Fixing Your Smile: Do Invisalign Braces Work?

Most people are not blessed with perfectly straight teeth.  In fact, to get the perfect ‘Hollywood’ smile, you’ll need to consider straightening your teeth in many instances through the many wonders of modern orthodontics.  There are quite a few ways to do this.  One of the most common is to use traditional dental braces.  However, are these the best option?  What about using Invisalign?

Invisalign is a dental tooth straightening system that does not use metal wires and brackets.  Therefore, it’s nowhere near as visible as traditional braces.  Invisalign uses clear plastic trays inserted over your top and bottom teeth that gradually guide your teeth into their new positions.  Compare that to the traditional way of straightening teeth – gradually tightening a metal screw connected to an ugly wire bracket that pulls them into a new position.

Invisalign is definitely less visible than regular braces (thus its name).  However, there are other benefits here.  Many people report that using the Invisalign system is less uncomfortable than metal braces.  In addition, the trays can be taken out when you eat, preventing food from becoming caught in the device.  Fixed metal braces do not have this benefit, as traditional metal braces are bonded to each tooth using dental adhesive. This superglue-like adhesive may even damage your teeth when it is time to remove the braces.

Finally, Invisalign does have a few drawbacks.  First, it can take longer to straighten your teeth with Invisalign than with traditional braces simply because the process is more gradual.  In addition, it is slightly more expensive than regular braces, but this extra cost is more than made up for in the lack of discomfort and other benefits found with the system.