Benefits of Clear Aligners For decades, crooked teeth have been treated using metal braces. While effective, and still a popular treatment today, metal braces are not exactly the most aesthetic treatment. Bright, shiny metal brackets and wires work to correct the alignment of your teeth. For many patients, the idea of metal in the mouth can cause more embarrassment than having crooked teeth. Today, clear aligners provide an alternative to traditional braces. This treatment uses a series of clear plastic aligners to straighten your teeth instead of brackets and wires. At Raptou Family Dental, we, provide clear aligners to help you achieve the smile you have always wanted. There are many benefits associated with this incredible treatment.Invisible TreatmentUnlike traditional braces, which use metal brackets and wires to straighten the alignment of your teeth, clear aligners use clear plastic aligners to provide you with straighter teeth and a healthier smile. The aligners resemble sports mouth guards in appearance. They fit over your entire arch of teeth. Once in place, they disappear completely from view. When you speak or smile, the focus is on you instead of the metal taking over your smile. RemovableWith traditional orthodontics, the brackets are bonded to the front surfaces of your teeth, and the wires are affixed to the brackets with elastic O-rings. With clear aligners, your aligners are completely removable. However, they should only be removed to eat and to brush your teeth. Because they can be taken out, you can eat all of your favorite foods without restrictions. You do not have to worry about popping brackets loose or bending and breaking wires. You can also brush and floss your teeth as normal, without having to worry about going around brackets and under the wires to effectively clean your teeth. While removable, your aligners should be worn for 20 to 22 hours each day for the best results. Avoid Oral Health IssuesWhen you have brackets and wires to worry about, food particles, plaque, and bacteria can accumulate. Even with proper brushing and flossing, these areas are difficult to thoroughly clean. This significantly increases your risk for developing cavities and gum disease. Not only do these issues affect your oral health, but they can also affect your treatment. Your teeth may also suffer from decalcification around your brackets. Decalcification is small white spots that appear on your teeth and cannot be removed. With clear aligners, you do not have to worry about these issues. You should, however, continue to brush and floss your teeth as normal to maintain your oral health. ComfortClear aligners are much more comfortable than brackets and wires. Where brackets are rough, and wires can break and poke your intraoral tissues, your clear aligners are completely smooth. They will not rub against your intraoral tissues, which avoids the formation of painful sores. Duration of TreatmentIn general, treatment with clear aligners is much shorter than treatment with traditional orthodontics. With clear aligners, treatment averages between 9 and 15 months, with most patients seeing results in less than a year. Clear aligners provide several significant benefits over traditional braces while helping you to achieve your desired smile. Call Raptou Family Dental today at (614) 427-0449 to schedule your appointment and find out if clear aligners are the right treatment for you. |
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