Braces used to be considered a curse, but today’s braces are much easier to take care of and much less hindering than the braces of yesterday. Braces today are lighter, smaller, and often need to be worn for less time. Braces today are also not only for children, and many adults are finding it easy to finally correct their smile and become more confident about their appearance.
Traditional braces and invisalign are both used to correct the placement of teeth. Sometimes they need to be used along with the extraction of extra teeth to make the placement within the jaw correct. Sometimes this change is for purely cosmetic reasons, such as to move crooked teeth that make the patient feel self-conscious. Other times, the patient needs their bite to be changed for health reasons. Some problems in alignment of the teeth can lead to painful jaw conditions or difficulty with food.
Invisalign is a new type of braces that many find preferable because they are almost invisible when being worn. Invisalign braces are made out of a transparent material, and they are made to fit the teeth and to slowly adjust them over time. These braces have a lot of advantages over traditional braces. They are easier to clean, and easy to remove, though they should be worn as much as possible to correct the teeth. They also require fewer office visits. With invisalign braces, the patient can also continue their regular oral health routine including thorough brushing and flossing.
Braces are often considered more difficult to use because they do inhibit regular oral health maintenance, which can lead to cavities and other problems down the line. They also can’t be easily removed like invisalign braces, and they need to be tightened and adjusted more often which many patients find uncomfortable. These braces also make it difficult to eat many foods because these foods get stuck inside of the braces. Finally, metal braces usually take longer to correct teeth than invisalign braces do.
All of these facts may lead one to wonder why anyone would choose traditional metal braces over invisalign braces. The answer, as it is often, is cost. Traditional metal braces usually require an investment of about $4,500.00 spread over the course of two or three years. Invisalign braces, by contrast, may cost up to $8,000.00 depending on the amount of correction required. These financial differences may not be as big depending on the type of work done, though, and invisalign braces can be as low in cost as $5,000.00.
Where the cost difference is not significant or is not a problem, invisalign braces clearly win out over traditional metal braces. Not only are they easier, faster, and more effective, but they also don’t cause future damage to the teeth the way that metal braces can. With good dental insurance, the differences in cost between the two types of braces may not be all that much. For those with teens, invisalign braces also helps them be more confident and feel less self-conscious during a difficult time in their lives.
