If you have teeth that need straightening, then you may already have been offered corrective braces. These are designed to move teeth in their sockets and align them with the rest of the jaw, but they can take a long time to achieve results.
Braces can also be uncomfortable and unattractive, and indeed people in their adult years don’t want to have unsightly metal fittings on their teeth. If you want to find an alternative to braces, you should consider other ways to develop that perfect smile.
Discreet orthodontics and invisible braces
One alternative to large metal braces is to have invisible braces instead. These are more attractive to wear and will generally disguise that you are wearing braces, but they can still be as uncomfortable and inconvenient as the metal variants. The most common invisible braces are made from the Invisalign brand and include the ’i7’, which uses a range of brace fittings worn in the mouth for two weeks before being replaced by the next pair.
Advanced Lightwire Functional (ALF)
This alternative to traditional braces uses a thin metal fitting on the inside of the teeth to gradually straighten each tooth. ALF treatment is generally used for more complex dental problems, including overbite, underbite, and misaligned teeth. They are entirely invisible, are fitted to your mouth, and can help resolve issues, including headaches and shoulder pains, connected to poor bite alignment.
Pain-free cosmetic contouring
If you don’t want to use orthodontic fittings on your teeth and want to straighten your teeth without braces, you might consider cosmetic contouring. This involves reshaping and sometimes repositioning teeth through dental procedures performed by a cosmetic dentist. One or two sessions may be necessary to cosmetically enhance your teeth.
Smile makeovers with porcelain and composite veneers
Another alternative to braces is veneers, which are placed over misaligned teeth to give them the correct shape. Veneers can be made from porcelain, which is expensive and easily damaged, or composite, which is more durable and more affordable. Dentists create the veneers after taking a template of your existing teeth, including their shape and any missing or slanting sides. From this, they can build a veneer that will fit over the natural tooth and create a natural-looking and perfectly aligned smile.
