Get rid of your dental woes with dental braces for a more confident you! A person’s smile is the first thing noticed among every other parameter of his personality. A smile is capable to improve an ordinary looking person’s appearance. However, not everyone is blessed with a neat set of pearly whites. There are people who feel the need of dental braces for teeth health and of course for their overall looks. There are hordes of people frequenting dentists and cosmetic surgeons for teeth enhancement. Everything boils down to spending lots of money on getting that perfect smile.
But what if your doctor tells you that you need dental braces for correcting crooked or irregular teeth? Would you go for it? Reports suggest that people from royalty to less-than-famous people worldwide, are opting for dental braces to correct wrongly positioned teeth and also a crooked smile.
About a decade ago, it was only kids with funny teeth who had to opt for the ugly metallic braces. But with time, the make of the braces and age bracket of people going in for fitting them onto their teeth has undergone a drastic change. Then, kids were braced by their parents for dental braces for ensuring better dental health! But now, people across all age-groups fearlessly face the dentists’ knife for looking better with better aligned teeth!
What exactly is brace treatment?
Brace implants fall under the purview of orthodontics. It is a branch of dentistry which treats teeth and oral problems for improving overall appearance of a person.
Dental braces are recommended by dentists for people having crooked, misaligned upper and lower jaws. Braces also are meant to reduce pressure on temporomandibular joints – a joint which connects your jaw to the temporal bones present in your skull.
Overall, dental braces treatment are the best solution for treating damaged teeth and pain ensuing out of them.
Types of braces:
Different people need different braces. The braces prescribed by dentists vary according to condition of teeth of people. For instance, braces required for a child to correct his teeth could be different. And braces for adults having crowded teeth have to be different.
Braces also have evolved with time. Gone are the days when kids had to make do with metallic ones for avoiding their teeth from protruding. Metallic ones aren’t out of use, although even those have undergone a makeover. Here’s a peek into the various kinds of braces available for anyone interested to undergo brace fixing.
- Ceramic
- Metallic
- Lingual
- Invisalign
- Metalli
- Damon Braces
Types of Braces in detail:
- Ceramic– This is a popular type. These braces come in shades which are closest to the natural color of your teeth. Thus, they are extremely inconspicuous and not too visible.
- Metallic-These are the braces which have been in use by dentists originally since the dental braces treatment came into picture. Modern metallic ones are no where close to the older braces which added to geekish look of children. Modern ones are less noticeable. Moreover, they come in bright colors as opposed to the older ones which came in silver color.
- Lingual– These orthodontic wires or braces are placed inside the mouth. Even though invisible, they function in the same way as traditional or metallic ones do. People allergic to metal can go in for these types of braces. So can people into sports who can benefit from having braces behind their teeth.
- Invisalign– Invisalign braces are invisible ones too.
They are preferred by young people and those working in industries where looks are important. Even though costlier, they are removable and are placed using computer simulation. The patient is needed to switch to a new set of brackets every 2 months until correct position is achieved. These braces are also termed as aligners as they facilitate shifting the teeth in proper position during the course of treatment. - Damon Braces– These are a relatively newer way of having straightened and better aligned teeth. Orthodontists have found that people opting for this system of dental braces have fewer visits to the dentists as compared to people going in for traditional or metallic type of braces. Your teeth can slide more freely, as elastic or metal wires in ligatures are eliminated.
Dental Braces and Dental health
Kids can see changes in their teeth in very few months of having braces placed on their teeth or insides of teeth. While the same cannot be said in case of adults. Adults can get to see gradual changes after having the braces on for around 18-24 months.
Having said that, dental braces do have an effect on one’s dental and overall health, if not done at a clinic of some qualified orthodontist or dentist.
These are the possible serious outcomes if such procedures are done by an inexperienced orthodontist or people masquerading as cosmetic surgeons:
- Blood getting contaminated or poisoned:
Blood poisoning can occur as a result of unhygienic equipment. Cuts caused due to such equipment can expose the body to a variety of diseases and micro-organisms triggering other illnesses. Also, equipment not duly sanitized before re-use, also can spread illnesses between 2 people. This causes spread of life-threatening diseases without doubt. - Nerve damage:
When untrained people perform such delicate procedures, it is bound to cause damage to sensitive areas like our nerve openings. This also could cause
damage to nerves which is permanent and could give rise to heart disease. - Choking:
The material used to manufacture the braces could be of inferior quality. Moreover, the braces if not fitted properly, could get stuck in the throat region causing instant death. - Risk of loosing few teeth:
The veneering process, prior to fitting braces, necessitates root canal treatment for at least 2 teeth. A repeat root canal if not successful, triggers the risk of loosing both the 2 teeth operated. - Reduced root lengths:
Permanent loss of root lengths of tooth may occur, during tooth movement. This leads to reduced stability of tooth as well. Nevertheless, if due care is taken to consult a qualified orthodontist, the above mentioned health-scares can be completely avoided. Braces can do a world of good to you by giving you new confidence. Following few tips and tricks to take care of your braces aides in the long run.
