Teeth Straightening
Teeth straightening is a popular method of adjusting and aligning one’s teeth to increase their uniformity. Repositioning your teeth creates a nicer smile and improves your overall dental health.
Why is teeth straightening so popular? They say first impressions are everything, so why not leave one that lasts! Having straighter teeth can increase your confidence. With beautifully aligned teeth, you will want to smile more, thereby increasing your overall attractiveness.
Not only does having straighter teeth give you more confidence, but it also helps with your dental hygiene. A straight smile makes your teeth easier to clean. Food is less likely to get stuck between teeth that are overly crowded. Straight teeth make brushing and flossing much easier, leading to improvements in your dental health as a whole.
Nowadays, there are many ways to straighten your teeth. Teeth straightening can range from anywhere between $1500 to $7000, depending on the method of teeth straightening that you choose.
Old-fashioned braces are still an option for teeth straightening. This method tends to be pricey and time-consuming, entails visiting an orthodontist once a month to adjust your braces, and may take anywhere from one to two years. Alternatively, you can decide to use an in-home system, which can save you both time and money. This method can give you the perfect smile in half the time!
Traditional Braces vs. Invisible Aligners
How Does Teeth Straightening Work?
Teeth straightening works by putting pressure on your teeth that slowly forces them into alignment. This can be achieved via traditional braces, either metal or clear.
Traditional braces require you to visit an orthodontist approximately every four weeks, and the orthodontist slowly tightens your braces. In time, your teeth shift into the desired alignment in order to achieve your perfect smile.
This method can be quite costly. Metal or clear braces can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000. They also tend to be more time consuming as you have to visit an orthodontist on a regular basis to have the braces adjusted.
However, teeth straightening can now also be done at home with mail-in clear teeth aligners. You no longer have to visit an orthodontist every four weeks!
Your teeth straightening plan is shared with you from the very beginning. Rather than seeing an orthodontist to have your braces adjusted, your teeth aligner kits are pre-assembled and ready to insert.
This not only saves you gasoline for trips to and from the orthodontist, but this frees you from time wasted waiting in the dentist’s office. It can also save you money on the total cost of your teeth straightening plan.
Since there is no need to see the orthodontist every month, there is no added cost for extra orthodontist appointments. In-home teeth aligner kits can cost as little as $1500.
This is a huge savings if you desire straighter teeth without breaking the bank. If you chose to go through your local orthodontist, the same teeth aligner system could cost you around $7000.
With the mail-in aligners, you begin by requesting a 3D mold kit. Each kit comes with detailed instructions on how to make a proper mold of your teeth as well pre-posted box to mail your mold back.
The mold itself takes about 30 minutes to create once you have sent them to the dental professional in the pre-posted box. They will create a teeth aligner plan specifically designed for you with your perfect smile in mind.
The dental professional will come up with a step-by-step aligner plan, a visual of what your teeth will look like throughout the process, and, perhaps most importantly, a projection of how they will look once you are finished.
Depending on what plan you choose you might have follow up appointments online or in a nearby office with your dental professional.
After one quick check up with your local dentist, you will receive your aligner plan in the mail. Typically, alignment system users have a new set of aligners to wear every one to two weeks.
You may feel a little discomfort or pressure when wearing a new aligner, but this will go away after a few days. Your teeth will move around .25 mm - .33 mm per tray, so the duration for how long you will need to wear your aligners adjusts accordingly to how much your teeth need to shift in order to achieve your desired smile. In general, most people are able to achieve their perfect smile in about six months to a year.
These aligners are designed to tightly adhere to your teeth; each set of aligner will gradually shift your teeth into the desired alignment. They should not be confused with retainers, which are intended only to hold teeth in a current position. Aligners are specifically designed to move and shift your teeth.
There is also no need to worry about them not working or not working properly. As long as you follow the instructions and wear them for the required amount of time per day, you will achieve your perfect smile.
Some in-home teeth straightening aligners that are available online will still require follow up appointments with your orthodontist, but they are far less frequent than with typical braces. Some online companies offer follow-up consultations online, saving you time on unnecessary appointments.
Even though these aligners can be removed, it is recommended that you wear them 20-22 hours a day. The more you wear them, the faster you will have your desired smile. Unlike traditional braces, you are able to remove them to eat, so you can still enjoy all of your favorite foods without worrying about food getting stuck in your braces.
Since everyone has different teeth, the amount of time it takes your teeth to align will vary depending on your individual smile. Like any dental plan, home aligner kits are not designed for everyone.
For this reason, it is required that you make a 3D mold of your teeth and meet with a local dentist before you can start in-home teeth straightening aligners.
Is Teeth Straightening Safe
Is teeth straightening safe? Not only is it safe to straighten your teeth, but having straighter teeth can improve your overall dental hygiene. Well-aligned teeth can make dental hygiene easier to maintain.
It can also help to prevent unnecessary wear or grinding on your teeth. When teeth are not aligned properly, it can cause you to grind your teeth, leading to headaches or jaw pain.
If you have been suffering from headaches or experience jaw pain, it might be because your teeth are not properly aligned. Not only is teeth straightening safe, it could be necessary to alleviate the aforementioned symptoms.
Why You Need To Straighten Your Teeth
Okay, let’s talk about the top 10 reasons why in-home teeth aligners are superior than traditional braces.
Top 10 Reasons Why You Need To Straighten Your Teeth With In-Home Aligners
Fewer Dentist Appointments
Let’s face it, in today’s busy world, the last things we want eating up our time are commutes to and from dentist’s office and time spent sitting around in a boring waiting room, reading magazines that are three years old. If there is a way to get straighter teeth with less dentist appointments, sign me up!
