Invisible Teeth Aligners vs Metal Braces

Now that we have talked about teeth straightening, let us take a minute to compare the different methods of teeth straightening on the market today. Let us compare invisible teeth aligners vs metal braces. We are going to compare duration of time they take, appearance, over-all use, customer satisfaction and of course price.  

How Do Mail-in Invisible Aligners Compare to Traditional Metal Braces

For most people, mail-in aligners are the way to go. If you are looking for a straighter smile at an affordable price, mail-in aligners are nearly 60% cheaper than traditional metal braces. Not only are they far cheaper than metal or even clear braces, but they also help you to achieve your straighter smile, even faster than braces. 

Clear Aligners help you to achieve your straighter smile discreetly. Clear or nearly invisible aligners are far less noticeable than traditional braces, so you are able to get your desired smile with no one noticing bulky metal braces. 

They are also removable, so you are able to enjoy all your favorite foods and drinks without having to worry about food getting stuck in-between your braces. With all the benefits of clear or nearly invisible aligners, I'm not sure why anyone would choose traditional braces.  

Let us compare invisible mail-in aligners to traditional braces and you can see why mail-in aligners are the right option for you. 

While aligners aren't a perfect match for everyone, they can't fix severe issues like overbites, underbites, cross-bites or any jaw disorders that braces are able to fix.

Clear Aligners are a perfect match for those with mild to moderate crowding or spacing issues with their teeth.   

Traditional Metal Braces vs. Invisible Clear Aligners Appearance

Getting Started with Your Teeth Straightening Plan

Before you even decide to get invisible aligners or traditional braces, invisible aligners are already more convenient. Traditional braces you have to schedule an appointment and go down to your local orthodontist to consult with them to see what they can do for you, how long it will take and most importantly how much it will cost.

With mail-in aligners, it is as easy as staying at home and making an impression of your teeth and mailing it back to them to see if they are right for you. There is no waiting around and scheduling appointments, you are able to do it on your own time, when it is convenient for you. 

Some mail-in aligner programs like SmileDirectClub even have convenient locations that you can stop by to be pre-approved. There is no need to make an appointment, just stop by during their open hours. You can get a 3D scan of your teeth and what your teeth will look like throughout the alignment process.

They break it down photo by photo of what your smile will look like week by week. It only takes 30 minutes, and you are free to do it when it is convenient for you. Did I mention if you stop by their office, it's FREE!

Comfort and Cleaning while Straightening your Teeth

Metal braces are normally not comfortable and can even be painful for some people. People that wear braces are constantly complaining about cuts in their mouth and on their tongue. Many times they require extra hardware including rubber bands, making them unsightly.

Since you only see your orthodontist once a month or so, you are stuck with the same rubber bands until you go back, and if one of your brackets snaps off your teeth, you have to wait until you go back to the orthodontist to fix it, which is lost time of adjusting your teeth.  

Invisible teeth aligners are made with a flexible plastic that adheres nice and smoothly around your teeth and gums, there are no extra metal brackets poking off your teeth. You don't need to worry about cutting your mouth and gums. You also receive all of your teeth aligners in the very beginning, so you don't have to wait around to see an orthodontist to change or tighten them.  

Metal braces are not removable, so it can make keeping them clean and keeping up with your dental hygiene difficult. People with metal braces are constantly worrying about having food stuck in your teeth, and you even have to stay away from certain foods, to avoid breaking them or because they will be too hard to clean.

With invisible aligners, you are able to remove them to eat and enjoy all the foods you love, so you don't have to worry about getting food stuck in your teeth, and it makes brushing and flossing your teeth super easy!

Duration of Time Straightening your Teeth with Traditional Braces Compared with Invisible Aligners

In today's world, we all want faster results. So why should it be any different with straightening your teeth? Metal braces on average take 18 months - 3 years until you achieve your desired smile. You start by having metal brackets glued to your teeth, a wire then connects the braces and your orthodontist tightens the wire every time you visit.

Since there is so much time in-between Orthodontists appointments, it takes longer to achieve your desired smile.  The whole time you are adjusting your teeth you have a mouth full of metal, which is not my idea of a nice smile. 

Invisible aligners are different, most people achieve their desired smile within six months and the average time of duration is 4 months - 14 months. That is because you are able to change your aligners more frequently because everything is mailed to you upfront, so rather than having your braces tightened every month, you are able to switch out your aligners every week, giving you faster results.

You also don't have to have any metal glued to your teeth, giving you the freedom to eat and not have to worry about getting food stuck in your teeth, or cutting your mouth and gums on the metal brackets. 

Cost Comparison Traditional Braces vs Invisible Aligners

Making the decision to straighten your teeth can be a big investment. You want to make sure you are going to get the results that you want, but if you are able to get the results you want at a fraction of the cost, wouldn't you want to do it.

Metal braces can be expensive, paying for all the orthodontists appointments adds up. The average cost for metal braces in 2018 was $5,000 - $6,000, with the wide range of the cost being anywhere from $3,000 - $10,000. 

On the other hand the average cost for mail-in teeth aligners was just under $2,000. That is a huge savings! Think of what you could do with all the extra money you saved on straightening your teeth. Teeth straightening shouldn't break the bank, everyone should have the straight pearly white smile they have always dreamed about.