Best Clear Braces and Types of Braces

Many people use braces for fixing the shape of their teeth. Braces help in improving the alignment of your teeth and help you get that perfect smile. There are different kinds of braces recommended to improve the shape of your teeth, but not many people know about them. They are made of different materials and their type depends on the person, his age, and the condition of his teeth. Below is a summary of the most common types of braces you can choose.

1. Traditional Braces: They have now become lighter and have more structure than they used to. They have metal brackets linked to each other with a thin archwire, which puts pressure on the teeth and aligning their position.
2. Ceramic Braces: They are very similar to traditional braces placed in front of the teeth, but they blend in better because of the ceramic material. You can have them colored to make them less visible.
3. Lingual Braces: These get attached to the inside of your teeth that make them invisible from the outside. But they are a little uncomfortable than traditional braces because of the regular contact with your tongue. They also take longer to align your teeth.
4. Invisalign: It consists of a set of custom-made plastic aligners. The aligners are removable and replaced every two weeks. They allow you to drink and eat anything without feeling uncomfortable. If you don't have serious dental issues, you can opt for them.
5. Self-litigating Braces: They are gentler and require fewer dental visits. They use a slide mechanism in place of elastics to connect the archwires. It leads to the teeth moving on their own without adjustments. They are less painful and also easier to clean.
6. Forsus Appliances: This is perfect for children to correct their difficult overbites. It is a spring worn inside the cheeks that attaches to the braces to adjust the upper or lower jaw into position.
7. Palatal Expanders: This is for patients who have overcrowded teeth. It fits your palate and applies pressure to the back of your upper molars to move your teeth apart. It leads to the expansion of the palate so that you can use braces to correct the position of your teeth.
8. Retainers: You can not call them braces as their job is to hold your teeth in their new position after the removal of your braces. There are both removable and fixed retainers to stop your teeth from moving and hold their position.
9. Removable Braces: These consist of a plastic plate with wires that put gentle pressure on your teeth and allow them to move. These are used for minor teeth corrections and suitable for all ages. They often get attached to the top jaw only. They take less time than fixed braces and also are easier to keep your teeth clean.
10. Combination: In these types of braces, the material of wire is a combination of chemical elements like nickel-titanium or copper-titanium. These last longer than traditional braces and require fewer adjustments.

What kind of braces to choose for your teeth?

There are a few factors like your age, teeth condition, budget, hygiene, and more that you should consider while determining the type of braces you choose.

• Look: Some people don’t want other people to notice their braces. For such people, lingual or ceramic braces will work fine because they are almost invisible and hardly noticeable.
• Budget: You have to decide on a budget and choose what type of braces work in your budget. Braces can be expensive but if you choose the traditional type, you can save a few bucks.
• Dental care: Braces require extra dental care by the patient, more than brushing and flossing. So, if you decide on getting braces, you must be committed to taking extra care of them.