3 Reasons to Smile About Braces

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Three Young Women with BRaces Have Reasons to SmileThinking about getting braces can be a balancing act. Sure, you’re excited to see your fantastic looking new smile, but you also feel doubtful, uncertain, and even anxious about wearing braces. How do you balance these emotions as you get closer to your treatment date? Whether you are getting traditional braces, cosmetic braces using tooth-colored brackets, or Invisalign clear aligners, having a positive perspective about the experience will help see you through your treatment.

1. Braces Improve the Health and Appearance of Your Smile

Orthodontics straighten and realign teeth that are crooked, rotated, gapped, or crowded. Misaligned or crooked teeth can create problems in the rest of the mouth. Correcting these problems with braces will promote better oral health and function. Another goal of braces is to give your overall smile a more uniform, even appearance. According to a number of recent perception studies, straight teeth can make you appear more attractive, healthier, smarter, and even more successful.

2. Braces Don’t Have to Look Obvious

In the past, wearing braces meant you wear going to sport big, bulky metal brackets and wires and maybe even – gasp! – headgear. Contemporary metal braces are more discreet, more lightweight, and more comfortable than before. In addition, most orthodontists also provide discreet orthodontic options, including:

  • Invisalign. Clear aligner trays slip over the teeth, much like a mouthguard. A series of trays gently moves the teeth into their proper position.
  • Tooth-colored brackets. Think traditional bracket-and-wire braces, but the brackets are tinted to blend into your natural tooth enamel.

3. You Won’t Wear Braces Forever

When all else fails, having a little perspective can go a long way. Sure, you’re going to be wearing braces for the next 12-24 months (or longer, if you have a particularly complex case). But that’s actually a pretty short time, relative to the lifetime of healthy teeth and gums you’ll get to enjoy, not to mention your attractive new smile. Even though you may not be thrilled about the braces you’re wearing today, just imagine how happy you’ll be at this time next year when you’re enjoying your brand new smile.