Nearly Invisible
Who wants to wear noticeable metal braces? Not me! With the nearly invisible in-home aligners, you can wear them discreetly. No embarrassing pictures with horrible metal braces to document your teeth-straightening journey.
Enjoy The Foods You Love
Traditional braces are uncomfortable and bulky. They can make it hard to enjoy the foods that you love. You are constantly worrying about getting food caught in your braces or breaking them, causing more unnecessary trips to the orthodontist.
With removable aligners, you remove them to eat and drink, so you don’t have to worry about changing your eating habits or missing out on your favorite meals.
Easy to Use
So easy to use! All of your aligners come when you start the program, and everything is mapped out with an explanation of when to change the aligners and in what sequence to wear each set.
You can see from day one how your teeth are going to slowly change. These days most in-home systems even come with a friendly app to help remind you when you should change them.
It Won’t Break the Bank
Teeth straightening can be expensive, so why not save money on it where you can? In-home kits normally start at around half the price of traditional braces. Now that is some serious saving!
Removable
Have I mentioned that they are removable? Not only can you take them out to enjoy your favorite food and drinks, but they can also be removed if you have any important photos that will be taken.
Unlike traditional braces which cannot be removed at your discretion, the in-home aligner system allows you freedom and flexibility!
Easy to Clean
Unlike braces that stay on your teeth throughout the entire process and are hard to clean, in-home teeth aligners stay much cleaner because you are able to remove them to eat and change them on a regular basis.
Comfortable
In-home aligners are far less painful than metal braces. Would you rather have a mouth full of sharp metal or smooth plastic? In-home aligners protect your gums from painful cuts.
Faster
Let’s talk about time! We all want to achieve the perfect smile as fast as possible; we want to minimize time spent wearing braces or invisible aligners.
Since you are able to change your aligners weekly, compared to going to the dentist once a month to have your braces tightened, the overall duration of your teeth straightening process will be shorter, thereby creating your perfect smile much faster.
Cost
I mentioned this before, but it’s a big one. The cost of in-home teeth straightening start at about 50% cheaper and can be up to 75% cheaper. That is some serious extra cash for your pockets!
Who Can Use In-Home Teeth Aligners?
In-home teeth straightening aligners are not meant for everyone. Mail-in aligners are a perfect solution for those needing a slight fix for a gap or overly crowded teeth.
They are perfect for anyone that has wanted to get a straighter smile but has been too embarrassed to wear or does not want to deal with metal braces. Mail-in aligners are almost invisible, so most people won’t even realize you are wearing them.
Have you always thought that you couldn’t afford the straighter smile that you have always desired? Mail-in aligners can be far cheaper than traditional teeth straightening methods. With mail-in aligners and payment plans, you can get a straighter smile for only $80 a month.
It is also a great solution for people who are unable to drive or get to a orthodontist regularly. With the mail-in system, there are fewer in-office appointments which means fewer trips to the dentist.
Mail-in aligners are perfect for those who have always wanted straighter teeth but have been unable to commit to seeing an orthodontist monthly, whether that be due to proximity, travel schedule, or familial/work obligations.
Maybe you simply live too far from an orthodontist and don’t want the hassle of a long drive to see one every month? Mail-in aligners may be the right choice for you!
What to Consider Before Teeth Straightening?
With any dental plan or treatment, it is best to consult with your local dentist before starting. That is why it is required to see a dentist and make a model of your teeth before beginning the mail-in aligners program.
Mail-in aligners are not right for everyone, but once you send in your 3D aligners and meet with your dentist, you can determine if they are right solution for your smile.
Mail-in aligners have many advantages, but they are not ideal for everyone. You have to wear them for 20-22 hours a day. If you want the system to work, you must be committed to wearing them despite their removability.
There are apps that can help you track whether you are wearing them for the proper amount of time.
Also, because they are removable, you have to be careful with them to ensure that you do not lose them or accidentally throw them away. They work just as well as braces (if not better than!), but you have to wear them consistently in order to achieve your desired results.
Why is it Better Than Traditional Braces?
Mail-in aligners give you the privacy to straighten your teeth without unnecessary trips to the orthodontist and without bulky metal braces. Your mouth and gums will be happier, and your smile will remain intact while you straighten it.
The system also gives you the freedom and flexibility to change your aligners more frequently than if you had traditional braces, thereby speeding up the process for creating your straighter smile.
They also allow you to continue to eat your favorite foods. You do not have to worry about food getting stuck in your braces because you remove the aligners when dining.
How Long Does Teeth Straightening Last
Once you have the straight smile you have always wanted, it is recommended that you wear a retainer to keep your teeth from shifting back. The duration and frequency for wearing a retainer will vary depending on your teeth and your aligner process, but many people are encouraged simply to wear their retainer at night.
It is also important to remember that retainers do not adjust your teeth, they are designed only to keep your teeth in place.
You should not feel any discomfort or pressure when you wear your retainer. It acts to hold your teeth in place, keep them straight, and prevent any shifting of your beautiful new smile. If you are consistent with your retainer after wearing your aligners, there will be no need to straighten your teeth again.
Conclusion
If you are looking to straighten your teeth and want to have the perfect smile, there are two ways that you can achieve this: traditional braces or an aligner system. Some individuals may be more comfortable going through their orthodontist for the processes of traditional braces or an aligner system.
Others would prefer to save money and have the flexibility of in-home aligners. No matter what you choose to do, I hope that we provided enough information to make an informed decision and give you the smile you have always wanted.