Dr. Shikha Sharma

So you've decided to straighten your teeth and get a great smile that too naturally but the road to a brilliant smile comes with a guide map and here are some of the key stops.

1. Keep them clean

While braces are a great tool that work on natural teeth with no side effects, caring for braces is extremely essential in order to ensure that you don't end up with any post orthodontic dental work.

Braces be it metal or ceramic tend to accumulate food and in turn cause cavities or stains. A lot of people suffer from post braces unnecessary treatments only because they couldn't keep them clean.

2. Know what foods to avoid

Wherever you are in your braces journey remember when you started you were warned about a bunch of things you have to stop eating and drinking. That memory maybe fading away but the truth is the dietary restrictions need to be followed atleast to a certain extent if you want the braces off on schedule.

Foods like pizzas, sticky candies or biting into anything from your front teeth is a strict no as it'll cause the front braces to come off and besides interrupting the treatment you may also end up hurting yourself.

Sodas should be avoided as they cause the braces glue to dissolve and they come off your teeth earlier than we would want.

3. Bracket breaks

The system of braces is basically individual brackets that are placed on your teeth to move them and a wire that engages all these brackets together.

A common occurrence with braces is the brackets come off or break if you're not careful. When this happens it's like a derailing a machine everything comes to a standstill and its very important to get this fixed at the earliest for the treatment to continue efficiently.

Bracket breakage can be prevented by maintaining dietary precautions, efficient brushing and avoiding trauma to the face.

4. Be on the lookout for pain or blisters

Although less common now there's an occasional chance of slight pain or ulceration after braces are placed in the mouth for the first time. Our body is getting used to a large foreign object and it may react by rejecting the areas that hurt and forming an ulcer which may last a few days and settle.

The pain sensation of tightness and tooth movement can be eased with a mild anti inflammatory or pain killer on the first appointment if need be.

5. Don't miss appointments

Missing your regular dental appointment is bad enough but your orthodontic (braces) appointment is the most important day of the month for you. Skipping or missing this appointment disrupts the schedule of tooth movement and you may delay an already prolonged treatment procedure.

So if you want that brilliant smile be as soon as possible follow the steps above and you will breeze through your orthodontics treatment without a snag!

In contrast to traditional braces, which typically involve the use of a network of connected brackets and wires in order to enhance tooth mobility, clear or invisible aligners is a relatively new approach when it comes to aligning teeth and involves the use of a number of custom-made tight-fitting retainers, which can slip over your teeth easily.

Clear orthodontic aligners are generally used for patients who either have minor spacing issues or have mildly crowded teeth. Moreover, since clear aligners are custom made for a tighter fit, they are more suited for adults and late teenagers and not for young children who are still growing and developing their teeth.

Treatment
Initially, your doctor will try to correct your bite after, which he or she can proceed with fitting you several versions of aligners, which help make slight adjustments to move your teeth during the course of the treatment. Usually made of a clear acrylic or plastic material, clear aligners fit tightly over your teeth, but are removable for eating purposes or for brushing and flossing. Every few weeks, you will probably get a new aligner in order to help move your teeth into the desired location.

Duration
Depending upon how much your teeth need to be moved, treatment will generally take around ten to twenty four months to complete. However, if your teeth have but shifted just slightly, then treatment can be completed in just a matter of ten weeks.

Advantages
Advantages of using clear orthodontic aligners over traditional braces include:

1. You won't be having a "metal mouth" as with metal braces
2. Can be easily removed before brushing or flossing
3. Maintains good long-term oral health
4. Helps give a better and brighter smile