High Tech Invisible Braces Systems

In the last few years, there have been many innovations in technology concerning braces. Traditional braces use metal placed on the front surface of the teeth and tightened to obtain the desired shape.

Now, there is a whole array of different kinds of braces for different needs and lifestyles.

Lingual Braces

Lingual braces, one of the newer offerings, and use a similar structure to traditional braces but do have key
differences. First, lingual braces use similar metal brackets placed on the interior, tongue-facing surface of the teeth.

This process is more labour intensive and requires more specialized work than traditional braces; this leads to a significant increase in price.

Due to variations in the surfaces of the teeth, lingual braces are created in a lab to ensure they fit the contours of the teeth precisely. The main benefit of lingual braces is they are more attractive than traditional braces as generally they cannot be seen.

Clearstep and Invisalign

Clearstep braces are the British equivalent to Invisalign braces system; these are two new invisible options that allow the user to be free of uncomfortable metal and wires.

Dental impressions are taken and sent to a lab where specialized computer programs create a set of clear appliances.

These appliances are generally changed every 2-3 weeks to gradually mould teeth into the correct position.

This process can take longer than traditional braces, but most users are happy to make the sacrifice to avoid the appearance of traditional metal braces.

They are both removable so there are no dietary restrictions; there are however some differences between the two.

The appliance produced for Clearstep braces is thicker than the Invisalign appliance, though not as rigid; this makes Invisalign more precise.

Both Invisalign and Clearstep have one flaw in their structures; teeth grinding can cause damage to the appliance.

While this saves your teeth from damage, damaging the appliance can lead to higher costs and delays as replacements will have to be ordered.

Smart Braces

Smart braces are self-ligating braces that use three-dimensional force-movement systems. These braces rely on microchip technology to measure pressures exerted on each tooth.

These braces are elastic-free which means there is significantly less friction and resistance causing them to work more efficiently; with the introduction of the Clarity SL model by 3M users can have both self-ligating and clear braces in one product. Another popular product is the Inman Aligner.