What Are The Pros and Cons of Braces Vs Invisalign?

I am often asked whether Braces or Invisalign are better.

Conventional braces and clear aligners (brands such as Invisalign, Sure-Smile and Clear-Correct) are the 2 main methods of straightening peoples teeth. Both options can give a good result, however both have their own advantages and disadvantages, which may mean 1 option is more suitable than the other for a given person.

Advantages of Braces

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Are suitable to treat all types of malocclusion. This means that no matter what type of bite you have, treatment with conventional braces will give a good result.

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Conventional braces do not rely on patient compliance. This means that as long as you attend your appointments for adjustments, the teeth will straighten.

Disadvantages of Braces

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Appearance. Even with clear brackets conventional braces are obvious. This can make many people self-conscious.

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It can be difficult to eat certain types of foods while wearing conventional braces. Food can get stuck around the brackets and behind the wires.

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It is also more difficult to clean your teeth while wearing braces. Often the patient struggles with the time and effort that is required to keep their teeth properly clean while wearing braces. It is always a sad day to discover staining and holes close up to the braces once they have been removed.

Advantages of Clear Aligners

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Appearance. Clear Aligners are called clear aligners for a reason. It is much less obvious that they are worn than conventional braces, and the vast majority of time people will not even notice that they are being worn.

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Because the aligners are removed when you eat meals, you are able to eat whatever food and drink whatever drinks you wish during the aligner treatment.

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Because the aligners are removed you do not need to make any changes from your normal oral hygiene routine (as long as it is up to scratch) while having clear aligner treatment.

Disadvantages of Clear Aligners

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They need to be worn. This may seem obvious, but some people struggle with this. Because clear aligners can be removed by the patient, if they are not worn for enough time each day the teeth will not move correctly. Ideally patients wear their clear aligners for 22 hours each day every day to get the best possible result. Patient’s who are not able to do this find that the result they get is more disappointing.

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Not all cases are suitable to be treated with Clear Aligners. Some types of movements require more anchorage than can be gained with clear aligners. This means that assessment by the dentist is essential before starting aligner treatment.

Investment

You may have noticed that we haven’t discussed the cost of orthodontic treatment. That’s because the investment can be quite variable. It can vary depending on the complexity of the treatment required and it can also vary depending on who is providing the treatment. That being said there is often little difference between the cost of conventional braces and clear aligners.

One area where this is different is when dealing with very mild crowding or people who have had previous orthodontic treatment and have had some relapse crowding. In these cases their aligner treatment offers clear advantages both in the time he can take to straighten teeth and in the cost. Aligners are often much less expensive in this type of case.

If you have concerns about how straight your teeth are, you can book a free Clear Aligner consultation with one of our dentists here at Plaza Dental Mackay. We will be able to give you a free assessment about whether you would be suitable for Clear Aligner Therapy to straighten your teeth.

Simply call our reception team on 07 4803 7000, or complete our enquiry form below, and we will help you organise your complimentary consultation to get you on your journey to realign your smile.

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