same dental issue.
However, remember that this also depends on how willing you are to follow your dentist’s instructions. If you wear the aligners as recommended, you will get faster results than if you do not follow the instructions well.
Aligners Work Continuously
Braces and Invisalign apply pressure to your misaligned teeth, prompting them to move into their proper positions. The pressure should be continuous for the movement to be gradual and significant, even after a short period. With metal braces, this can be challenging, as your dentist may need to continually adjust the wires to maintain the pressure. However, customized clear aligners continuously exert pressure on your teeth to give you quicker results.
Consistency is key during teeth alignment, and this is precisely what Invisalign offers. The pressure increases as you switch to a smaller size of aligners, which helps keep your teeth in position.
Instances When Metal Braces Can Be Faster
Generally, Invisalign produces faster results for misaligned teeth. However, there are instances when metal braces can work faster and even better for you. Your dentist will discuss these instances with you beforehand to help you make an informed decision. They include:
In Severe or Complex Cases
Dental issues are generally classified as minor, mild, and severe. Some people have more severe dental alignment issues than others. The treatment your dentist recommends depends on the severity and complexity of your case. If you have a minor or mild alignment issue, Invisalign can work very well for you. However, they can recommend traditional metal braces for complex or severe cases.
Remember that teeth alignment is not just an aesthetic issue. Spaced, crowded, misaligned, or crooked teeth also affect your bite and oral health. In this case, your dentist will recommend a treatment that will effectively resolve all the issues you have.
Traditional metal braces are the right solution for complex orthodontic issues. Although braces take time to produce the desired results, they align your bite to resolve other issues you have, including speech issues. Braces provide precise control over the movement of your teeth, ensuring the desired outcome after the treatment period is complete.
In Severe Crowing Cases
Teeth crowding happens when you supposedly have insufficient space on your gums for all your developed teeth. It is generally a genetic issue, whereby you are born with a smaller jaw, a narrower palate, or larger teeth. You could also experience it if you lose your milk teeth earlier, later, or have extra teeth. Some cases of teeth crowding result from harmful habits, such as thumb sucking, which can gradually affect the alignment of your teeth.
Crowding can be minor, mild, or severe. Some minor cases are barely noticeable and do not severely affect your smile. However, a severe case of crowding can significantly impact your smile, facial structure, confidence, and teeth functionality, including chewing, biting, and speech.
Metal braces are more effective in treating severe cases of teeth crowding than clear aligners. Braces can gradually move all your teeth simultaneously, creating a uniform shift as your treatment progresses. Your dentist can also recommend metal braces because they offer more significant dental adjustments than Invisalign.
Other Factors To Consider When Choosing Invisalign
Invisalign offers numerous additional benefits, in addition to its speed. Its other benefits include the following:
- Invisalign treatment is discreet since the aligners are clear and invisible. You can continue your treatment without worrying about the appearance of your teeth. This works best for adults and teenagers who are concerned about their appearance, even during treatment.
- Invisalign is also more comfortable than metal braces. The aligners are made from a strong plastic material that is more comfortable in your mouth than metal. Clear aligners do not irritate your tongue, gums, and cheeks.
- Invisalign offers more convenience, especially when eating and brushing your teeth. You can take them out to eat, brush and floss your teeth, and wear them back after.
However, you must be willing and ready to follow strict instructions when you choose clear aligners. The success of your treatment mainly depends on your ability to adhere to the treatment rules. Thus, clear aligners may not be suitable for children and some teens.
Find an Experienced Dentist Near Me
When you visit your dentist with crooked, misaligned, or crowded teeth in Northridge, they will recommend treatment based on the severity of your dental issue and your specific needs. Metal braces and Invisalign are the top options your dentist will recommend. They work almost the same way, but have different treatment periods. If you need faster results, Invisalign could be your best option. However, you must be willing to follow the dentist’s instructions.
At Northridge Advanced Dentistry, our dentists have all the information you need to choose between traditional metal braces and Invisalign. We can help you choose an option that suits your needs, preferences, and budget. We will also explain the treatment process to ensure you understand what to expect during the treatment period. Please call us at 818-701-3010 to discuss your needs and our services in more detail.
