subject: Improve Your Smile With Options In Orthodontics [print this page] I recently decided to get my teeth straightened, and I learned a lot about orthodontics and the options that are available. In my twelve years of experience as a nurse, I have worked with hundred of doctors and thousands of patients. I know that every individual is unique. Although two patients can have the same medical problem, the doctor may recommend different therapies for each. Science and technology will often give us more than one way to achieve our goals.
Traditional braces are probably the most common method utilized to straighten teeth. To obtain braces, you must see a dental specialist called an orthodontist. General dentists and cosmetic dentists are not the same as an orthodontist, who is a dentist that specializes in correcting misaligned teeth and jaws.
Many patients do not need to have their jaws realigned and are only concerned about straightening the teeth to improve their smile. In such cases you can see a cosmetic dentist, and you will still have a choice to determine how you want to straighten your teeth. There are two alternative approaches for straightening your smile: one is called Six Month Smiles and the other is called Invisalign. Both systems are very effective ways to achieve the same goal.
Six Month Smiles
Six Month Smiles is very similar to traditional orthodontic braces. However, instead of using traditional metal materials, the braces are made of clear brackets and tooth colored wires that are hardly noticeable. Six Month Smiles are only applied to the teeth that are apparent when you smile. They are also adjusted with much gentler force than metal braces. They are the fastest way to straighten the teeth that affect your smile, with the majority of cases taking six months on average.
Invisalign clear braces
Invisalign clear aligners are virtually invisible. They consist of a series of clear plastic trays that will gently straighten your teeth over a 12 to 24 month period. The trays are custom designed in your dentist's office after he or she makes impressions of your teeth. The information is then entered into a computer that will create the series of trays that you must change every two weeks.
Over the course of treatment, the clear aligners will gently align the teeth to provide you with the smile you desire. Invisalign braces snap in and snap out. They should be worn a minimum of 22 hours a day and they can be taken out to eat or drink anything you should choose. They are convenient, comfortable, and effective.
