A perfect, straight smile boosts confidence, which is why many individuals with crooked teeth, gaps, or over or underbites choose to correct their teeth using orthodontic dental alignment. Clear aligners is one such method that offers an alternative to traditional metal braces. Clear aligners are made from BPA-free plastic. They’re reported to be virtually invisible, more comfortable, easier to clean, and less expensive compared to traditional metal bracket braces.

Here’s why Clear braces may be a better option for straighter teeth:

1. Invisible
As mentioned above, clear aligners are made of clear plastic, and hence they offer a discreet treatment. This means that you can go about your daily routine and smile more often without worrying about a mouth full of metal braces.

2. Fixes a variety of oral issues
The first apparent orthodontic reason for clear aligners is to straighten teeth. However, aligned teeth can also fix issues with speech, jaw discomfort, underbite, and overbite. Secondly, aligning your teeth in the proper position prevents periodontal diseases. Still, general oral hygiene can keep away bad breath, tooth and gum decay, and gum disease.

3. Comfortable and clean
Clear aligners are made of thermoplastic material, which makes them more comfortable compared to traditional braces made of metal that often need to be adjusted frequently to reduce pain. With metal braces, patients often experience pain and discomfort from the wires. While clear aligners are removable and easy to clean. Food gets stuck in braces sometimes, which can be a challenge and can even lead to tooth decay if the issue is not addressed. However, clear aligners can be easily removed when eating or to clean after eating, which makes care and cleanliness much easier.

4. Quick, permanent results
Although the clear trays need to be changed every two weeks as the teeth shift position, the speed of treatment is much faster than with metal braces. The aligners are worn 22 hours each day, and takes roughly 6-18 months for effective treatment (depending on patient issues), unlike braces, which take a minimum of 2 years to straighten most teeth. With clear aligners, patients don’t have to wait as long to see glowing results.

5. Convenience
Even though you will need to visit your dentist for checkups and monitoring while wearing clear aligners, fewer visits are necessary with treatment compared to traditional metal braces that need to be adjusted way more often. This is because specialists custom create your aligners at the start. Every patient eligible has different concerns to address so a specialist conducts x-rays using 3D imagery to customize the aligner trays specifically to the patient’s teeth.

6. Cost
Traditional metal braces can cost upwards of $8000 (USD) per patient. Alternately, clear aligners come in a variety of plans, depending on how long it will take to correct the patient’s orthodontic issues. For instance, most companies offer an Express plan that costs roughly $2000 (USD) for patients with milder orthodontic conditions (i.e., slight gaps and crooked teeth) and a Full plan that costs approximately $5500 (USD) for those patients with more severe oral issues (i.e., overbites and underbites).

In the end, Clear aligners offers a cost-effective, accelerated, and more comfortable alternative to straightening teeth. According to research conducted by the American Dental Association, oral health can prevent tooth decay, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. However, keep in mind, although aligners are convenient and cost-effective, there are some problems they cannot correct, such as teeth that are rotated vertically or back tooth issues. Also, effectiveness depends highly on the patient’s discipline. Please talk to a dental specialist to determine if Clear aligners will work for you.