Love your smile—and your orthodontic treatment.

A straighter smile helps boost your self-confidence and provides better long-term oral health. However, patients of all ages are hesitant about getting braces. Clear aligners offer an alternative treatment option from your family dentist, and many are choosing to take advantage of the numerous benefits it offers.

1. Clear Aligners are Just as Effective as Braces for Most Cases

In the past, traditional braces were the only orthodontic treatment option for crooked teeth, misalignments, and bite issues. Today, clear aligners, such as ClearCorrect, provide an alternative that can deliver the same lasting results in many situations.

You could benefit from orthodontic treatment if: 

• Your smile isn’t quite straight 
• Your upper and lower teeth don’t fit together properly, or 
• You experience jaw pain, you could benefit from orthodontic treatment 

Clear aligners work in much the same way as braces, applying steady pressure to move teeth into their proper positions over time. However, most patients prefer clear aligners. 

And fortunately, those who are in need of orthodontic treatment are also often good candidates for clear aligners. They can treat a wide range of issues, including crooked teeth, overbite, underbite, gaps, crowding, and more.

However, they aren’t right for everyone. Some cases require braces or other options. Ask your family dentist whether clear aligners are right for you.

2. More Comfortable Treatment Than Braces

One of the main reasons so many people choose clear aligners is that they are more comfortable than braces. Anyone who has had braces in the past knows all too well about the irritation they can cause throughout treatment.

The wire and brackets of braces can rub against the soft tissue inside your mouth. This causes soreness over time and can lead to cuts. Clear aligners are smooth plastic, so they don’t cause the same irritation. Brace tightening is another uncomfortable experience that you can avoid with clear aligners.

3. Easy to Maintain Oral Hygiene

Regular dental care like brushing and flossing is an arduous undertaking with braces. But with clear aligners, you don’t have to experience that headache. When it comes time to brush and floss, you can remove and reinsert the aligners as needed. That said, it’s important to note that you must keep them in for at least 22 hours each day during your treatment.

Being able to brush and floss without restriction helps you maintain oral hygiene. With aligners, there aren’t any unreachable gaps like there are with braces. You can better control bacteria and plaque, reducing your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

4. Able to Eat All Your Favorite Foods During Treatment

The wire and brackets of traditional braces can make it impossible to eat many of your favorite foods. Anything hard is liable to get caught in nooks and crannies, and sticky foods are a nightmare to clean off of braces. Clear aligners solve this problem entirely.

When you eat, you remove your clear aligners beforehand. This means you can consume any of your normal favorite foods. Keep in mind that you’ll need to brush your teeth before putting the aligners back in to prevent bits of food from getting stuck behind them. In addition, you can drink water with your aligners on but not other beverages like soda or coffee.

5. Practically Invisible 

Clear aligners are made of a clear plastic that is practically impossible to spot. The natural shade of your teeth shines through, so no one notices unless they closely inspect the area. The aligners also follow the contour of your teeth, unlike the brackets of traditional braces.

This inconspicuous treatment is a major part of why so many adult orthodontic patients choose clear aligners. You can improve your smile without any impact on your self-confidence or social life.

6. Prepares Patients for Wearing a Retainer

Wearing a retainer is an important part of the process. It prevents your teeth from sliding back into their previous positions, undoing treatment. However, many orthodontic patients fail to use their retainers and see their treatment regress.

Wearing clear aligners is a lot like having a retainer. You can take it out at will, but it’s important to keep it in. Going through treatment with clear aligners accustoms patients to what it is like wearing a retainer, improving followthrough.

7. Fewer Appointments During Treatment

Braces apply pressure to your teeth using an archwire that must be tightened from time to time over the course of treatment. Each tightening requires a special visit to the orthodontist. Clear aligners don’t require these frequent visits.

You receive the full series of clear aligners at the start of your treatment, switching out each set after two weeks to maintain steady pressure on your teeth. You’ll have a few check-ups to ensure proper progress—but not as many as you would with braces.

ClearCorrect Treatment from Your Family Dentist

With so many benefits, it’s no wonder people love their clear aligners. You could be a candidate for comfortable, inconspicuous ClearCorrect treatment from your family dentist. Schedule a consultation at Dental Care Associates of Buffalo today to find out how you can enjoy a straight, beautiful smile with clear aligners.