Straighter Teeth In Epsom – The Convenient Way!

See how our dentists can straighten your teeth with the latest, discreet braces.

Even though alternatives have been around for a while now, most of us probably associate dental braces with the traditional method of wires and brackets, usually made from metal. The most obvious issue with these is that everyone can see them, and, being realistic, they are not the nicest thing to reveal to the world when you open your mouth to talk or to smile. While it may not affect everybody the same way, wearing dark metal braces can affect some people’s confidence and may cause them to subconsciously withdraw from social events etc.

Having said all that, having straighter teeth is definitely desirable and can greatly improve the appearance of your smile once the treatment is complete. In addition to this, straighter teeth are usually easier to keep clean as there are less tight spaces, caused by overlapping for example, for food and bacteria to become trapped in.

So, if we don’t use the old-style braces that you are more familiar with, how can the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre help you to have nice even teeth in a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing way?

Clear aligners

Increasingly, our Epsom patients are eschewing traditional braces for all the reasons that we have previously mentioned. While some people have always done this, the only option then available was to put up with crooked teeth. Using the modern way, with clear aligners, this is no longer necessary and patients can have straighter teeth in a more convenient way.

There are many popular brands of this type of orthodontic, with Invisalign and Clear Aligner being two of the best known. Both of these are supplied by the experienced orthodontic team here at your local dentist in Epsom.

How do I get clear aligners?

If you come to us with crooked teeth that you want to have straightened, or if we suggest that you might benefit from this treatment, we will discuss these methods with you. Simply put, clear aligners are ‘trays’ that fit over your teeth.

We produce a series of these which are made following scans and impressions that we take from your teeth. Not only does this allow us to progressively straighten your teeth, but to do so in a comfortable manner. Each tray works to progressively and gently ‘push’ your teeth a little towards the desired position. Each tray is worn for a short period of time which your dentist will recommend and then replaced by the next set. This continues until you have straight teeth again.

Appearance

Because these ‘trays’ are made from a transparent medical grade plastic, they are almost invisible to those around you when being worn. This is a significant boost for patients who are concerned about wearing dental braces and perhaps is one of their biggest ‘selling points’.

There is also additional good news in that they are not fixed orthodontics and can, in theory (more on this in a moment), be removed for special one off events. This might, for example, be the case for an interview, a date or even your wedding day. The even better news is that you don’t have to see your dentist to have them removed; you can do this yourself!

Removing your aligners

There are several things to know about removing your aligners. First of all, you will be shown how to do this when you come for your initial fitting. While they can be removed for one off special events, it is very important that you do this as sparingly as possible. The longer they are removed, the longer this will extend the period of time before your teeth are straight and even again.

Having said this, they are meant to be removed when you are eating and when you are brushing and flossing your teeth. This is excellent news as traditional wire and bracket braces can restrict your choices when it comes to eating. Perhaps the best known issue is food becoming stuck in the wiring. The main problem with this is not the fact that this is visible, which is bad enough by itself, but that if food and bacteria become trapped, tooth decay could well follow. Because teeth aligners can be removed when eating and for cleaning your teeth, your teeth should not only be straight by the end of the treatment but should be healthy too. You will also need to keep the trays clean and our dentists will advise you of the best way to maintain this.

In general, this type of orthodontic appliance is used for more significant tooth correction which means that they may need to be worn for a period of time. For those seeking smaller, cosmetic improvements of the ‘social six’ teeth that are visible when we smile, we are able to offer orthodontics such as the Six Month Smile. These do use the more traditional approach of wires and brackets but with finer, tooth coloured materials. They will also be worn for a relatively shorter period of time. We will discuss these further in a future blog but please do ask us about them if you are looking to make some minor adjustments to your smile.

We are here to help you have not only healthy teeth, but great looking ones too. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you with this, please give the Clocktower Dental, Implant & Facial Centre a call to arrange a consultation on 01372 720136.