How to Straighten your Teeth?

Everyone dreams of having a beautiful smile and naturally straight teeth. However, not all are confident about the appearance of their teeth. Having crooked or misaligned teeth not only hampers your smile but may also lead to dental issues. Fortunately, there are dental treatments that assist in enhancing your appearance. Braces are the most commonly used appliances to treat misaligned teeth. However, if you have limited crowding or minor issues, there are several other ways to straighten your teeth. Depending on your situation, a dentist will recommend the best out of a variety of ways to straighten your teeth.

Braces

The most commonly used appliance, braces consists of bands, brackets and wires. Brackets are bonded to the front of the teeth and arch wires are passed through the brackets. Pulling the wires creates tension on the teeth, gradually moving them towards alignment. Most of them dislike showing too much metal, which is why they do not opt for braces. But today braces are lighter, smaller and show much less metal than in the past. They are available in a variety of colors to choose from.

Clear Aligners

Invisalign or clear aligner is a popular alternative to traditional braces. Similar to teeth guards, they are transparent, removable appliances that fit over your teeth. Invisalign is widely popular with those who do not like to show braces and want to avoid the irritation that comes along with it. Unlike braces, these can be removed. This allows you to clean them in order to maintain oral hygiene. But because of their removable nature, it requires patients to be extremely compliant with wearing them.

Retainers

Retainers come in fixed as well as removable form. Fixed retainers are bonded to the back of the teeth which helps correct bite problems and misaligned teeth. It is a good, long term solution, but you cannot remove them for relief or repair. Removable retainers are ideal for those trying to correct minor misalignments or smile appearance. While removable appliances can be cleaned for maintaining oral hygiene, they are also easy to lose, especially by kids. Retainers are also used to maintain teeth position after undergoing other treatments like braces.

Other Appliances

There are several other appliances that correct bite and crowding problems, leaving you with aligned teeth. These appliances can either be fixed or removable and are worn in the jaw to achieve a favorable bite position and treat crowding. It includes appliances such as palatal expanders, splints or jaw repositioning appliance, space maintainers, etc that can be used by people of all ages.

If you are not confident about your teeth alignment, these appliances help straighten your teeth and boost your appearance. While braces are commonly used, they are not apt in every case. If you face problems with teeth alignment you must consult a dentist for the best option to straighten your teeth and achieve a beautiful smile.