The perception of the tooth brace to most people is a chunky, ugly and possibly ill- fitting metallic device. However, in recent years, this has changed with many different types of brace being developed, all of which have been designed not just for comfort but for aesthetics.
No longer is there a stigma attached for wearers. Rather, wearers who generally tend to be fashion conscious youngsters can wear them without feeling embarrassed.
Types of modern braces
There are a variety of braces available now which are designed for specific purposes. The one size fits all is no longer appropriate.
Traditional Braces
This type is perhaps the recognisable brace although now they are made from a mixture of stainless steel and nickel-titanium amalgam making them a lot lighter to wear. The bracket is bonded to the tooth and each one is connected via a wire. The brackets themselves can also be decorated.
One of the problems with using stainless steel though is that this can stain the teeth; an alternative is the gold plated brace. This has one distinct advantage over the traditional stainless steel version – it is not as severe looking. They are also useful people with allergies to nickel.
Another alternative to the above are ceramic braces. These tend to be the most popular with adolescents. Moreover they can be designed to blend with the natural colour tooth enamel of the wearer; thus making them less obtrusive.
Lingual Braces
These are fitted to the back of the teeth rather than the front. While they are effective in not being easily seen there are 2 disadvantages. First they can be expensive, and second they are not easily adjusted simply because they can get in the way of the wearer’s tongue. The good thing about these braces is that no one will know that you are wearing them.
Invisalign
This type of brace was designed for people whose teeth problems are not severe or complicated. As the name implies they are also almost invisible, which for adolescents is a great added benefit.
Invisalign braces are used for people where movement is gradual. They also offer better oral hygiene care as they are easily removed.
Tags: invisalign, Lingual Braces, liverpool, modern braces Liverpool
