Today we want to share with you 6 ways to improve your results from wearing braces or aligners. If you are not satisfied with your smile, there are several products that you can use to improve it, including braces or clear aligners. If the main issue that you have with your teeth is that they are not completely straight, braces or aligners can help you achieve this. Wearing braces or getting aligners fitted to fix any misalignment in your teeth is not just useful for improving the way that your smile looks, but it can also help to improve your dental health by making it easier for you to brush and floss every area of all of your teeth.
However, getting braces often means wearing them for some time – this is usually around six months as a minimum. How long you’ll need to wear your braces or aligners for will depend on the condition of your teeth and whether or not you have worn braces before. Somebody with a lot of misalignment will usually have to wear a fixed brace for at least a year or two, while on the other hand, if you had braces as a teen and just want to fix one tooth that’s moved over a little, you might be able to do this in just six months using a clear aligner. Either way, there are several things that you can do to make sure that you get the best results from wearing your brace or aligner and are perfectly satisfied with your teeth at the end.
Choose the Right Braces for You
Photo by on Pexels
First of all, it’s important to make sure that you are getting the right braces for your needs. To do this, you should get a consultation with a professional who can help you decide on the right option for your teeth. You can do this through your regular dentist if they offer orthodontic treatments, a specialist orthodontist clinic, or even an online service, where you’ll be sent a home kit for making impressions of your teeth to send back for more information on what they can do for you. Don’t decide on the type of braces that you want until you have been given professional advice, as not all braces or aligners might be suitable for your teeth. A professional can also advise you on whether or not you will benefit from having any teeth removed before you have braces fitted and if there are any issues in your mouth that need to be dealt with beforehand, such as cavities.
Braces are still a guaranteed go-to that can improve the appearance of your teeth. Read what Smile Prep has to say about traditional braces, and get a detailed understanding of associated pros and cons, results and overall costs.
Attend Your Appointments
Once your braces are fitted, you should keep up with the appointments set by your orthodontist. This could mean going to visit the orthodontist every few weeks to have your fixed braces tightened, or sending impressions of your teeth in the mail to get a new aligner if you have opted to use an online service such as ALIGNERCO. With ALIGNERCO, you can get clear aligners to wear throughout the day or aligners that are worn only at night while you are sleeping. They are typically used to fix smaller misalignment issues; the best way to find out if they offer a treatment that is suitable for your teeth is to fill in the online form and complete the impressions kit. If you choose this option, you will need to send impressions every few weeks since a tighter aligner will be required to ensure that your teeth are straightened correctly. If you’re looking for an ‘orthodontist near me,’ consider Lanier Orthodontics, known for their personalized care and advanced treatment options in aligning teeth effectively.
Keep Up with Regular Appointments, Too
It’s not uncommon for people to forget that they need regular check-ups while wearing braces since they assume that their orthodontist is also looking at their teeth, but this isn’t the case. While your orthodontist will check that everything is good with your braces, you need to continue visiting your regular dentist for a check-up every six months to make sure that your teeth are in healthy condition. Your dentist can still do all of their normal treatments such as filling cavities while you are wearing braces. Since certain types of braces such as fixed braces can make it harder to keep your teeth clean while wearing them, it’s even more important to visit your dentist and your hygienist on a regular basis.
Keep Your Teeth Clean
Wearing braces, especially fixed wire braces, can encourage food particles to get stuck in your teeth which can be both uncomfortable and contribute to poor dental hygiene. On the other hand, if you are wearing clear aligners, this is usually easier to keep your teeth clean since you can remove the aligner to do so. However, no matter what kind of braces you are using to straighten your teeth, it has never been more important to keep up a good routine for oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth at least twice per day is important, and use mouthwash to swish away any food particles that have gotten lodged in your brace. Since flossing becomes impossible when wearing fixed wire braces, consider getting some interdental brushes that you can use to get into those hard-to-reach areas. An electric toothbrush is a good investment since these are designed to cover more areas of the teeth and can help keep your teeth cleaner and healthier while wearing any type of brace or aligner.
Watch Your Diet
Your diet can affect your teeth in many ways. You probably already know that sugary foods and drinks can cause a lot of damage to your teeth and they are best avoided if you want to prevent cavities and other painful damage. However, when you are wearing braces, paying attention to what you are eating is even more important. This is especially true if you’re wearing a wire brace since hard foods like nuts, apples, and corn on the cob could snap the wire. Clear aligners are usually easier to eat with, as you will take the aligner out before a meal or snack. However, bear in mind that because the aligners are pulling your teeth into position, eating might be quite uncomfortable straight away, so soft foods are advised.
Wearing Your Retainer
Keeping your teeth straight and getting the best results from your braces does not end once you have had your wire brace taken off or have completed the last clear aligner. Once the treatment has ended, your teeth will naturally attempt to move back to their original position with nothing holding them in place. This might not mean that your teeth go back to exactly how they were; however, they are unlikely to stay completely straight unless you keep up with wearing a retainer on a nightly basis. It’s very important to wear your retainer, particularly in the first few months after having your teeth straightened when teeth are more susceptible to moving. Your aligner will be fitted from a mold of your newly straight teeth taken after your braces have been removed and will usually be a clear guard that you fit over your teeth at night. Along with keeping your teeth straight, your aligner can benefit you in several other ways, including preventing you from grinding your teeth.
If you’re not happy with your teeth, the good news is that there are more options than ever before for adults who want to improve their smile with braces or aligners. If you’ve decided to invest in teeth straightening treatment, keep these tips in mind before, after, and during the treatment to ensure that you get the results you hope for.
Read more beauty articles at ClichéMag.com
Images provided by Creative Commons, Flickr, Unsplash, Pexels & Pixabay
