For many people, crooked teeth can be a detriment to their full smile. It’s hard to show your warm and engaging personality when you are self-conscious about your crooked teeth. If you are wondering how to fix crooked teeth, there are several modern and discreet options to restore your smile and your confidence.
What Causes Crooked Teeth?
Crooked teeth, technically known as malocclusions, usually appear when a child reaches the age of seven. This condition occurs when the natural transition of baby teeth to adult teeth is interrupted due to decay, or early removal of baby teeth.
The extra room in the mouth causes the adult teeth to come in unaligned and undirected. These teeth need to be straightened.
Other factors that cause crooked teeth are extended thumb- or pacifier-sucking, which can lead to an overbite or changes in the development of the jaw. In some cases, the jaw shape won’t support adult teeth which impacts their alignment.
How to Fix Crooked Teeth
The good news is that if you have crooked teeth, and your teeth are healthy, there is an excellent chance that your teeth can be straightened. A trip to your dentist can provide you with the answers you need.
There are generally three techniques that dentists use to assist in the straightening of your teeth. Traditional metal braces, modified ceramic braces, and clear aligners all work to achieve the same results.
- Metal Braces
The most traditional method of fixing crooked teeth is to use the standard metal braces that employ metal wires and rubber bands to push and pull your teeth into place. This approach is the least expensive of the three options.
Dentists still use this cost-saving method because it allows them to maintain a higher degree of control over the straightening process.
Adults who want to straighten their teeth may find that metal braces are not the right option for their needs.
In fact, 50% of people who want to straighten their teeth are adults, so ceramic braces or clear aligners may be a more preferable choice.
- Ceramic Braces
Dentists use ceramic braces to provide a more discrete alternative to traditional metal braces. Ceramic braces are a modified version of metal braces, but they are tooth-coloured, so they are less apparent when you smile. However, ceramic braces and their tooth-coloured or clear wires can also discolour over time due to coffee, wine, or poor teeth maintenance, and this could be a downside although the final effect is still achievable.
- Clear Aligners
Southern Smiles provides clear aligners services in our practice. At Southern Smiles, our dentists have the training that is necessary to provide this treatment. Aligning your teeth with clear aligners usually involves a series of clear plastic trays that are custom-fitted to your teeth, and as each tray is changed, the teeth gradually straighten.
The other important factor for the adult who has a busy work schedule or professional obligations is that the aligners can be removed for short periods during the treatment. You can remove your clear aligners for important business meetings, social events that require pictures, and even for the times you want to enjoy those special foods that would not be permitted if you had metal or ceramic braces on. The appearance and flexibility of clear aligners make this treatment very easy and adaptable.
We offer Invisalign™ and Clearcorrect™ clear aligner systems to help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted.
Time to Treat
The time needed to complete the treatment to straighten your teeth using clear aligners or the more traditional methods can vary from six months to three years. Since all treatment approaches do not work for everyone, your dentist will work with you to design a treatment plan that is right for you. The success of the teeth straightening process depends on following the dentist’s direction and making sure that all steps are completed.
At Southern Smiles, we offer a variety of treatment plans and pricing for teeth straightening services. If cost is a concern, let us help you find a way to pay that works best for you and your budget. Don’t let cost keep you from getting your perfect smile.
Final Thoughts
Straightened teeth will naturally give you a better smile, and this factor alone can help you feel better about yourself and remove the fear of those first meetings. Straighter teeth will be easier to clean when you brush and floss so that you can maintain a perfect smile.
If you have any questions about how clear aligners, metal, or ceramic braces can help you straighten your teeth, call us at Southern Smiles on (02) 8503 9902. Our staff is ready to help you achieve your dream smile.