Diet dos and don’ts:
- Sugary foods are a big no-no:
Your favorite food stuffs which are high on sugar are extremely bad for the teeth. It is best to avoid foods like cake, energy-drinks, soft-drinks and processed foods which have high quantities of sugar. - Go low on acidic fruits:
Fruits which are high on acids like ascorbic or citric acid should be avoided. Such acids are found in apples, cherries, lime, raspberries etc. - Recommended Fruits:
Fruits such as mangoes, melons, bananas, grapes, kiwis are very good for people having undergone treatment for braces. Further, if you are fan of apples and carrots, then cutting them into small pieces for consumption is beneficial. - Drink oodles of water:
Do not forget to drink abundant amounts of water throughout the day. As it helps in washing away formation of acid buildup; thus minimizing chances of damage. - Avoid foodstuffs that could cause tooth decay:
Sugary and starchy foodstuffs are capable to cause tooth decay. Moreover, plaque formation can be avoided if such foodstuffs like chips, chocolates and sweets are avoided. - Pastas and soups:
Albeit you got to avoid pizza, you can eat pasta and soups to your heart’s content. Owing to their liquid nature, they can cause no harm or get stuck in your braces. And so are advisable for consumption.
If you are an adult who plans to undergo bracing, then some more of the following tricks are for you. Read on!
- Use fluoride based toothpastes and oral products:
It is very important to protect your teeth from decay, cavities and plaque after getting braces fitted on them. Hence, it is necessary to use fluoride based toothpastes. Such products contain fluoride which help you fight acid formation in your teeth after meals. - Brush frequently:
It is important to brush not twice a day, but after every meal (provided you use the correct method and tooth brush to brush teeth).It is the most helpful way to keep your teeth free from decaying. - Flossing:
Flossing once a day with orthodontic flosser to make sure you clean your teeth carefully is important. Using oral products like oral irrigator also makes sure fine particles of food do not remain inside crevices of your teeth. - Elastic braces:
If the orthodontist has placed elastic braces which are removable on your teeth, then make sure you remember to remove them before brushing. - Checkups and cleaning:
Make sure you do not miss out on appointments scheduled with your dentist for further checkups and cleaning. It is always better to receive instructions and precautions from experts themselves. - Mouth guard:
If you are into sports, then make use of a mouth guard while playing. You do not want to cause damage to your teeth or braces accidentally due to a googly ball hitting your mouth or you falling while diving to take a catch or in event of any other sporting mishap.
Benefits of dental braces:
As mentioned above, brace implant is a way of straightening your teeth and improving the way they appear. There is a solution for every dental problem; from crooked teeth to ugly teeth and spreading out pressure while biting and chewing food.
- Temporomandibular joints– When a patient’s bite is not properly aligned, then his Temporomandibular joints are said to be dysfunctioning. Orthodontic surgeons relieve the bite and alleviate jaw problems by realigning the lower jaw.
- Chewing better– Orthodontic treatments ensure you do not experience an ache while chewing, biting or speaking. The treatments facilitate smooth jaw movement so that your teeth do not bite your tongue or cheeks.
- Better facial structure– Braces enhance shape and appearance of one’s face. Positioning of your jaws decides how attractive you look.
- Ease of brushing– Crooked teeth cannot be cleaned properly, however when they are treated with the help of dental braces, they can be brushed carefully. This avoids a hell lot of dental problems like cavities, gum problems, decay prematurely.
- Improved oral health– The dental braces allow you to clean your teeth properly and remove food caught in crevices. This saves you not only from dental problems, but also bestows you with an improved oral health.
- Dental diseases– Many of the dental diseases which are minor initially, are saved from the same metamorphosing into something major. The orthodontist also looks for swelling, lumps and abnormalities in tissues inside the mouth. So this ensures diagnosis of dental issues at the earliest.
- Better absorption of nutrients– Teeth which are corrected by orthodontic treatments are better able to absorb nutrients from the food which is consumed. Since chewing ability of the person improves dramatically, the body becomes more efficient in processing minerals, vitamins and other nutrients in food.
- Built-up plaque– Plaque built up and calculus which is a hardened version of plaque deposits, is eliminated in the course of treatment. Removal of plaque not only strengthens gums, but also restores healthy functioning.
- An improved smile– When a person has over-lapping teeth, gap between teeth or misaligned upper and lower teeth, dental braces improve his/her appearance. It also gives him/her an attractive smile by way of jaw correction. This in turn improves his/her self esteem and confidence too.
Thus, to sum up, dental braces are the best of inventions made by man. They are the surest and most reliable ways to ensure you get the perfect smile. People are spoilt for choice as they have a lot of options in braces before having to undergo implant. It is also important to select a qualified orthodontic expert, as understandably, teeth either make or break your appearance.