A Guide to Braces

Dentist Blog

It is not uncommon for individuals, especially in their young and young adult years, to experience crooked or misaligned teeth.

Crooked teeth are those that have rotated and are facing a different direction. Misaligned teeth, on the other hand, are in the form of overbites, underbites or crossbites.

An overbite is when your upper jaw and teeth seem to be positioned more towards the front than the lower jaw and teeth, meaning that if you bite down, the lower teeth bite behind your upper teeth. An underbite is simply the opposite of an overbite; the lower jaw and teeth will be positioned more towards the front than the upper jaw and teeth. A crossbite is when the teeth on your upper and lower jaw appear to slant inward.

These conditions are treated using braces. Here is what you need to know about your braces options.

Types of Braces

You may come across four main braces designs to cater to different misalignment and crooked teeth conditions, price ranges and preferences. However, before choosing a particular braces design, your dentist needs to examine your teeth and inform you which braces suit your dental condition best. Once the dentist gives you your options, you can choose based on your preference and cost.

1. Traditional metal braces correct the majority of teeth misalignment and crookedness. It is even the most popular braces design because of its effectiveness and cheapness. The only thing that could make you not prefer them is if you can't stand the taste of metal in your mouth or you don't like how metallic braces look.
2. Lingual braces are the closest substitute to traditional braces because they are similar in material composition and appearance. The only difference is that instead of being attached to the front surface of your teeth, they are attached behind. They are used when they are found to better align your teeth from behind and you don't like the appearance of traditional metal braces.

The other two braces options are for those who dislike the taste of metal and want better aesthetics. They include the following:

Porcelain/ceramic braces

These may look like traditional braces, but they are made of an entirely different material (ceramic/porcelain), mainly for aesthetic purposes.

Invisible aligners

These braces are not for everyone; they only treat a few selected cases of tooth crookedness. They are liked because you can easily take them out of your mouth and look classy and elegant.

A Note About Pricing

Invisible aligners are the most expensive, followed by ceramic/porcelain braces. The price does not necessarily mean they are better than other braces in terms of correcting crooked or misaligned teeth.

For more information about braces, talk to a dentist.

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22 January 2021