Gone are the days where traditional braces were your only option. At Harley Street Dental Clinic we have a range of different appliances available that are capable of straightening your teeth and fitting around your needs. Your orthodontist in Harley Street will do whatever they can to make sure that you get the right treatment and that you do not leave our practice until you are smiling.
Your braces could be hidden
Lots of our patients have delayed getting treatment before arriving at our practice because they were not aware of the alternative braces that are available. They have been worrying about obvious metal braces getting in the way of their everyday life and not being able to smile with confidence whilst they are undergoing treatment. Your orthodontist in Harley Street wants to make sure that you can have both straight teeth and confidence whilst going through treatment.
Hidden braces, or lingual braces, are concealed from plain sight as they are attached to the inside surfaces of your teeth rather than the outer ones. They work in a similar way to traditional braces in the way that they attach to the teeth with metallic brackets that are connected to each other with a thin wire, but nobody will be able to spot them unless you decide to point them out.
Another subtle type of brace is the fixed ceramic or clear brace. These braces are incredibly similar to traditional braces and attach on the outer surfaces of the teeth in the same way, but the brackets are tooth coloured or clear and therefore much less visible. The wire that is used to connect these brackets is also tooth coloured, making the appliance a lot harder to notice.
A removable appliance can fit around your lifestyle
Invisalign aligners are easily removable and only need to be worn for twenty-two hours of the day. Your orthodontist in Harley Street can answer any questions you may have about this treatment at your consultation appointment, but it is incredibly straightforward. After you have had your initial appointment you will have a 3D scan performed on your mouth, showing the current positions that your teeth are in, as well as their future positions. The scan will produce images showing what position your teeth will be in after wearing each set of aligners. This is how your custom-made aligners will be created to fit your teeth, and once you receive them you will see how snugly they fit over your teeth.
The aligners are completely clear so offer more discretion than some other treatment options, and they will be barely noticeable to other people. Keeping on top of your oral hygiene is important as you do not want any plaque to build up underneath or around your appliance. It is suggested that you brush your teeth after eating and drinking before putting your aligners back in, as well as first thing in the morning and at night.
How many sets of aligners you have and how long your treatment will take overall will depend on your individual situation, but average treatment times are usually between six to twelve months.