When you think of braces, you likely don’t picture a very cosmetic treatment. After all, metal brackets and wires are a crucial component, right? Actually, your Fort Worth, TX, orthodontist can use ceramic brackets, which are shaded to blend with your teeth, to reduce the visibility of metal braces!
Correcting Smiles with Braces
When you have uneven teeth, including those that are crooked, crowded, or overlapping one another, this could increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease, as proper brushing and flossing is difficult. Misalignment has also been known to strain the jaw joints, a complication linked to TMJ disorder and bruxism (chronic teeth grinding). With braces, we correct the position of the teeth by attaching a bracket to the front-facing side of each one. We then attach a portion of an arch wire to each one with a band. As we adjust tension in the wire during periodic visits, this begins to shift the teeth into more optimal positions, correcting misalignment in about 18 months to 2 years on average.
Metal vs. Ceramic
Obviously, the metal is very visible. Fortunately, for the brackets we can use ceramic. A strong and translucent material, we can shade the ceramic to blend with your tooth. For this reason, ceramic is often used to create crowns and replacement teeth in dentist offices. We design and craft them using advanced digital technology. We then use clear bands and a thin metal arch wire, which significantly reduces the appearance of your orthodontics throughout the treatment process. We also have an option for some to help reduce treatment times! Propel® Accelerated Orthodontics involves placing a small device in your mouth for five minutes a day, the device then uses gentle vibrations to stimulate the growth of bone tissue around the teeth, securing them and reducing treatment time!
Other Cosmetic Options
We also have another popular cosmetic option to correct your smile! For some teens and adults, we may recommend Invisalign®. We don’t use brackets, bands, or wires at all. Instead, we use digital technology to design a series of aligners that fit snugly over the teeth. They will be made from a clear plastic material, which ensures a practically invisible appearance. They also offer results in as little as a year for many patients! If you have any questions about our ceramic tooth-colored options, or about our clear and comfortable Invisalign® aligners, then contact our team today.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT COSMETIC ORTHODONTICS?
We want to make sure you feel confident and proud to smile, even when wearing braces. To learn more about our cosmetic brackets and aligners, then please call Lake Country Orthodontics in Fort Worth, TX at (817) 236-7846. Our office proudly serves patients who live in Azle, Saginaw, and all surrounding communities.
